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Gookin TE, Chakravorty D, Assmann SM. Influence of expression and purification protocols on Gα biochemical activity: kinetics of plant and mammalian G protein cycles. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.05.10.540258. [PMID: 37214830 PMCID: PMC10197700 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.10.540258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Heterotrimeric G proteins are a class of signal transduction complexes with broad roles in human health and agriculturally important plant traits. In the classic paradigm, guanine nucleotide binding to the Gα subunit regulates the activation status of the complex. Using the Arabidopsis thaliana Gα subunit, GPA1, we developed a rapid StrepII-tag mediated purification method that facilitates isolation of protein with increased enzymatic activities as compared to conventional methods, and is demonstrably also applicable to mammalian Gα subunits. We subsequently utilized domain swaps of GPA1 and human GNAO1 to demonstrate the instability of recombinant GPA1 is a function of the interaction between the Ras and helical domains, and can be partially uncoupled from the rapid nucleotide binding kinetics displayed by GPA1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy E. Gookin
- Biology Department, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
- These authors contributed equally to the article
| | - David Chakravorty
- Biology Department, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
- These authors contributed equally to the article
| | - Sarah M. Assmann
- Biology Department, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
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2
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Sword TT, Dinglasan JLN, Abbas GSK, Barker JW, Spradley ME, Greene ER, Gooden DS, Emrich SJ, Gilchrist MA, Doktycz MJ, Bailey CB. Profiling expression strategies for a type III polyketide synthase in a lysate-based, cell-free system. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12983. [PMID: 38839808 PMCID: PMC11153635 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61376-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Some of the most metabolically diverse species of bacteria (e.g., Actinobacteria) have higher GC content in their DNA, differ substantially in codon usage, and have distinct protein folding environments compared to tractable expression hosts like Escherichia coli. Consequentially, expressing biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) from these bacteria in E. coli often results in a myriad of unpredictable issues with regard to protein expression and folding, delaying the biochemical characterization of new natural products. Current strategies to achieve soluble, active expression of these enzymes in tractable hosts can be a lengthy trial-and-error process. Cell-free expression (CFE) has emerged as a valuable expression platform as a testbed for rapid prototyping expression parameters. Here, we use a type III polyketide synthase from Streptomyces griseus, RppA, which catalyzes the formation of the red pigment flaviolin, as a reporter to investigate BGC refactoring techniques. We applied a library of constructs with different combinations of promoters and rppA coding sequences to investigate the synergies between promoter and codon usage. Subsequently, we assess the utility of cell-free systems for prototyping these refactoring tactics prior to their implementation in cells. Overall, codon harmonization improves natural product synthesis more than traditional codon optimization across cell-free and cellular environments. More importantly, the choice of coding sequences and promoters impact protein expression synergistically, which should be considered for future efforts to use CFE for high-yield protein expression. The promoter strategy when applied to RppA was not completely correlated with that observed with GFP, indicating that different promoter strategies should be applied for different proteins. In vivo experiments suggest that there is correlation, but not complete alignment between expressing in cell free and in vivo. Refactoring promoters and/or coding sequences via CFE can be a valuable strategy to rapidly screen for catalytically functional production of enzymes from BCGs, which advances CFE as a tool for natural product research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tien T Sword
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Jaime Lorenzo N Dinglasan
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Ghaeath S K Abbas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
- School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - J William Barker
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Madeline E Spradley
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Elijah R Greene
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Damian S Gooden
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Scott J Emrich
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Michael A Gilchrist
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Mitchel J Doktycz
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA.
| | - Constance B Bailey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA.
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA.
- School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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3
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Stump WH, Klingenberg HJ, Ott AC, Gonzales DM, Burns JM. Design and Evaluation of Chimeric Plasmodium falciparum Circumsporozoite Protein-Based Malaria Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:351. [PMID: 38675734 PMCID: PMC11053680 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12040351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Efficacy data on two malaria vaccines, RTS,S and R21, targeting Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP), are encouraging. Efficacy may be improved by induction of additional antibodies to neutralizing epitopes outside of the central immunodominant repeat domain of PfCSP. We designed four rPfCSP-based vaccines in an effort to improve the diversity of the antibody response. We also evaluated P. falciparum merozoite surface protein 8 (PfMSP8) as a malaria-specific carrier protein as an alternative to hepatitis B surface antigen. We measured the magnitude, specificity, subclass, avidity, durability, and efficacy of vaccine-induced antibodies in outbred CD1 mice. In comparison to N-terminal- or C-terminal-focused constructs, immunization with near full-length vaccines, rPfCSP (#1) or the chimeric rPfCSP/8 (#2), markedly increased the breadth of B cell epitopes recognized covering the N-terminal domain, junctional region, and central repeat. Both rPfCSP (#1) and rPfCSP/8 (#2) also elicited a high proportion of antibodies to conformation-dependent epitopes in the C-terminus of PfCSP. Fusion of PfCSP to PfMSP8 shifted the specificity of the T cell response away from PfCSP toward PfMSP8 epitopes. Challenge studies with transgenic Plasmodium yoelii sporozoites expressing PfCSP demonstrated high and consistent sterile protection following rPfCSP/8 (#2) immunization. Of note, antibodies to conformational C-terminal epitopes were not required for protection. These results indicate that inclusion of the N-terminal domain of PfCSP can drive responses to protective, repeat, and non-repeat B cell epitopes and that PfMSP8 is an effective carrier for induction of high-titer, durable anti-PfCSP antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - James M. Burns
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; (W.H.S.); (H.J.K.); (A.C.O.); (D.M.G.)
