1
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Koch NG, Budisa N. Evolution of Pyrrolysyl-tRNA Synthetase: From Methanogenesis to Genetic Code Expansion. Chem Rev 2024. [PMID: 38953775 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Over 20 years ago, the pyrrolysine encoding translation system was discovered in specific archaea. Our Review provides an overview of how the once obscure pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) tRNA pair, originally responsible for accurately translating enzymes crucial in methanogenic metabolic pathways, laid the foundation for the burgeoning field of genetic code expansion. Our primary focus is the discussion of how to successfully engineer the PylRS to recognize new substrates and exhibit higher in vivo activity. We have compiled a comprehensive list of ncAAs incorporable with the PylRS system. Additionally, we also summarize recent successful applications of the PylRS system in creating innovative therapeutic solutions, such as new antibody-drug conjugates, advancements in vaccine modalities, and the potential production of new antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaj G Koch
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Biocatalysis Group, Institute of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
- Chemical Synthetic Biology Chair, Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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2
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Ishida S, Ngo PHT, Gundlach A, Ellington A. Engineering Ribosomal Machinery for Noncanonical Amino Acid Incorporation. Chem Rev 2024; 124:7712-7730. [PMID: 38829723 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
The introduction of noncanonical amino acids into proteins has enabled researchers to modify fundamental physicochemical and functional properties of proteins. While the alteration of the genetic code, via the introduction of orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase:tRNA pairs, has driven many of these efforts, the various components involved in the process of translation are important for the development of new genetic codes. In this review, we will focus on recent advances in engineering ribosomal machinery for noncanonical amino acid incorporation and genetic code modification. The engineering of the ribosome itself will be considered, as well as the many factors that interact closely with the ribosome, including both tRNAs and accessory factors, such as the all-important EF-Tu. Given the success of genome re-engineering efforts, future paths for radical alterations of the genetic code will require more expansive alterations in the translation machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Ishida
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Phuoc H T Ngo
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Arno Gundlach
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Andrew Ellington
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, 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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Kerestesy GN, Dods KK, McFeely CAL, Hartman MCT. Continuous Fluorescence Assay for In Vitro Translation Compatible with Noncanonical Amino Acids. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:119-128. [PMID: 38194520 PMCID: PMC11165968 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00353] [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] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
The tolerance of the translation apparatus toward noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) has enabled the creation of diverse natural-product-like peptide libraries using mRNA display for use in drug discovery. Typical experiments testing for ribosomal ncAA incorporation involve radioactive end point assays to measure yield alongside mass spectrometry experiments to validate incorporation. These end point assays require significant postexperimental manipulation for analysis and prevent higher throughput analysis and optimization experiments. Continuous assays for in vitro translation involve the synthesis of fluorescent proteins which require the full complement of canonical AAs for function and are therefore of limited utility for testing of ncAAs. Here, we describe a new, continuous fluorescence assay for in vitro translation based on detection of a short peptide tag using an affinity clamp protein, which exhibits changes in its fluorescent properties upon binding. Using this assay in a 384-well format, we were able to validate the incorporation of a variety of ncAAs and also quickly test for the codon reading specificities of a variety of Escherichia coli tRNAs. This assay enables rapid assessment of ncAAs and optimization of translation components and is therefore expected to advance the engineering of the translation apparatus for drug discovery and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianna N Kerestesy
- Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W Main Street, Richmond, 23220 Virginia, United States
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 401 College Street, Richmond, 23298-0037 Virginia, United States
| | - Kara K Dods
- Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W Main Street, Richmond, 23220 Virginia, United States
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 401 College Street, Richmond, 23298-0037 Virginia, United States
| | - Clinton A L McFeely
- Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W Main Street, Richmond, 23220 Virginia, United States
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 401 College Street, Richmond, 23298-0037 Virginia, United States
| | - Matthew C T Hartman
- Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W Main Street, Richmond, 23220 Virginia, United States
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 401 College Street, Richmond, 23298-0037 Virginia, United States
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5
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Li X, Wang N, Liu Y, Li W, Bai X, Liu P, He CY. Backbone N-methylation of peptides: Advances in synthesis and applications in pharmaceutical drug development. Bioorg Chem 2023; 141:106892. [PMID: 37776681 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Peptide-based drugs have garnered considerable attention in recent years owing to their increasingly crucial role in the treatment of diverse diseases. However, the limited pharmacokinetic properties of peptides have hindered their full potential. One prominent strategy for enhancing the druggability of peptides is N-methylation, which involves the addition of a methyl group to the nitrogen atom of the peptide backbone. This modification significantly improves the stability, bioavailability, receptor binding affinity and selectivity of peptide drug candidates. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the advancements in synthetic methods for N-methylated peptide synthesis, as well as the associated limitations. Moreover, we explore the versatile effects of N-methylation on various aspects of peptide properties. Furthermore, we emphasize the efforts dedicated to N-methylated peptide pharmaceuticals that have successfully obtained marketing approval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefei Li
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis & Chiral Drug Synthesis of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563000, China; Central Research Institute, United-Imaging Healthcare Group Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Ningchao Wang
- Central Research Institute, United-Imaging Healthcare Group Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhang Liu
- Central Research Institute, United-Imaging Healthcare Group Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Weipiao Li
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis & Chiral Drug Synthesis of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563000, China
| | - Xinyu Bai
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis & Chiral Drug Synthesis of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563000, China
| | - Ping Liu
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis & Chiral Drug Synthesis of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563000, China
| | - Chun-Yang He
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis & Chiral Drug Synthesis of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563000, China.