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4
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Yang SNN, Haritos V, Kertesz MA, Coleman NV. A novel soluble di-iron monooxygenase from the soil bacterium Solimonas soli. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16567. [PMID: 38233213 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16567] [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: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Soluble di-iron monooxygenase (SDIMO) enzymes enable insertion of oxygen into diverse substrates and play significant roles in biogeochemistry, bioremediation and biocatalysis. An unusual SDIMO was detected in an earlier study in the genome of the soil organism Solimonas soli, but was not characterized. Here, we show that the S. soli SDIMO is part of a new clade, which we define as 'Group 7'; these share a conserved gene organization with alkene monooxygenases but have only low amino acid identity. The S. soli genes (named zmoABCD) could be functionally expressed in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 but not in Escherichia coli TOP10. The recombinants made epoxides from C2 C8 alkenes, preferring small linear alkenes (e.g. propene), but also epoxidating branched, carboxylated and chlorinated substrates. Enzymatic epoxidation of acrylic acid was observed for the first time. ZmoABCD oxidised the organochlorine pollutants vinyl chloride (VC) and cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE), with the release of inorganic chloride from VC but not cDCE. The original host bacterium S. soli could not grow on any alkenes tested but grew well on phenol and n-octane. Further work is needed to link ZmoABCD and the other Group 7 SDIMOs to specific physiological and ecological roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sui Nin Nicholas Yang
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Victoria Haritos
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael A Kertesz
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nicholas V Coleman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
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Mishra S, Perkovich PM, Mitchell WP, Venkataraman M, Pfleger BF. Expanding the synthetic biology toolbox of Cupriavidus necator for establishing fatty acid production. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 51:kuae008. [PMID: 38366943 PMCID: PMC10926325 DOI: 10.1093/jimb/kuae008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
The Gram-negative betaproteobacterium Cupriavidus necator is a chemolithotroph that can convert carbon dioxide into biomass. Cupriavidus necator has been engineered to produce a variety of high-value chemicals in the past. However, there is still a lack of a well-characterized toolbox for gene expression and genome engineering. Development and optimization of biosynthetic pathways in metabolically engineered microorganisms necessitates control of gene expression via functional genetic elements such as promoters, ribosome binding sites (RBSs), and codon optimization. In this work, a set of inducible and constitutive promoters were validated and characterized in C. necator, and a library of RBSs was designed and tested to show a 50-fold range of expression for green fluorescent protein (gfp). The effect of codon optimization on gene expression in C. necator was studied by expressing gfp and mCherry genes with varied codon-adaptation indices and was validated by expressing codon-optimized variants of a C12-specific fatty acid thioesterase to produce dodecanoic acid. We discuss further hurdles that will need to be overcome for C. necator to be widely used for biosynthetic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivangi Mishra
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Paul M Perkovich
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | | | - Maya Venkataraman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Brian F Pfleger
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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Vazulka S, Schiavinato M, Tauer C, Wagenknecht M, Cserjan-Puschmann M, Striedner G. RNA-seq reveals multifaceted gene expression response to Fab production in Escherichia coli fed-batch processes with particular focus on ribosome stalling. Microb Cell Fact 2024; 23:14. [PMID: 38183013 PMCID: PMC10768439 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02278-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Escherichia coli is a cost-effective expression system for production of antibody fragments like Fabs. Various yield improvement strategies have been applied, however, Fabs remain challenging to produce. This study aimed to characterize the gene expression response of commonly used E. coli strains BL21(DE3) and HMS174(DE3) to periplasmic Fab expression using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Two Fabs, Fabx and FTN2, fused to a post-translational translocation signal sequence, were produced in carbon-limited fed-batch cultivations. RESULTS Production of Fabx impeded cell growth substantially stronger than FTN2 and yields of both Fabs differed considerably. The most noticeable, common changes in Fab-producing cells suggested by our RNA-seq data concern the cell envelope. The Cpx and Psp stress responses, both connected to inner membrane integrity, were activated, presumably by recombinant protein aggregation and impairment of the Sec translocon. The data additionally suggest changes in lipopolysaccharide synthesis, adjustment of membrane permeability, and peptidoglycan maturation and remodeling. Moreover, all Fab-producing strains showed depletion of Mg2+, indicated by activation of the PhoQP two-component signal transduction system during the early stage and sulfur and phosphate starvation during the later stage of the process. Furthermore, our data revealed ribosome stalling, caused by the Fabx amino acid sequence, as a contributor to low Fabx yields. Increased Fabx yields were obtained by a site-specific amino acid exchange replacing the stalling sequence. Contrary to expectations, cell growth was not impacted by presence or removal of the stalling sequence. Considering ribosome rescue is a conserved mechanism, the substantial differences observed in gene expression between BL21(DE3) and HMS174(DE3) in response to ribosome stalling on the recombinant mRNA were surprising. CONCLUSIONS Through characterization of the gene expression response to Fab production under industrially relevant cultivation conditions, we identified potential cell engineering targets. Thereby, we hope to enable rational approaches to improve cell fitness and Fab yields. Furthermore, we highlight ribosome stalling caused by the amino acid sequence of the recombinant protein as a possible challenge during recombinant protein production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Vazulka