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6
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Ohta A, Tanada M, Shinohara S, Morita Y, Nakano K, Yamagishi Y, Takano R, Kariyuki S, Iida T, Matsuo A, Ozeki K, Emura T, Sakurai Y, Takano K, Higashida A, Kojima M, Muraoka T, Takeyama R, Kato T, Kimura K, Ogawa K, Ohara K, Tanaka S, Kikuchi Y, Hisada N, Hayashi R, Nishimura Y, Nomura K, Tachibana T, Irie M, Kawada H, Torizawa T, Murao N, Kotake T, Tanaka M, Ishikawa S, Miyake T, Tamiya M, Arai M, Chiyoda A, Akai S, Sase H, Kuramoto S, Ito T, Shiraishi T, Kojima T, Iikura H. Validation of a New Methodology to Create Oral Drugs beyond the Rule of 5 for Intracellular Tough Targets. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:24035-24051. [PMID: 37874670 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c07145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Establishing a technological platform for creating clinical compounds inhibiting intracellular protein-protein interactions (PPIs) can open the door to many valuable drugs. Although small molecules and antibodies are mainstream modalities, they are not suitable for a target protein that lacks a deep cavity for a small molecule to bind or a protein found in intracellular space out of an antibody's reach. One possible approach to access these targets is to utilize so-called middle-size cyclic peptides (defined here as those with a molecular weight of 1000-2000 g/mol). In this study, we validated a new methodology to create oral drugs beyond the rule of 5 for intracellular tough targets by elucidating structural features and physicochemical properties for drug-like cyclic peptides and developing library technologies to afford highly N-alkylated cyclic peptide hits. We discovered a KRAS inhibitory clinical compound (LUNA18) as the first example of our platform technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Ohta
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Mikimasa Tanada
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shojiro Shinohara
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yuya Morita
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Nakano
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yusuke Yamagishi
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Takano
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shiori Kariyuki
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takeo Iida
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Atsushi Matsuo
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kazuhisa Ozeki
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takashi Emura
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yuuji Sakurai
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Koji Takano
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Atsuko Higashida
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Miki Kojima
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Terushige Muraoka
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Ryuuichi Takeyama
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Kato
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kaori Kimura
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kotaro Ogawa
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Ohara
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shota Tanaka
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yasufumi Kikuchi
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Nozomi Hisada
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Ryuji Hayashi
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Nishimura
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kenichi Nomura
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tatsuhiko Tachibana
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Machiko Irie
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hatsuo Kawada
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takuya Torizawa
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Naoaki Murao
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tomoya Kotake
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Masahiko Tanaka
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shiho Ishikawa
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Taiji Miyake
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Minoru Tamiya
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Masako Arai
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Aya Chiyoda
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Sho Akai
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Sase
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shino Kuramoto
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Toshiya Ito
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takuya Shiraishi
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Kojima
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Iikura
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho,Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-8602, Kanagawa, Japan
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7
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Cuevas-Zuviría B, Fer E, Adam ZR, Kaçar B. The modular biochemical reaction network structure of cellular translation. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2023; 9:52. [PMID: 37884541 PMCID: PMC10603163 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-023-00315-3] [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: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Translation is an essential attribute of all living cells. At the heart of cellular operation, it is a chemical information decoding process that begins with an input string of nucleotides and ends with the synthesis of a specific output string of peptides. The translation process is interconnected with gene expression, physiological regulation, transcription, and responses to signaling molecules, among other cellular functions. Foundational efforts have uncovered a wealth of knowledge about the mechanistic functions of the components of translation and their many interactions between them, but the broader biochemical connections between translation, metabolism and polymer biosynthesis that enable translation to occur have not been comprehensively mapped. Here we present a multilayer graph of biochemical reactions describing the translation, polymer biosynthesis and metabolism networks of an Escherichia coli cell. Intriguingly, the compounds that compose these three layers are distinctly aggregated into three modes regardless of their layer categorization. Multimodal mass distributions are well-known in ecosystems, but this is the first such distribution reported at the biochemical level. The degree distributions of the translation and metabolic networks are each likely to be heavy-tailed, but the polymer biosynthesis network is not. A multimodal mass-degree distribution indicates that the translation and metabolism networks are each distinct, adaptive biochemical modules, and that the gaps between the modes reflect evolved responses to the functional use of metabolite, polypeptide and polynucleotide compounds. The chemical reaction network of cellular translation opens new avenues for exploring complex adaptive phenomena such as percolation and phase changes in biochemical contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Cuevas-Zuviría
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Evrim Fer
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Zachary R Adam
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Geosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Betül Kaçar
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
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8
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Fuertes G, Sakamoto K, Budisa N. Editorial: Exploring and expanding the protein universe with non-canonical amino acids. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1303286. [PMID: 37900919 PMCID: PMC10602797 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1303286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Fuertes
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Recognition, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czechia
| | - Kensaku Sakamoto
- Laboratory for Nonnatural Amino Acid Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Chemical Synthetic Biology Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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9
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Goettig P, Koch NG, Budisa N. Non-Canonical Amino Acids in Analyses of Protease Structure and Function. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14035. [PMID: 37762340 PMCID: PMC10531186 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814035] [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] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
All known organisms encode 20 canonical amino acids by base triplets in the genetic code. The cellular translational machinery produces proteins consisting mainly of these amino acids. Several hundred natural amino acids serve important functions in metabolism, as scaffold molecules, and in signal transduction. New side chains are generated mainly by post-translational modifications, while others have altered backbones, such as the β- or γ-amino acids, or they undergo stereochemical inversion, e.g., in the case of D-amino acids. In addition, the number of non-canonical amino acids has further increased by chemical syntheses. Since many of these non-canonical amino acids confer resistance to proteolytic degradation, they are potential protease inhibitors and tools for specificity profiling studies in substrate optimization and enzyme inhibition. Other applications include in vitro and in vivo studies of enzyme kinetics, molecular interactions and bioimaging, to name a few. Amino acids with bio-orthogonal labels are particularly attractive, enabling various cross-link and click reactions for structure-functional studies. Here, we cover the latest developments in protease research with non-canonical amino acids, which opens up a great potential, e.g., for novel prodrugs activated by proteases or for other pharmaceutical compounds, some of which have already reached the clinical trial stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Goettig
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Nikolaj G. Koch
- Biocatalysis Group, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
- Bioanalytics Group, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Bioanalytics Group, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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10
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Mou X, Kwok CK. Peptides Selected by G4-mRNA Display-Seq Enable RNA G-Quadruplex Recognition and Gene Regulation. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:18693-18697. [PMID: 37582058 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c04534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are noncanonical secondary structures that play critical roles in both chemistry and biology. Although several approaches have been developed for G4 targeting, such as chemicals and antibodies, there is currently no general and efficient platform for G4-specific peptides. In this study, we developed a new platform, G4-mRNA display-Seq, for selecting peptides that specifically recognize the G4 target of interest. By using an RNA G4 (rG4) found in human telomerase RNA (hTERC) as the target, we have identified a novel short peptide, namely, peptide 11 (pep11), which displays high affinity and selectivity to hTERC rG4. Furthermore, we designed tandem and cyclic versions of pep11 and found that both modified versions exhibit stronger binding affinity with preferential rG4 selectivity. Notably, we have demonstrated that these peptides can negatively regulate gene expression by targeting rG4. Our results provide a universal platform for the discovery of G4-targeting peptides and demonstrate the ability of these peptides to regulate G4-mediated gene functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Mou
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Chun Kit Kwok
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
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11
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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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12
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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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13
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Lee K, Willi JA, Cho N, Kim I, Jewett MC, Lee J. Cell-free Biosynthesis of Peptidomimetics. BIOTECHNOL BIOPROC E 2023; 28:1-17. [PMID: 36778039 PMCID: PMC9896473 DOI: 10.1007/s12257-022-0268-5] [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: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
A wide variety of peptidomimetics (peptide analogs) possessing innovative biological functions have been brought forth as therapeutic candidates through cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) systems. A key feature of these peptidomimetic drugs is the use of non-canonical amino acid building blocks with diverse biochemical properties that expand functional diversity. Here, we summarize recent technologies leveraging CFPS platforms to expand the reach of peptidomimetics drugs. We also offer perspectives on engineering the translational machinery that may open new opportunities for expanding genetically encoded chemistry to transform drug discovery practice beyond traditional boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanghun Lee
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I-Bio), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673 Korea
| | - Jessica A. Willi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA
| | - Namjin Cho
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673 Korea
| | - Inseon Kim
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I-Bio), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673 Korea
| | - Michael C. Jewett
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA
| | - Joongoo Lee
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I-Bio), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673 Korea
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673 Korea
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14
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McFeely CAL, Dods KK, Patel SS, Hartman MCT. Expansion of the genetic code through reassignment of redundant sense codons using fully modified tRNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:11374-11386. [PMID: 36300637 PMCID: PMC9638912 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Breaking codon degeneracy for the introduction of non-canonical amino acids offers many opportunities in synthetic biology. Yet, despite the existence of 64 codons, the code has only been expanded to 25 amino acids in vitro. A limiting factor could be the over-reliance on synthetic tRNAs which lack the post-transcriptional modifications that improve translational fidelity. To determine whether modified, wild-type tRNA could improve sense codon reassignment, we developed a new fluorous method for tRNA capture and applied it to the isolation of roughly half of the Escherichia coli tRNA isoacceptors. We then performed codon competition experiments between the five captured wild-type leucyl-tRNAs and their synthetic counterparts, revealing a strong preference for wild-type tRNA in an in vitro translation system. Finally, we compared the ability of wild-type and synthetic leucyl-tRNA to break the degeneracy of the leucine codon box, showing that only captured wild-type tRNAs are discriminated with enough fidelity to accurately split the leucine codon box for the encoding of three separate amino acids. Wild-type tRNAs are therefore enabling reagents for maximizing the reassignment potential of the genetic code.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clinton A L McFeely
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond, VA 23220 , USA
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond, VA 23220 , USA
| | - Kara K Dods
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond, VA 23220 , USA
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond, VA 23220 , USA
| | - Shivam S Patel
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond, VA 23220 , USA
| | - Matthew C T Hartman
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond, VA 23220 , USA
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond, VA 23220 , USA
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15
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Cui Y, Chen X, Wang Z, Lu Y. Cell-Free PURE System: Evolution and Achievements. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2022; 2022:9847014. [PMID: 37850137 PMCID: PMC10521753 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9847014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) system, as a technical core of synthetic biology, can simulate the transcription and translation process in an in vitro open environment without a complete living cell. It has been widely used in basic and applied research fields because of its advanced engineering features in flexibility and controllability. Compared to a typical crude extract-based CFPS system, due to defined and customizable components and lacking protein-degrading enzymes, the protein synthesis using recombinant elements (PURE) system draws great attention. This review first discusses the elemental composition of the PURE system. Then, the design and preparation of functional proteins for the PURE system, especially the critical ribosome, were examined. Furthermore, we trace the evolving development of the PURE system in versatile areas, including prototyping, synthesis of unnatural proteins, peptides and complex proteins, and biosensors. Finally, as a state-of-the-art engineering strategy, this review analyzes the opportunities and challenges faced by the PURE system in future scientific research and diverse applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Cui
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- College of Life Sciences, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang 110034, Liaoning, China
| | - Xinjie Chen
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ze Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang 110034, Liaoning, China
| | - Yuan Lu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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16
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Boruah A, Roy A. Advances in hybrid peptide-based self-assembly systems and their applications. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:4694-4723. [PMID: 35899853 DOI: 10.1039/d2bm00775d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Self-assembly of peptides demonstrates a great potential for designing highly ordered, finely tailored supramolecular arrangements enriched with high specificity, improved efficacy and biological activity. Along with natural peptides, hybrid peptide systems composed of natural and chemically diverse unnatural amino acids have been used in various fields, including drug delivery, wound healing, potent inhibition of diseases, and prevention of biomaterial related diseases to name a few. In this review, we provide a brief outline of various methods that have been utilized for obtaining fascinating structures that create an avenue to reproduce a range of functions resulting from these folds. An overview of different self-assembled structures as well as their applications will also be provided. We believe that this review is very relevant to the current scenario and will cover conformations of hybrid peptides and resulting self-assemblies from the late 20th century through 2022. This review aims to be a comprehensive and reliable account of the hybrid peptide-based self-assembly owing to its enormous influence in understanding and mimicking biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alpana Boruah
- Applied Organic Chemistry Group, Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-North East Institute of Science and Technology (CSIR-NEIST), Pulibor, Jorhat-785006, Assam, India. .,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad-201002, India
| | - Arup Roy
- Applied Organic Chemistry Group, Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-North East Institute of Science and Technology (CSIR-NEIST), Pulibor, Jorhat-785006, Assam, India. .,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad-201002, India
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17