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Production of Next-Level Biopharmaceuticals in E. Coli, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matteo Schiavinato
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Computational Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christopher Tauer
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Production of Next-Level Biopharmaceuticals in E. Coli, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Wagenknecht
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV, GmbH & Co KG, Dr.-Boehringer-Gasse 5-11, A-1120, Vienna, Austria
| | - Monika Cserjan-Puschmann
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Production of Next-Level Biopharmaceuticals in E. Coli, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Gerald Striedner
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Production of Next-Level Biopharmaceuticals in E. Coli, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190, Vienna, Austria
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Moss MJ, Chamness LM, Clark PL. The Effects of Codon Usage on Protein Structure and Folding. Annu Rev Biophys 2023; 53:10.1146/annurev-biophys-030722-020555. [PMID: 38134335 PMCID: PMC11227313 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-030722-020555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
The rate of protein synthesis is slower than many folding reactions and varies depending on the synonymous codons encoding the protein sequence. Synonymous codon substitutions thus have the potential to regulate cotranslational protein folding mechanisms, and a growing number of proteins have been identified with folding mechanisms sensitive to codon usage. Typically, these proteins have complex folding pathways and kinetically stable native structures. Kinetically stable proteins may fold only once over their lifetime, and thus, codon-mediated regulation of the pioneer round of protein folding can have a lasting impact. Supporting an important role for codon usage in folding, conserved patterns of codon usage appear in homologous gene families, hinting at selection. Despite these exciting developments, there remains few experimental methods capable of quantifying translation elongation rates and cotranslational folding mechanisms in the cell, which challenges the development of a predictive understanding of how biology uses codons to regulate protein folding. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biophysics, Volume 53 is May 2024. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- McKenze J Moss
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; , ,
| | - Laura M Chamness
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; , ,
| | - Patricia L Clark
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; , ,
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Willems T, Hectors W, Rombaut J, De Rop AS, Goegebeur S, Delmulle T, De Mol ML, De Maeseneire SL, Soetaert WK. An exploratory in silico comparison of open-source codon harmonization tools. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:227. [PMID: 37932726 PMCID: PMC10626681 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02230-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Not changing the native constitution of genes prior to their expression by a heterologous host can affect the amount of proteins synthesized as well as their folding, hampering their activity and even cell viability. Over the past decades, several strategies have been developed to optimize the translation of heterologous genes by accommodating the difference in codon usage between species. While there have been a handful of studies assessing various codon optimization strategies, to the best of our knowledge, no research has been performed towards the evaluation and comparison of codon harmonization algorithms. To highlight their importance and encourage meaningful discussion, we compared different open-source codon harmonization tools pertaining to their in silico performance, and we investigated the influence of different gene-specific factors. RESULTS In total, 27 genes were harmonized with four tools toward two different heterologous hosts. The difference in %MinMax values between the harmonized and the original sequences was calculated (ΔMinMax), and statistical analysis of the obtained results was carried out. It became clear that not all tools perform similarly, and the choice of tool should depend on the intended application. Almost all biological factors under investigation (GC content, RNA secondary structures and choice of heterologous host) had a significant influence on the harmonization results and thus must be taken into account. These findings were substantiated using a validation dataset consisting of 8 strategically chosen genes. CONCLUSIONS Due to the size of the dataset, no complex models could be developed. However, this initial study showcases significant differences between the results of various codon harmonization tools. Although more elaborate investigation is needed, it is clear that biological factors such as GC content, RNA secondary structures and heterologous hosts must be taken into account when selecting the codon harmonization tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Willems
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Wim Hectors
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Jeltien Rombaut
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Anne-Sofie De Rop
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Stijn Goegebeur
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Tom Delmulle
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Maarten L De Mol
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Sofie L De Maeseneire
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium.