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Thakur M, Breger JC, Susumu K, Oh E, Spangler JR, Medintz IL, Walper SA, Ellis GA. Self-assembled nanoparticle-enzyme aggregates enhance functional protein production in pure transcription-translation systems. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265274. [PMID: 35298538 PMCID: PMC8929567 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-free protein synthesis systems (CFPS) utilize cellular transcription and translation (TX-TL) machinery to synthesize proteins in vitro. These systems are useful for multiple applications including production of difficult proteins, as high-throughput tools for genetic circuit screening, and as systems for biosensor development. Though rapidly evolving, CFPS suffer from some disadvantages such as limited reaction rates due to longer diffusion times, significant cost per assay when using commercially sourced materials, and reduced reagent stability over prolonged periods. To address some of these challenges, we conducted a series of proof-of-concept experiments to demonstrate enhancement of CFPS productivity via nanoparticle assembly driven nanoaggregation of its constituent proteins. We combined a commercially available CFPS that utilizes purified polyhistidine-tagged (His-tag) TX-TL machinery with CdSe/CdS/ZnS core/shell/shell quantum dots (QDs) known to readily coordinate His-tagged proteins in an oriented fashion. We show that nanoparticle scaffolding of the CFPS cross-links the QDs into nanoaggregate structures while enhancing the production of functional recombinant super-folder green fluorescent protein and phosphotriesterase, an organophosphate hydrolase; the latter by up to 12-fold. This enhancement, which occurs by an undetermined mechanism, has the potential to improve CFPS in general and specifically CFPS-based biosensors (faster response time) while also enabling rapid detoxification/bioremediation through point-of-concern synthesis of similar catalytic enzymes. We further show that such nanoaggregates improve production in diluted CFPS reactions, which can help to save money and extend the amount of these costly reagents. The results are discussed in the context of what may contribute mechanistically to the enhancement and how this can be applied to other CFPS application scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghna Thakur
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Code 6900, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- College of Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Joyce C. Breger
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Code 6900, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Kimihiro Susumu
- Optical Sciences Division, Code 5600, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- Jacobs Corporation, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Eunkeu Oh
- Optical Sciences Division, Code 5600, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Joseph R. Spangler
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Code 6900, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Igor L. Medintz
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Code 6900, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Scott A. Walper
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Code 6900, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Gregory A. Ellis
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Code 6900, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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18
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Polyak D, Krauss IJ. An Optimized Synthesis of Fmoc-l-Homopropargylglycine-OH. J Org Chem 2022; 87:3841-3844. [PMID: 35133817 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.1c03027] [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] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
An efficient multigram synthesis of alkynyl amino acid Fmoc-l-homopropargylglycine-OH is described. A double Boc protection is optimized for high material throughput, and the key Seyferth-Gilbert homologation is optimized to avoid racemization. Eighteen grams of the enantiopure (>98% ee) noncanonical amino acid was readily generated for use in solid phase synthesis to make peptides that can be functionalized by copper-assisted alkyne-azide cycloaddition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Polyak
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, MS 015, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454-9110, United States
| | - Isaac J Krauss
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, MS 015, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454-9110, United States
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19
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Melsen PRA, Yoshisada R, Jongkees SAK. Opportunities for expanding encoded chemical diversification and improving hit enrichment in mRNA-displayed peptide libraries. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202100685. [PMID: 35100479 PMCID: PMC9306583 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
DNA‐encoded small‐molecule libraries and mRNA displayed peptide libraries both use numerically large pools of oligonucleotide‐tagged molecules to identify potential hits for protein targets. They differ dramatically, however, in the ‘drug‐likeness’ of the molecules that each can be used to discover. We give here an overview of the two techniques, comparing some advantages and disadvantages of each, and suggest areas where particularly mRNA display can benefit from adopting advances developed with DNA‐encoded small molecule libraries. We outline cases where chemical modification of the peptide library has already been used in mRNA display, and survey opportunities to expand this using examples from DNA‐encoded small molecule libraries. We also propose potential opportunities for encoding such reactions within the mRNA/cDNA tag of an mRNA‐displayed peptide library to allow a more diversity‐oriented approach to library modification. Finally, we outline alternate approaches for enriching target‐binding hits from a pooled and tagged library, and close by detailing several examples of how an adjusted mRNA‐display based approach could be used to discover new ‘drug‐like’ modified small peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paddy R A Melsen
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, NETHERLANDS
| | - Ryoji Yoshisada
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, NETHERLANDS
| | - Seino A K Jongkees
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, de Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ, Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS
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20
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Hartman MCT. Non-canonical Amino Acid Substrates of E. coli Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202100299. [PMID: 34416067 PMCID: PMC9651912 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In this comprehensive review, I focus on the twenty E. coli aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and their ability to charge non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) onto tRNAs. The promiscuity of these enzymes has been harnessed for diverse applications including understanding and engineering of protein function, creation of organisms with an expanded genetic code, and the synthesis of diverse peptide libraries for drug discovery. The review catalogues the structures of all known ncAA substrates for each of the 20 E. coli aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, including ncAA substrates for engineered versions of these enzymes. Drawing from the structures in the list, I highlight trends and novel opportunities for further exploitation of these ncAAs in the engineering of protein function, synthetic biology, and in drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C T Hartman
- Department of Chemistry and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1001 W Main St., Richmond, VA 23220, USA
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21
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Kamalinia G, Grindel BJ, Takahashi TT, Millward SW, Roberts RW. Directing evolution of novel ligands by mRNA display. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:9055-9103. [PMID: 34165126 PMCID: PMC8725378 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00160d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
mRNA display is a powerful biological display platform for the directed evolution of proteins and peptides. mRNA display libraries covalently link the displayed peptide or protein (phenotype) with the encoding genetic information (genotype) through the biochemical activity of the small molecule puromycin. Selection for peptide/protein function is followed by amplification of the linked genetic material and generation of a library enriched in functional sequences. Iterative selection cycles are then performed until the desired level of function is achieved, at which time the identity of candidate peptides can be obtained by sequencing the genetic material. The purpose of this review is to discuss the development of mRNA display technology since its inception in 1997 and to comprehensively review its use in the selection of novel peptides and proteins. We begin with an overview of the biochemical mechanism of mRNA display and its variants with a particular focus on its advantages and disadvantages relative to other biological display technologies. We then discuss the importance of scaffold choice in mRNA display selections and review the results of selection experiments with biological (e.g., fibronectin) and linear peptide library architectures. We then explore recent progress in the development of "drug-like" peptides by mRNA display through the post-translational covalent macrocyclization and incorporation of non-proteogenic functionalities. We conclude with an examination of enabling technologies that increase the speed of selection experiments, enhance the information obtained in post-selection sequence analysis, and facilitate high-throughput characterization of lead compounds. We hope to provide the reader with a comprehensive view of current state and future trajectory of mRNA display and its broad utility as a peptide and protein design tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Golnaz Kamalinia
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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22
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Discovery of De Novo Macrocyclic Peptides by Messenger RNA Display. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2021; 42:385-397. [PMID: 33771353 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Macrocyclic peptides are a promising class of compounds that can often engage challenging therapeutic targets. Display technologies, such as mRNA display, allow for the efficient discovery of macrocyclic peptides. This article reviews the current approaches for generating macrocyclic peptide libraries using mRNA display and highlights some recent examples of ribosomal incorporation of nonproteinogenic amino acids into macrocyclic peptides.