| | - Wim K Soetaert
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
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Boudignon E, Foulquier C, Soucaille P. Improvement of the Genome Editing Tools Based on 5FC/5FU Counter Selection in Clostridium acetobutylicum. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2696. [PMID: 38004708 PMCID: PMC10672894 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11112696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Several genetic tools have been developed for genome engineering in Clostridium acetobutylicum utilizing 5-fluorouracil (5FU) or 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) resistance as a selection method. In our group, a method based on the integration, by single crossing over, of a suicide plasmid (pCat-upp) followed by selection for the second crossing over using a counter-selectable marker (the upp gene and 5FU resistance) was recently developed for genome editing in C. acetobutylicum. This method allows genome modification without leaving any marker or scar in a strain of C. acetobutylicum that is ∆upp. Unfortunately, 5FU has strong mutagenic properties, inducing mutations in the strain's genome. After numerous applications of the pCat-upp/5FU system for genome modification in C. acetobutylicum, the CAB1060 mutant strain became entirely resistant to 5FU in the presence of the upp gene, resulting in failure when selecting on 5FU for the second crossing over. It was found that the potential repressor of the pyrimidine operon, PyrR, was mutated at position A115, leading to the 5FU resistance of the strain. To fix this problem, we created a corrective replicative plasmid expressing the pyrR gene, which was shown to restore the 5FU sensitivity of the strain. Furthermore, in order to avoid the occurrence of the problem observed with the CAB1060 strain, a preventive suicide plasmid, pCat-upp-pyrR*, was also developed, featuring the introduction of a synthetic codon-optimized pyrR gene, which was referred to as pyrR* with low nucleotide sequence homology to pyrR. Finally, to minimize the mutagenic effect of 5FU, we also improved the pCat-upp/5FU system by reducing the concentration of 5FU from 1 mM to 5 µM using a defined synthetic medium. The optimized system/conditions were used to successfully replace the ldh gene by the sadh-hydG operon to convert acetone into isopropanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eglantine Boudignon
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (TBI), National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA), Université de Toulouse, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse cedex 4, France; (E.B.); (C.F.)
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAe), UMR 792, 24 chemin de Borde Rouge-Auzeville, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 5504, 16 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31055 Toulouse cedex 4, France
| | - Céline Foulquier
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (TBI), National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA), Université de Toulouse, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse cedex 4, France; (E.B.); (C.F.)
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAe), UMR 792, 24 chemin de Borde Rouge-Auzeville, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 5504, 16 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31055 Toulouse cedex 4, France
| | - Philippe Soucaille
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (TBI), National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA), Université de Toulouse, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse cedex 4, France; (E.B.); (C.F.)
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAe), UMR 792, 24 chemin de Borde Rouge-Auzeville, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 5504, 16 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31055 Toulouse cedex 4, France
- (BBSRC)/EPSRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre (SBRC), School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
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10
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Natama HM, Moncunill G, Vidal M, Rouamba T, Aguilar R, Santano R, Rovira-Vallbona E, Jiménez A, Somé MA, Sorgho H, Valéa I, Coulibaly-Traoré M, Coppel RL, Cavanagh D, Chitnis CE, Beeson JG, Angov E, Dutta S, Gamain B, Izquierdo L, Mens PF, Schallig HDFH, Tinto H, Rosanas-Urgell A, Dobaño C. Associations between prenatal malaria exposure, maternal antibodies at birth, and malaria susceptibility during the first year of life in Burkina Faso. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0026823. [PMID: 37754682 PMCID: PMC10580994 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00268-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we investigated how different categories of prenatal malaria exposure (PME) influence levels of maternal antibodies in cord blood samples and the subsequent risk of malaria in early childhood in a birth cohort study (N = 661) nested within the COSMIC clinical trial (NCT01941264) in Burkina Faso. Plasmodium falciparum infections during pregnancy and infants' clinical malaria episodes detected during the first year of life were recorded. The levels of maternal IgG and IgG1-4 to 15 P. falciparum antigens were measured in cord blood by quantitative suspension array technology. Results showed a significant variation in the magnitude of maternal antibody levels in cord blood, depending on the PME category, with past placental malaria (PM) more frequently associated with significant increases of IgG and/or subclass levels across three groups of antigens defined as pre-erythrocytic, erythrocytic, and markers of PM, as compared to those from the cord of non-exposed control infants. High levels of antibodies to certain erythrocytic antigens (i.e., IgG to EBA140 and EBA175, IgG1 to EBA175 and MSP142, and IgG3 to EBA140 and MSP5) were independent predictors of protection from clinical malaria during the first year of life. By contrast, high levels of IgG, IgG1, and IgG2 to the VAR2CSA DBL1-2 and IgG4 to DBL3-4 were significantly associated with an increased risk of clinical malaria. These findings indicate that PME categories have different effects on the levels of maternal-derived antibodies to malaria antigens in children at birth, and this might drive heterogeneity to clinical malaria susceptibility in early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamtandi Magloire Natama