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23
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Ra D, Sa B, Sl B, Js M, Sj M, DA D, Ew S, O K, Eb B, Ad C, Vx T, Gg G, Pa C, Dc M, Wg B. Is Exposure to BMAA a Risk Factor for Neurodegenerative Diseases? A Response to a Critical Review of the BMAA Hypothesis. Neurotox Res 2021; 39:81-106. [PMID: 33547590 PMCID: PMC7904546 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-020-00302-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In a literature survey, Chernoff et al. (2017) dismissed the hypothesis that chronic exposure to β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) may be a risk factor for progressive neurodegenerative disease. They question the growing scientific literature that suggests the following: (1) BMAA exposure causes ALS/PDC among the indigenous Chamorro people of Guam; (2) Guamanian ALS/PDC shares clinical and neuropathological features with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS; (3) one possible mechanism for protein misfolds is misincorporation of BMAA into proteins as a substitute for L-serine; and (4) chronic exposure to BMAA through diet or environmental exposures to cyanobacterial blooms can cause neurodegenerative disease. We here identify multiple errors in their critique including the following: (1) their review selectively cites the published literature; (2) the authors reported favorably on HILIC methods of BMAA detection while the literature shows significant matrix effects and peak coelution in HILIC that may prevent detection and quantification of BMAA in cyanobacteria; (3) the authors build alternative arguments to the BMAA hypothesis, rather than explain the published literature which, to date, has been unable to refute the BMAA hypothesis; and (4) the authors erroneously attribute methods to incorrect studies, indicative of a failure to carefully consider all relevant publications. The lack of attention to BMAA research begins with the review’s title which incorrectly refers to BMAA as a “non-essential” amino acid. Research regarding chronic exposure to BMAA as a cause of human neurodegenerative diseases is emerging and requires additional resources, validation, and research. Here, we propose strategies for improvement in the execution and reporting of analytical methods and the need for additional and well-executed inter-lab comparisons for BMAA quantitation. We emphasize the need for optimization and validation of analytical methods to ensure that they are fit-for-purpose. Although there remain gaps in the literature, an increasingly large body of data from multiple independent labs using orthogonal methods provides increasing evidence that chronic exposure to BMAA may be a risk factor for neurological illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dunlop Ra
- Brain Chemistry Labs, Institute for Ethnomedicine, Jackson, WY, USA.
| | - Banack Sa
- Brain Chemistry Labs, Institute for Ethnomedicine, Jackson, WY, USA
| | - Bishop Sl
- Lewis Research Group, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Metcalf Js
- Brain Chemistry Labs, Institute for Ethnomedicine, Jackson, WY, USA
| | - Murch Sj
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Davis DA
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Stommel Ew
- Department of Neurology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Karlsson O
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Brittebo Eb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Tan Vx
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie University, Ryde, Australia
| | - Guillemin Gg
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie University, Ryde, Australia
| | - Cox Pa
- Brain Chemistry Labs, Institute for Ethnomedicine, Jackson, WY, USA
| | - Mash Dc
- Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Bradley Wg
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
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24
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Dotter H, Boll M, Eder M, Eder AC. Library and post-translational modifications of peptide-based display systems. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 47:107699. [PMID: 33513435 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Innovative biotechnological methods empower the successful identification of new drug candidates. Phage, ribosome and mRNA display represent high throughput screenings, allowing fast and efficient progress in the field of targeted drug discovery. The identification range comprises low molecular weight peptides up to whole antibodies. However, a major challenge poses the stability and affinity in particular of peptides. Chemical modifications e.g. the introduction of unnatural amino acids or cyclization, have been proven to be essential tools to overcome these limitations. This review article particularly focuses on available methods for the targeted chemical modification of peptides and peptide libraries in selected display approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Dotter
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; Division of Radiopharmaceutical Development, German Cancer Consortium, partner site Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany, and German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Melanie Boll
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; Division of Radiopharmaceutical Development, German Cancer Consortium, partner site Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany, and German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matthias Eder
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; Division of Radiopharmaceutical Development, German Cancer Consortium, partner site Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany, and German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Ann-Christin Eder
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; Division of Radiopharmaceutical Development, German Cancer Consortium, partner site Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany, and German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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25
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Harding CJ, Sutherland E, Hanna JG, Houston DR, Czekster CM. Bypassing the requirement for aminoacyl-tRNA by a cyclodipeptide synthase enzyme. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:230-240. [PMID: 33937777 PMCID: PMC8084100 DOI: 10.1039/d0cb00142b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclodipeptide synthases (CDPSs) produce a variety of cyclic dipeptide products by utilising two aminoacylated tRNA substrates. We sought to investigate the minimal requirements for substrate usage in this class of enzymes as the relationship between CDPSs and their substrates remains elusive. Here, we investigated the Bacillus thermoamylovorans enzyme, BtCDPS, which synthesises cyclo(l-Leu–l-Leu). We systematically tested where specificity arises and, in the process, uncovered small molecules (activated amino esters) that will suffice as substrates, although catalytically poor. We solved the structure of BtCDPS to 1.7 Å and combining crystallography, enzymatic assays and substrate docking experiments propose a model for how the minimal substrates interact with the enzyme. This work is the first report of a CDPS enzyme utilizing a molecule other than aa-tRNA as a substrate; providing insights into substrate requirements and setting the stage for the design of improved simpler substrates. Cyclodipeptide synthases recognize a minimalistic substrate to produce cyclic dipeptides in a tRNA-independent manner.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Harding
- School of Biology, Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St Andrews, St Andrews Fife KY16 9ST UK
| | - Emmajay Sutherland
- School of Biology, Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St Andrews, St Andrews Fife KY16 9ST UK
| | - Jane G Hanna
- Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) Cairo Campus Egypt
| | - Douglas R Houston
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Edinburgh Waddington 1 Building, King's Buildings Edinburgh EH9 3BF UK
| | - Clarissa M Czekster
- School of Biology, Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St Andrews, St Andrews Fife KY16 9ST UK
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26
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Iskandar SE, Haberman VA, Bowers AA. Expanding the Chemical Diversity of Genetically Encoded Libraries. ACS COMBINATORIAL SCIENCE 2020; 22:712-733. [PMID: 33167616 PMCID: PMC8284915 DOI: 10.1021/acscombsci.0c00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The power of ribosomes has increasingly been harnessed for the synthesis and selection of molecular libraries. Technologies, such as phage display, yeast display, and mRNA display, effectively couple genotype to phenotype for the molecular evolution of high affinity epitopes for many therapeutic targets. Genetic code expansion is central to the success of these technologies, allowing researchers to surpass the intrinsic capabilities of the ribosome and access new, genetically encoded materials for these selections. Here, we review techniques for the chemical expansion of genetically encoded libraries, their abilities and limits, and opportunities for further development. Importantly, we also discuss methods and metrics used to assess the efficiency of modification and library diversity with these new techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina E Iskandar
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Victoria A Haberman
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Albert A Bowers
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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27
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Cui Z, Johnston WA, Alexandrov K. Cell-Free Approach for Non-canonical Amino Acids Incorporation Into Polypeptides. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:1031. [PMID: 33117774 PMCID: PMC7550873 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.01031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology holds promise to revolutionize the life sciences and biomedicine via expansion of macromolecular diversity outside the natural chemical space. Use of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) via codon reassignment has found diverse applications in protein structure and interaction analysis, introduction of post-translational modifications, production of constrained peptides, antibody-drug conjugates, and novel enzymes. However, simultaneously encoding multiple ncAAs in vivo requires complex engineering and is sometimes restricted by the cell's poor uptake of ncAAs. In contrast the open nature of cell-free protein synthesis systems offers much greater freedom for manipulation and repurposing of the biosynthetic machinery by controlling the level and identity of translational components and reagents, and allows simultaneous incorporation of multiple ncAAs with non-canonical side chains and even backbones (N-methyl, D-, β-amino acids, α-hydroxy acids etc.). This review focuses on the two most used Escherichia coli-based cell-free protein synthesis systems; cell extract- and PURE-based systems. The former is a biological mixture with >500 proteins, while the latter consists of 38 individually purified biomolecules. We delineate compositions of these two systems and discuss their respective advantages and applications. Also, we dissect the translational components required for ncAA incorporation and compile lists of ncAAs that can be incorporated into polypeptides via different acylation approaches. We highlight the recent progress in using unnatural nucleobase pairs to increase the repertoire of orthogonal codons, as well as using tRNA-specific ribozymes for in situ acylation. We summarize advances in engineering of translational machinery such as tRNAs, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, elongation factors, and ribosomes to achieve efficient incorporation of structurally challenging ncAAs. We note that, many engineered components of biosynthetic machinery are developed for the use in vivo but are equally applicable to the in vitro systems. These are included in the review to provide a comprehensive overview for ncAA incorporation and offer new insights for the future development in cell-free systems. Finally, we highlight the exciting progress in the genomic engineering, resulting in E. coli strains free of amber and some redundant sense codons. These strains can be used for preparation of cell extracts offering multiple reassignment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenling Cui
- Synthetic Biology Laboratory, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Wayne A Johnston
- Synthetic Biology Laboratory, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Kirill Alexandrov
- Synthetic Biology Laboratory, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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28
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Tharp JM, Krahn N, Varshney U, Söll D. Hijacking Translation Initiation for Synthetic Biology. Chembiochem 2020; 21:1387-1396. [PMID: 32023356 PMCID: PMC7237318 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Genetic code expansion (GCE) has revolutionized the field of protein chemistry. Over the past several decades more than 150 different noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) have been co-translationally installed into proteins within various host organisms. The vast majority of these ncAAs have been incorporated between the start and stop codons within an open reading frame. This requires that the ncAA be able to form a peptide bond at the α-amine, limiting the types of molecules that can be genetically encoded. In contrast, the α-amine of the initiating amino acid is not required for peptide bond formation. Therefore, including the initiator position in GCE allows for co-translational insertion of more diverse molecules that are modified, or completely lacking an α-amine. This review explores various methods which have been used to initiate protein synthesis with diverse molecules both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffery M Tharp
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Natalie Krahn
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Umesh Varshney
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Dieter Söll
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
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29
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Nigro G, Bourcier S, Lazennec-Schurdevin C, Schmitt E, Marlière P, Mechulam Y. Use of β 3-methionine as an amino acid substrate of Escherichia coli methionyl-tRNA synthetase. J Struct Biol 2019; 209:107435. [PMID: 31862305 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2019.107435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Polypeptides containing β-amino acids are attractive tools for the design of novel proteins having unique properties of medical or industrial interest. Incorporation of β-amino acids in vivo requires the development of efficient aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases specific of these non-canonical amino acids. Here, we have performed a detailed structural and biochemical study of the recognition and use of β3-Met by Escherichia coli methionyl-tRNA synthetase (MetRS). We show that MetRS binds β3-Met with a 24-fold lower affinity but catalyzes the esterification of the non-canonical amino acid onto tRNA with a rate lowered by three orders of magnitude. Accurate measurements of the catalytic parameters required careful consideration of the presence of contaminating α-Met in β3-Met commercial samples. The 1.45 Å crystal structure of the MetRS: β3-Met complex shows that β3-Met binds the enzyme essentially like α-Met, but the carboxylate moiety is mobile and not adequately positioned to react with ATP for aminoacyl adenylate formation. This study provides structural and biochemical bases for engineering MetRS with improved β3-Met aminoacylation capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliano Nigro
- Laboratoire de Biochimie, BIOC, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
| | - Sophie Bourcier
- Laboratoire de Chimie Moléculaire, LCM, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
| | - Christine Lazennec-Schurdevin
- Laboratoire de Biochimie, BIOC, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
| | - Emmanuelle Schmitt
- Laboratoire de Biochimie, BIOC, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France.
| | - Philippe Marlière
- Xenome Research Group, Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology, CNRS, UMR8030, UEVE, CEA, GENOPOLE, 5 rue Henri Desbruères, 91030 Evry Cedex, France
| | - Yves Mechulam
- Laboratoire de Biochimie, BIOC, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France.
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30
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Panzier N, Uhrner F, Lederle F, Namyslo JC, Hübner EG. Synthesis of γ-hydroxy-α-(arylmethyl)carboxylic acids from lactones: pathway to a structural motif derived from lactic acid and amino acid analogs? BMC Res Notes 2019; 12:197. [PMID: 30940193 PMCID: PMC6444536 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-019-4232-1] [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: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective A synthetic pathway to γ-hydroxy-α-(arylmethyl)carboxylic acids starting from α-angelica lactone and γ-butyrolactone was investigated. These γ-hydroxycarboxylic acids resemble structural motifs of lactic acid and amino acids. The possibility of cocondensation with lactic acid towards functionalized poly(lactic acid)s was analyzed. Results The functional γ-hydroxycarboxylates sodium 4-hydroxy-2-((N-methylpyrazol-4-yl)methyl)pentanoate and sodium 4-hydroxy-2-(phenylmethyl)butanoate (2-benzyl-4-hydroxybutanoate) were synthesized in good yields as a proof of concept for the proposed reaction pathway. Additionally, sodium (E)-2-((N-methylpyrazol-4-yl)methylene)-4-oxopentanoate presenting an interesting structural motif was isolated. All products have been fully characterized by mass spectrometry, IR spectroscopy and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. In contrast to the carboxylate anions, the corresponding carboxylic acids obtained after acidification were found to be unstable. The instability was analyzed by NMR experiments. With the help of diffusion ordered NMR spectroscopy, the cocondensation with lactic acid was elucidated. The reaction products were characterized as oligomers of pure lactic acid, while intramolecular condensation of the γ-hydroxycarboxylic acids prevents cocondensation with lactide. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-019-4232-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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31
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A general model on the origin of biological codes. Biosystems 2019; 181:11-19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2019.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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32
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Crnković A, Vargas-Rodriguez O, Söll D. Plasticity and Constraints of tRNA Aminoacylation Define Directed Evolution of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20092294. [PMID: 31075874 PMCID: PMC6540133 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20092294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic incorporation of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) has become a powerful tool to enhance existing functions or introduce new ones into proteins through expanded chemistry. This technology relies on the process of nonsense suppression, which is made possible by directing aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) to attach an ncAA onto a cognate suppressor tRNA. However, different mechanisms govern aaRS specificity toward its natural amino acid (AA) substrate and hinder the engineering of aaRSs for applications beyond the incorporation of a single l-α-AA. Directed evolution of aaRSs therefore faces two interlinked challenges: the removal of the affinity for cognate AA and improvement of ncAA acylation. Here we review aspects of AA recognition that directly influence the feasibility and success of aaRS engineering toward d- and β-AAs incorporation into proteins in vivo. Emerging directed evolution methods are described and evaluated on the basis of aaRS active site plasticity and its inherent constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Crnković
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Oscar Vargas-Rodriguez
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Dieter Söll
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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33
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Iqbal ES, Dods KK, Hartman MCT. Ribosomal incorporation of backbone modified amino acids via an editing-deficient aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase. Org Biomol Chem 2019; 16:1073-1078. [PMID: 29367962 DOI: 10.1039/c7ob02931d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The ability to incorporate non-canonical amino acids (ncAA) using translation offers researchers the ability to extend the functionality of proteins and peptides for many applications including synthetic biology, biophysical and structural studies, and discovery of novel ligands. Here we describe the high promiscuity of an editing-deficient valine-tRNA synthetase (ValRS T222P). Using this enzyme, we demonstrate ribosomal translation of 11 ncAAs including those with novel side chains, α,α-disubstitutions, and cyclic β-amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emil S Iqbal
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), 1001 West Main Street, P.O. Box 842006, Richmond, Virginia 23284, USA.
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34
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Nguyen DN, Xu B, Stanfield RL, Bailey JK, Horiya S, Temme JS, Leon DR, LaBranche CC, Montefiori DC, Costello CE, Wilson IA, Krauss IJ. Oligomannose Glycopeptide Conjugates Elicit Antibodies Targeting the Glycan Core Rather than Its Extremities. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2019; 5:237-249. [PMID: 30834312 PMCID: PMC6396197 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.8b00588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Up to ∼20% of HIV-infected individuals eventually develop broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs), and many of these antibodies (∼40%) target a region of dense high-mannose glycosylation on gp120 of the HIV envelope protein, known as the "high-mannose patch" (HMP). Thus, there have been numerous attempts to develop glycoconjugate vaccine immunogens that structurally mimic the HMP and might elicit bnAbs targeting this conserved neutralization epitope. Herein, we report on the immunogenicity of glycopeptides, designed by in vitro selection, that bind tightly to anti-HMP antibody 2G12. By analyzing the fine carbohydrate specificity of rabbit antibodies elicited by these immunogens, we found that they differ from some natural human bnAbs, such as 2G12 and PGT128, in that they bind primarily to the core structures within the glycan, rather than to the Manα1 → 2Man termini (2G12) or to the whole glycan (PGT128). Antibody specificity for the glycan core may result from extensive serum mannosidase trimming of the immunogen in the vaccinated animals. This finding has broad implications for vaccine design aiming to target glycan-dependent HIV neutralizing antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dung N. Nguyen
- Department
of Chemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454-9110, United States
| | - Bokai Xu
- Department
of Chemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454-9110, United States
| | - Robyn L. Stanfield
- Department
of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and the Skaggs
Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Jennifer K. Bailey
- Department
of Chemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454-9110, United States
| | - Satoru Horiya
- Department
of Chemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454-9110, United States
| | - J. Sebastian Temme
- Department
of Chemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454-9110, United States
| | - Deborah R. Leon
- Department
of Biochemistry, Center for Biomedical Mass Spectrometry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Celia C. LaBranche
- Department
of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
| | - David C. Montefiori
- Department
of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
| | - Catherine E. Costello
- Department
of Biochemistry, Center for Biomedical Mass Spectrometry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Ian A. Wilson
- Department
of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and the Skaggs
Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Isaac J. Krauss
- Department
of Chemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454-9110, United States
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35
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Takatsuji R, Shinbara K, Katoh T, Goto Y, Passioura T, Yajima R, Komatsu Y, Suga H. Ribosomal Synthesis of Backbone-Cyclic Peptides Compatible with In Vitro Display. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:2279-2287. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b05327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Takatsuji
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Koki Shinbara
- 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
| | - Yuki Goto
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Toby Passioura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Ryo Yajima
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yamato Komatsu
- 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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37
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Huang Y, Wiedmann MM, Suga H. RNA Display Methods for the Discovery of Bioactive Macrocycles. Chem Rev 2018; 119:10360-10391. [PMID: 30395448 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The past two decades have witnessed the emergence of macrocycles, including macrocyclic peptides, as a promising yet underexploited class of de novo drug candidates. Both rational/computational design and in vitro display systems have contributed tremendously to the development of cyclic peptide binders of either traditional targets such as cell-surface receptors and enzymes or challenging targets such as protein-protein interaction surfaces. mRNA display, a key platform technology for the discovery of cyclic peptide ligands, has become one of the leading strategies that can generate natural-product-like macrocyclic peptide binders with antibody-like affinities. On the basis of the original cell-free transcription/translation system, mRNA display is highly evolvable to realize its full potential by applying genetic reprogramming and chemical/enzymatic modifications. In addition, mRNA display also allows the follow-up hit-to-lead development using high-throughput focused affinity maturation. Finally, mRNA-displayed peptides can be readily engineered to create chemical conjugates based on known small molecules or biologics. This review covers the birth and growth of mRNA display and discusses the above features of mRNA display with success stories and future perspectives and is up to date as of August 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichao Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science , The University of Tokyo , 7-3-1 Hongo , Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 , Japan
| | - Mareike Margarete Wiedmann
- 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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38
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Bhushan B, Lin YA, Bak M, Phanumartwiwath A, Yang N, Bilyard MK, Tanaka T, Hudson KL, Lercher L, Stegmann M, Mohammed S, Davis BG. Genetic Incorporation of Olefin Cross-Metathesis Reaction Tags for Protein Modification. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:14599-14603. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b09433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bhaskar Bhushan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
| | - Yuya A. Lin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
| | - Martin Bak
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
| | - Anuchit Phanumartwiwath
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
| | - Nan Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
| | - Matthew K. Bilyard
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
| | - Tomonari Tanaka
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
| | - Kieran L. Hudson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
| | - Lukas Lercher
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
| | - Monika Stegmann
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, U.K
| | - Shabaz Mohammed
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, U.K
| | - Benjamin G. Davis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
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39
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Abstract
The 20 proteinogenic amino acids have physicochemical properties that allow peptides and proteins to fold and bind. However, there are numerous unnatural, nonproteinogenic amino acids that may be equally good, or even better, at folding and binding. Exploration of these alternative peptide building blocks has been limited by slow, one-at-a-time synthesis and testing. We describe how, in a single experiment, multiple nonproteinogenic amino acids can be trialed at all positions in a peptide sequence, with thousands of modifications tested in parallel. This permits detailed analysis of how chemical structure relates to function and allows for systematic comparisons of proteinogenic and nonproteinogenic chemistry. Such analysis can guide the improvement of drug-candidate peptides, including the therapeutically promising class of cyclic peptides. High-resolution structure–activity analysis of polypeptides requires amino acid structures that are not present in the universal genetic code. Examination of peptide and protein interactions with this resolution has been limited by the need to individually synthesize and test peptides containing nonproteinogenic amino acids. We describe a method to scan entire peptide sequences with multiple nonproteinogenic amino acids and, in parallel, determine the thermodynamics of binding to a partner protein. By coupling genetic code reprogramming to deep mutational scanning, any number of amino acids can be exhaustively substituted into peptides, and single experiments can return all free energy changes of binding. We validate this approach by scanning two model protein-binding peptides with 21 diverse nonproteinogenic amino acids. Dense structure–activity maps were produced at the resolution of single aliphatic atom insertions and deletions. This permits rapid interrogation of interaction interfaces, as well as optimization of affinity, fine-tuning of physical properties, and systematic assessment of nonproteinogenic amino acids in binding and folding.