- Unité de Recherche Clinique de Nanoro, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Direction Régionale du Centre-Ouest, Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | - Gemma Moncunill
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic – Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Vidal
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic – Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Toussaint Rouamba
- Unité de Recherche Clinique de Nanoro, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Direction Régionale du Centre-Ouest, Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | - Ruth Aguilar
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic – Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rebeca Santano
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic – Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Rovira-Vallbona
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic – Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alfons Jiménez
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic – Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - M. Athanase Somé
- Unité de Recherche Clinique de Nanoro, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Direction Régionale du Centre-Ouest, Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | - Hermann Sorgho
- Unité de Recherche Clinique de Nanoro, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Direction Régionale du Centre-Ouest, Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | - Innocent Valéa
- Unité de Recherche Clinique de Nanoro, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Direction Régionale du Centre-Ouest, Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | - Maminata Coulibaly-Traoré
- Unité de Recherche Clinique de Nanoro, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Direction Régionale du Centre-Ouest, Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | - Ross L. Coppel
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Microbiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - David Cavanagh
- Centre for Immunity, Infection & Evolution, Institute of Immunology & Infection Research, Ashworth Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Chetan E. Chitnis
- Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Evelina Angov
- U.S. Military Malaria Vaccine Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Sheetij Dutta
- U.S. Military Malaria Vaccine Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Luis Izquierdo
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic – Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Petra F. Mens
- Academic Medical Centre at the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Halidou Tinto
- Unité de Recherche Clinique de Nanoro, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Direction Régionale du Centre-Ouest, Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | - Anna Rosanas-Urgell
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Carlota Dobaño
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic – Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Barcelona, Spain
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11
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Davyt M, Bharti N, Ignatova Z. Effect of mRNA/tRNA mutations on translation speed: Implications for human diseases. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105089. [PMID: 37495112 PMCID: PMC10470029 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent discoveries establish tRNAs as central regulators of mRNA translation dynamics, and therefore cotranslational folding and function of the encoded protein. The tRNA pool, whose composition and abundance change in a cell- and tissue-dependent manner, is the main factor which determines mRNA translation velocity. In this review, we discuss a group of pathogenic mutations, in the coding sequences of either protein-coding genes or in tRNA genes, that alter mRNA translation dynamics. We also summarize advances in tRNA biology that have uncovered how variations in tRNA levels on account of genetic mutations affect protein folding and function, and thereby contribute to phenotypic diversity in clinical manifestations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Davyt
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nikhil Bharti
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Zoya Ignatova
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
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12
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Chan DTC, Baldwin GS, Bernstein HC. Revealing the Host-Dependent Nature of an Engineered Genetic Inverter in Concordance with Physiology. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2023; 5:0016. [PMID: 37849456 PMCID: PMC10432152 DOI: 10.34133/bdr.0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Broad-host-range synthetic biology is an emerging frontier that aims to expand our current engineerable domain of microbial hosts for biodesign applications. As more novel species are brought to "model status," synthetic biologists are discovering that identically engineered genetic circuits can exhibit different performances depending on the organism it operates within, an observation referred to as the "chassis effect." It remains a major challenge to uncover which genome-encoded and biological determinants will underpin chassis effects that govern the performance of engineered genetic devices. In this study, we compared model and novel bacterial hosts to ask whether phylogenomic relatedness or similarity in host physiology is a better predictor of genetic circuit performance. This was accomplished using a comparative framework based on multivariate statistical approaches to systematically demonstrate the chassis effect and characterize the performance dynamics of a genetic inverter circuit operating within 6 Gammaproteobacteria. Our results solidify the notion that genetic devices are strongly impacted by the host context. Furthermore, we formally determined that hosts exhibiting more similar metrics of growth and molecular physiology also exhibit more similar performance of the genetic inverter, indicating that specific bacterial physiology underpins measurable chassis effects. The result of this study contributes to the field of broad-host-range synthetic biology by lending increased predictive power to the implementation of genetic devices in less-established microbial hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Tin Chat Chan
- Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, 9019 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Geoff S. Baldwin
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Hans C. Bernstein
- Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, 9019 Tromsø, Norway
- The Arctic Centre for Sustainable Energy, UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, 9019 Tromsø, Norway
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13
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Lai JY, Corona A, Ng CL, Tramontano E, Choong YS, Lim TS. Naïve antibody library derived monoclonal antibody against VP35 of Ebola virus. Int J Biol Macromol 2023:125571. [PMID: 37379953 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125571] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Ebola virus is notorious for causing severe and even deadly haemorrhagic fever in infected humans and non-human primates. The high fatality rate of Ebola virus disease (EVD) has highlighted the need for effective diagnosis and treatment. Two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been approved by USFDA for treatment of EVD. Virus surface glycoprotein is the common target for diagnostic and therapy including vaccines. Even so, VP35, a viral RNA polymerase cofactor and interferon inhibitor could be a potential target to curb EVD. The present work describes the isolation of three mAb clones from a phage-displayed human naïve scFv library against recombinant VP35. The clones showed binding against rVP35 in vitro and inhibition of VP35 in luciferase reporter gene assay. Structural modelling analysis was also carried out to identify the binding interactions involved in the antibody-antigen interaction model. This allows some insight into the "fitness" of the binding pocket between the paratope and target epitope which would be useful for the design of new mAbs through in silico means in the future. In conclusion, the information obtained from the 3 isolated mAbs could be potentially useful in the quest to improve VP35 targeting for therapeutic development in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yi Lai
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
| | - Angela Corona
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Chong Lee Ng
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
| | - Enzo Tramontano
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Yee Siew Choong
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
| | - Theam Soon Lim
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia; Analytical Biochemistry Research Centre, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia.
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14
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Sword TT, Barker JW, Spradley M, Chen Y, Petzold CJ, Bailey CB. Expression of blue pigment synthetase a from Streptomyces lavenduale reveals insights on the effects of refactoring biosynthetic megasynthases for heterologous expression in Escherichia coli. Protein Expr Purif 2023; 210:106317. [PMID: 37286066 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2023.106317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
High GC bacteria from the genus Streptomyces harbor expansive secondary metabolism. The expression of biosynthetic proteins and the characterization and identification of biological "parts" for synthetic biology purposes from such pathways are of interest. However, the high GC content of proteins from actinomycetes in addition to the large size and multi-domain architecture of many biosynthetic proteins (such as non-ribosomal peptide synthetases; NRPSs, and polyketide synthases; PKSs often called "megasynthases") often presents issues with full-length translation and folding. Here we evaluate a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) from Streptomyces lavenduale, a multidomain "megasynthase" gene that comes from a high GC (72.5%) genome. While a preliminary step in revealing differences, to our knowledge this presents the first head-to-head comparison of codon-optimized sequences versus a native sequence of proteins of streptomycete origin heterologously expressed in E. coli. We found that any disruption in co-translational folding from codon mismatch that reduces the titer of indigoidine is explainable via the formation of more inclusion bodies as opposed to compromising folding or posttranslational modification in the soluble fraction. This result supports that one could apply any refactoring strategies that improve soluble expression in E. coli without concern that the protein that reaches the soluble fraction is differentially folded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tien T Sword
- Department of Chemistry University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - J William Barker
- Department of Chemistry University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Madeline Spradley
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Yan Chen
- Biological and Systems Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA; Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Christopher J Petzold
- Biological and Systems Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA; Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Constance B Bailey
- Department of Chemistry University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA.
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15
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Picard MAL, Leblay F, Cassan C, Willemsen A, Daron J, Bauffe F, Decourcelle M, Demange A, Bravo IG. Transcriptomic, proteomic, and functional consequences of codon usage bias in human cells during heterologous gene expression. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4576. [PMID: 36692287 PMCID: PMC9926478 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4576] [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: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Differences in codon frequency between genomes, genes, or positions along a gene, modulate transcription and translation efficiency, leading to phenotypic and functional differences. Here, we present a multiscale analysis of the effects of synonymous codon recoding during heterologous gene expression in human cells, quantifying the phenotypic consequences of codon usage bias at different molecular and cellular levels, with an emphasis on translation elongation. Six synonymous versions of an antibiotic resistance gene were generated, fused to a fluorescent reporter, and independently expressed in HEK293 cells. Multiscale phenotype was analyzed by means of quantitative transcriptome and proteome assessment, as proxies for gene expression; cellular fluorescence, as a proxy for single-cell level expression; and real-time cell proliferation in absence or presence of antibiotic, as a proxy for the cell fitness. We show that differences in codon usage bias strongly impact the molecular and cellular phenotype: (i) they result in large differences in mRNA levels and protein levels, leading to differences of over 15 times in translation efficiency; (ii) they introduce unpredicted splicing events; (iii) they lead to reproducible phenotypic heterogeneity; and (iv) they lead to a trade-off between the benefit of antibiotic resistance and the burden of heterologous expression. In human cells in culture, codon usage bias modulates gene expression by modifying mRNA availability and suitability for translation, leading to differences in protein levels and eventually eliciting functional phenotypic changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion A. L. Picard
- French National Center for Scientific ResearchLaboratory MIVEGEC (CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier)MontpellierFrance
| | - Fiona Leblay
- French National Center for Scientific ResearchLaboratory MIVEGEC (CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier)MontpellierFrance
| | - Cécile Cassan
- French National Center for Scientific ResearchLaboratory MIVEGEC (CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier)MontpellierFrance
| | - Anouk Willemsen
- French National Center for Scientific ResearchLaboratory MIVEGEC (CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier)MontpellierFrance
| | - Josquin Daron
- French National Center for Scientific ResearchLaboratory MIVEGEC (CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier)MontpellierFrance
| | - Frédérique Bauffe
- French National Center for Scientific ResearchLaboratory MIVEGEC (CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier)MontpellierFrance
| | - Mathilde Decourcelle
- BioCampus Montpellier (University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM)MontpellierFrance
| | - Antonin Demange
- French National Center for Scientific ResearchLaboratory MIVEGEC (CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier)MontpellierFrance
| | - Ignacio G. Bravo
- French National Center for Scientific ResearchLaboratory MIVEGEC (CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier)MontpellierFrance
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16
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Densi A, Iyer RS, Bhat PJ. Synonymous and Nonsynonymous Substitutions in Dictyostelium discoideum Ammonium Transporter amtA Are Necessary for Functional Complementation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0384722. [PMID: 36840598 PMCID: PMC10100761 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03847-22] [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: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Ammonium transporters are present in all three domains of life. They have undergone extensive horizontal gene transfer (HGT), gene duplication, and functional diversification and therefore offer an excellent paradigm to study protein evolution. We attempted to complement a mep1Δmep2Δmep3Δ strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (triple-deletion strain), which otherwise cannot grow on ammonium as a sole nitrogen source at concentrations of <3 mM, with amtA of Dictyostelium discoideum, an orthologue of S. cerevisiae MEP2. We observed that amtA did not complement the triple-deletion strain of S. cerevisiae for growth on low-ammonium medium. We isolated two mutant derivatives of amtA (amtA M1 and amtA M2) from a PCR-generated mutant plasmid library that complemented the triple-deletion strain of S. cerevisiae. amtA M1 bears three nonsynonymous and two synonymous substitutions, which are necessary for its functionality. amtA M2 bears two nonsynonymous substitutions and one synonymous substitution, all of which are necessary for functionality. Interestingly, AmtA M1 transports ammonium but does not confer methylamine toxicity, while AmtA M2 transports ammonium and confers methylamine toxicity, demonstrating functional diversification. Preliminary biochemical analyses indicated that the mutants differ in their conformations as well as their mechanisms of ammonium transport. These intriguing results clearly point out that protein evolution cannot be fathomed by studying nonsynonymous and synonymous substitutions in isolation. The above-described observations have significant implications for various facets of biological processes and are discussed in detail. IMPORTANCE Functional diversification following gene duplication is one of the major driving forces of protein evolution. While the role of nonsynonymous substitutions in the functional diversification of proteins is well recognized, knowledge of the role of synonymous substitutions in protein evolution is in its infancy. Using functional complementation, we isolated two functional alleles of the D. discoideum ammonium transporter gene (amtA), which otherwise does not function in S. cerevisiae as an ammonium transporters. One of them is an ammonium transporter, while the other is an ammonium transporter that also confers methylammonium (ammonium analogue) toxicity, suggesting functional diversification. Surprisingly, both alleles require a combination of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitutions for their functionality. These results bring out a hitherto-unknown pathway of protein evolution and pave the way for not only understanding protein evolution but also interpreting single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Asha Densi
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Revathi S. Iyer
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Paike Jayadeva Bhat