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40
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Vallières C, Raulo R, Dickinson M, Avery SV. Novel Combinations of Agents Targeting Translation That Synergistically Inhibit Fungal Pathogens. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2355. [PMID: 30349511 PMCID: PMC6186996 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A range of fungicides or antifungals are currently deployed to control fungi in agriculture or medicine, but resistance to current agents is growing so new approaches and molecular targets are urgently needed. Recently, different aminoglycoside antibiotics combined with particular transport inhibitors were found to produce strong, synergistic growth-inhibition of fungi, by synergistically increasing the error rate of mRNA translation. Here, focusing on translation fidelity as a novel target for combinatorial antifungal treatment, we tested the hypothesis that alternative combinations of agents known to affect the availability of functional amino acids would synergistically inhibit growth of major fungal pathogens. We screened 172 novel combinations against three phytopathogens (Rhizoctonia solani, Zymoseptoria tritici, and Botrytis cinerea) and three human pathogens (Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus fumigatus), showing that 48 combinations inhibited strongly the growth of the pathogens; the growth inhibition effect was significantly greater with the agents combined than by a simple product of their individual effects at the same doses. Of these, 23 combinations were effective against more than one pathogen, including combinations comprising food-and-drug approved compounds, e.g., quinine with bicarbonate, and quinine with hygromycin. These combinations [fractional inhibitory combination (FIC) index ≤0.5] gave up to 100% reduction of fungal growth yield at concentrations of agents which, individually, had negligible effect. No synergy was evident against bacterial, plant or mammalian cells, indicating specificity for fungi. Mode-of-action analyses for quinine + hygromycin indicated that synergistic mistranslation was the antifungal mechanism. That mechanism was not universal as bicarbonate exacerbated quinine action by increasing drug uptake. The study unveils chemical combinations and a target process with potential for control of diverse fungal pathogens, and suggests repurposing possibilities for several current therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Vallières
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park Campus, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Roxane Raulo
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park Campus, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Dickinson
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Simon V Avery
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park Campus, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Passioura T, Liu W, Dunkelmann D, Higuchi T, Suga H. Display Selection of Exotic Macrocyclic Peptides Expressed under a Radically Reprogrammed 23 Amino Acid Genetic Code. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:11551-11555. [PMID: 30157372 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b03367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Bioactive naturally occurring macrocyclic peptides often exhibit a strong bias for hydrophobic residues. Recent advances in in vitro display technologies have made possible the identification of potent macrocyclic peptide ligands to protein targets of interest. However, such approaches have so far been restricted to using libraries composed of peptides containing mixtures of hydrophobic and hydrophilic/charged amino acids encoded by the standard genetic code. In the present study, we have demonstrated ribosomal expression of exotic macrocyclic peptides under a radically reprogrammed, relatively hydrophobic, genetic code, comprising 12 proteinogenic and 11 nonproteinogenic amino acids. Screening of this library for affinity to the interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) as a case study successfully identified exotic macrocyclic peptide ligands with high affinity, validating the feasibility of this approach for the discovery of relatively hydrophobic exotic macrocyclic peptide ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toby Passioura
- Department of Chemistry , Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo , 7-3-1, Hongo , Tokyo 113-0033 , Japan
| | - Wenyu Liu
- Department of Chemistry , Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo , 7-3-1, Hongo , Tokyo 113-0033 , Japan
| | - Daniel Dunkelmann
- Department of Chemistry , Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo , 7-3-1, Hongo , Tokyo 113-0033 , Japan
| | - Takashi Higuchi
- Department of Chemistry , Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo , 7-3-1, Hongo , Tokyo 113-0033 , Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry , Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo , 7-3-1, Hongo , Tokyo 113-0033 , Japan
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42
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Nickling JH, Baumann T, Schmitt FJ, Bartholomae M, Kuipers OP, Friedrich T, Budisa N. Antimicrobial Peptides Produced by Selective Pressure Incorporation of Non-canonical Amino Acids. J Vis Exp 2018:57551. [PMID: 29781997 PMCID: PMC6101111 DOI: 10.3791/57551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Nature has a variety of possibilities to create new protein functions by modifying the sequence of the individual amino acid building blocks. However, all variations are based on the 20 canonical amino acids (cAAs). As a way to introduce additional physicochemical properties into polypeptides, the incorporation of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) is increasingly used in protein engineering. Due to their relatively short length, the modification of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides by ncAAs is particularly attractive. New functionalities and chemical handles can be generated by specific modifications of individual residues. The selective pressure incorporation (SPI) method utilizes auxotrophic host strains that are deprived of an essential amino acid in chemically defined growth media. Several structurally and chemically similar amino acid analogs can then be activated by the corresponding aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase and provide residue-specific cAA(s) → ncAA(s) substitutions in the target peptide or protein sequence. Although, in the context of the SPI method, ncAAs are also incorporated into the host proteome during the phase of recombinant gene expression, the majority of the cell's resources are assigned to the expression of the target gene. This enables efficient residue-specific incorporation of ncAAs often accompanied with high amounts of modified target. The presented work describes the in vivo incorporation of six proline analogs into the antimicrobial peptide nisin, a lantibiotic naturally produced by Lactococcus lactis. Antimicrobial properties of nisin can be changed and further expanded during its fermentation and expression in auxotrophic Escherichia coli strains in defined growth media. Thereby, the effects of residue-specific replacement of cAAs with ncAAs can deliver changes in antimicrobial activity and specificity. Antimicrobial activity assays and fluorescence microscopy are used to test the new nisin variants for growth inhibition of a Gram-positive Lactococcus lactis indicator strain. Mass spectroscopy is used to confirm ncAA incorporation in bioactive nisin variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica H Nickling
- Department of Biocatalysis, Institute of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin
| | - Tobias Baumann
- Department of Biocatalysis, Institute of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin;
| | - Franz-Josef Schmitt
- Department of Bioenergetics, Institute of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin
| | - Maike Bartholomae
- Molecular Genetics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Groningen
| | - Oscar P Kuipers
- Molecular Genetics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Groningen
| | - Thomas Friedrich
- Department of Bioenergetics, Institute of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Department of Biocatalysis, Institute of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin
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43
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Baumann T, Schmitt FJ, Pelzer A, Spiering VJ, Freiherr von Sass GJ, Friedrich T, Budisa N. Engineering 'Golden' Fluorescence by Selective Pressure Incorporation of Non-canonical Amino Acids and Protein Analysis by Mass Spectrometry and Fluorescence. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 29757279 PMCID: PMC6100899 DOI: 10.3791/57017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluorescent proteins are fundamental tools for the life sciences, in particular for fluorescence microscopy of living cells. While wild-type and engineered variants of the green fluorescent protein from Aequorea victoria (avGFP) as well as homologs from other species already cover large parts of the optical spectrum, a spectral gap remains in the near-infrared region, for which avGFP-based fluorophores are not available. Red-shifted fluorescent protein (FP) variants would substantially expand the toolkit for spectral unmixing of multiple molecular species, but the naturally occurring red-shifted FPs derived from corals or sea anemones have lower fluorescence quantum yield and inferior photo-stability compared to the avGFP variants. Further manipulation and possible expansion of the chromophore's conjugated system towards the far-red spectral region is also limited by the repertoire of 20 canonical amino acids prescribed by the genetic code. To overcome these limitations, synthetic biology can achieve further spectral red-shifting via insertion of non-canonical amino acids into the chromophore triad. We describe the application of SPI to engineer avGFP variants with novel spectral properties. Protein expression is performed in a tryptophan-auxotrophic E. coli strain and by supplementing growth media with suitable indole precursors. Inside the cells, these precursors are converted to the corresponding tryptophan analogs and incorporated into proteins by the ribosomal machinery in response to UGG codons. The replacement of Trp-66 in the enhanced "cyan" variant of avGFP (ECFP) by an electron-donating 4-aminotryptophan results in GdFP featuring a 108 nm Stokes shift and a strongly red-shifted emission maximum (574 nm), while being thermodynamically more stable than its predecessor ECFP. Residue-specific incorporation of the non-canonical amino acid is analyzed by mass spectrometry. The spectroscopic properties of GdFP are characterized by time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy as one of the valuable applications of genetically encoded FPs in life sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Baumann
- Institute of Chemistry L 1, Department of Biocatalysis, Technical University of Berlin
| | - Franz-Josef Schmitt
- Institute of Chemistry PC 14, Department of Bioenergetics, Technical University of Berlin
| | - Almut Pelzer
- Institute of Chemistry L 1, Department of Biocatalysis, Technical University of Berlin
| | - Vivian Jeanette Spiering
- Institute of Chemistry TC 7, Department of Physical Chemistry/Molecular Material Sciences, Technical University of Berlin
| | | | - Thomas Friedrich
- Institute of Chemistry PC 14, Department of Bioenergetics, Technical University of Berlin;
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Institute of Chemistry L 1, Department of Biocatalysis, Technical University of Berlin
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Ring CM, Iqbal ES, Hacker DE, Hartman MCT, Cropp TA. Genetic incorporation of 4-fluorohistidine into peptides enables selective affinity purification. Org Biomol Chem 2018; 15:4536-4539. [PMID: 28517015 DOI: 10.1039/c7ob00844a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Due to the lowered pKa of 4-fluorohistidine relative to histidine, peptides and proteins containing this amino acid are potentially endowed with novel properties. We report here the optimized synthesis of 4-fluorohistidine and show that it can efficiently replace histidine in in vitro translation reactions. Moreover, peptides containing 6×-fluorohistidine tags are able to be selectively captured and eluted from nickel resin in the presence of his-tagged protein mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Ring
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Chemistry, 1001 West Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23284-2006, USA.
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45
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Passioura T, Suga H. A RaPID way to discover nonstandard macrocyclic peptide modulators of drug targets. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 53:1931-1940. [PMID: 28091672 DOI: 10.1039/c6cc06951g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Studies of the fundamental nature of RNA catalysis and the potential mechanism of a shift from the "RNA world" to proteinaceous life lead us to identify a set of ribozymes (flexizymes) capable of promiscuous tRNA acylation. Whilst theoretically and mechanistically interesting in their own right, flexizymes have turned out to have immense practical value for the simple synthesis of tRNAs acylated with unusual amino acids, which in turn can be used for the ribosomal synthesis of peptides containing non-canonical residues. Using this technique, it is possible to synthesise peptides containing a range of structural features (macrocyclic backbones, backbone N-methylation, d-stereochemistry, etc.) commonly observed in natural product secondary metabolites, a chemical class that has historically been a rich source of drug-like molecules. Moreover, when combined with biochemical display screening technologies, this synthetic approach can be used to generate (and screen for target affinity) extremely diverse (in excess of 1012 compound) chemical libraries, making it an extraordinary tool for drug discovery. The current review charts the history of flexizyme technology and its use for non-canonical peptide synthesis and screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toby Passioura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. and Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology (CREST), Saitama 332-0012, Japan
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46
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Rogers JM, Kwon S, Dawson SJ, Mandal PK, Suga H, Huc I. Ribosomal synthesis and folding of peptide-helical aromatic foldamer hybrids. Nat Chem 2018; 10:405-412. [PMID: 29556052 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-018-0007-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Translation, the mRNA-templated synthesis of peptides by the ribosome, can be manipulated to incorporate variants of the 20 cognate amino acids. Such approaches for expanding the range of chemical entities that can be produced by the ribosome may accelerate the discovery of molecules that can perform functions for which poorly folded, short peptidic sequences are ill suited. Here, we show that the ribosome tolerates some artificial helical aromatic oligomers, so-called foldamers. Using a flexible tRNA-acylation ribozyme-flexizyme-foldamers were attached to tRNA, and the resulting acylated tRNAs were delivered to the ribosome to initiate the synthesis of non-cyclic and cyclic foldamer-peptide hybrid molecules. Passing through the ribosome exit tunnel requires the foldamers to unfold. Yet foldamers encode sufficient folding information to influence the peptide structure once translation is completed. We also show that in cyclic hybrids, the foldamer portion can fold into a helix and force the peptide segment to adopt a constrained and stretched conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Rogers
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sunbum Kwon
- CBMN Laboratory, Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IPB, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, Pessac, France
| | - Simon J Dawson
- CBMN Laboratory, Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IPB, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, Pessac, France
| | - Pradeep K Mandal
- CBMN Laboratory, Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IPB, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, Pessac, France
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Ivan Huc
- CBMN Laboratory, Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IPB, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, Pessac, France. .,Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany.
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47
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Morinaka BI, Lakis E, Verest M, Helf MJ, Scalvenzi T, Vagstad AL, Sims J, Sunagawa S, Gugger M, Piel J. Natural noncanonical protein splicing yields products with diverse β-amino acid residues. Science 2018; 359:779-782. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aao0157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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48
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Barbieri M. What is code biology? Biosystems 2018; 164:1-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2017.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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49
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Taylor RD, Rey-Carrizo M, Passioura T, Suga H. Identification of nonstandard macrocyclic peptide ligands through display screening. DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY. TECHNOLOGIES 2017; 26:17-23. [PMID: 29249238 DOI: 10.1016/j.ddtec.2017.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Techniques facilitating the synthesis and screening of very high diversity nonstandard macrocyclic peptide libraries have led to such compounds receiving increasing attention as potential drug candidates. Specifically, approaches which allow the use of non-proteinogenic amino acids are proving to be particularly effective, since they expand the accessible chemical space of the starting library and thus allow the identification of compounds with structural similarity to known drugs. This review focuses on mRNA display screening platforms for drug discovery and their combined use with genetic code reprogramming to identify novel macrocyclic peptides with high affinities for disease-related targets of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhys Dylan Taylor
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Matias Rey-Carrizo
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Toby Passioura
- 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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50
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Agostini F, Völler J, Koksch B, Acevedo‐Rocha CG, Kubyshkin V, Budisa N. Biocatalysis with Unnatural Amino Acids: Enzymology Meets Xenobiology. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017; 56:9680-9703. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201610129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Federica Agostini
- Institut für ChemieTechnische Universität Berlin Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry—Organic ChemistryFreie Universität Berlin Takustrasse 3 14195 Berlin Germany
| | - Jan‐Stefan Völler
- Institut für ChemieTechnische Universität Berlin Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
| | - Beate Koksch
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry—Organic ChemistryFreie Universität Berlin Takustrasse 3 14195 Berlin Germany
| | | | - Vladimir Kubyshkin
- Institut für ChemieTechnische Universität Berlin Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Institut für ChemieTechnische Universität Berlin Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
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