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
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17
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Kadjo AE, Eustáquio AS. Bacterial natural product discovery by heterologous expression. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 50:kuad044. [PMID: 38052428 PMCID: PMC10727000 DOI: 10.1093/jimb/kuad044] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Natural products have found important applications in the pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors. In bacteria, the genes that encode the biosynthesis of natural products are often colocalized in the genome, forming biosynthetic gene clusters. It has been predicted that only 3% of natural products encoded in bacterial genomes have been discovered thus far, in part because gene clusters may be poorly expressed under laboratory conditions. Heterologous expression can help convert bioinformatics predictions into products. However, challenges remain, such as gene cluster prioritization, cloning of the complete gene cluster, high level expression, product identification, and isolation of products in practical yields. Here we reviewed the literature from the past 5 years (January 2018 to June 2023) to identify studies that discovered natural products by heterologous expression. From the 50 studies identified, we present analyses of the rationale for gene cluster prioritization, cloning methods, biosynthetic class, source taxa, and host choice. Combined, the 50 studies led to the discovery of 63 new families of natural products, supporting heterologous expression as a promising way to access novel chemistry. However, the success rate of natural product detection varied from 11% to 32% based on four large-scale studies that were part of the reviewed literature. The low success rate makes it apparent that much remains to be improved. The potential reasons for failure and points to be considered to improve the chances of success are discussed. ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY At least 63 new families of bacterial natural products were discovered using heterologous expression in the last 5 years, supporting heterologous expression as a promising way to access novel chemistry; however, the success rate is low (11-32%) making it apparent that much remains to be improved-we discuss the potential reasons for failure and points to be considered to improve the chances of success. BioRender was used to generate the graphical abstract figure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adjo E Kadjo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Alessandra S Eustáquio
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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18
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H +-Translocating Membrane-Bound Pyrophosphatase from Rhodospirillum rubrum Fuels Escherichia coli Cells via an Alternative Pathway for Energy Generation. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11020294. [PMID: 36838259 PMCID: PMC9959109 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Inorganic pyrophosphatases (PPases) catalyze an essential reaction, namely, the hydrolysis of PPi, which is formed in large quantities as a side product of numerous cellular reactions. In the majority of living species, PPi hydrolysis is carried out by soluble cytoplasmic PPase (S-PPases) with the released energy dissipated in the form of heat. In Rhodospirillum rubrum, part of this energy can be conserved by proton-pumping pyrophosphatase (H+-PPaseRru) in the form of a proton electrochemical gradient for further ATP synthesis. Here, the codon-harmonized gene hppaRru encoding H+-PPaseRru was expressed in the Escherichia coli chromosome. We demonstrate, for the first time, that H+-PPaseRru complements the essential native S-PPase in E. coli cells. 13C-MFA confirmed that replacing native PPase to H+-PPaseRru leads to the re-distribution of carbon fluxes; a statistically significant 36% decrease in tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle fluxes was found compared with wild-type E. coli MG1655. Such a flux re-distribution can indicate the presence of an additional method for energy generation (e.g., ATP), which can be useful for the microbiological production of a number of compounds, the biosynthesis of which requires the consumption of ATP.
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19
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Waghela IN, Mallory KL, Taylor JA, Schneider CG, Savransky T, Janse CJ, Lin PJC, Tam YK, Weissman D, Angov E. Exploring in vitro expression and immune potency in mice using mRNA encoding the Plasmodium falciparum malaria antigen, CelTOS. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1026052. [PMID: 36591298 PMCID: PMC9798330 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1026052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The secreted malarial protein, Cell-Traversal protein for Ookinetes and Sporozoites (CelTOS), is highly conserved among Plasmodium species, and plays a role in the invasion of mosquito midgut cells and hepatocytes in the vertebrate host. CelTOS was identified as a potential protective antigen based on a proteomic analysis, which showed that CelTOS stimulated significant effector T cells producing IFN-γ in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from radiation attenuated sporozoite-immunized, malaria-naïve human subjects. In a rodent malaria model, recombinant full-length CelTOS protein/adjuvant combinations induced sterile protection, and in several studies, functional antibodies were produced that had hepatocyte invasion inhibition and transmission-blocking activities. Despite some encouraging results, vaccine approaches using CelTOS will require improvement before it can be considered as an effective vaccine candidate. Here, we report on the use of mRNA vaccine technology to induce humoral and cell-mediated immune responses using this antigen. Several pfceltos encoding mRNA transcripts were assessed for the impact on protein translation levels in vitro. Protein coding sequences included those to evaluate the effects of signal sequence, N-glycosylation on translation, and of nucleoside substitutions. Using in vitro transfection experiments as a pre-screen, we assessed the quality of the expressed CelTOS target relative to the homogeneity, cellular localization, and durability of expression levels. Optimized mRNA transcripts, which demonstrated highest protein expression levels in vitro were selected for encapsulation in lipid nanoparticles (LNP) and used to immunize mice to assess for both humoral and cellular cytokine responses. Our findings indicate that mRNA transcripts encoding pfceltos while potent for inducing antigen-specific cellular cytokine responses in mice, were less able to mount PfCelTOS-specific antibody responses using a two-dose regimen. An additional booster dose was needed to overcome low seroconversion rates in mice. With respect to antibody fine specificities, N-glycosylation site mutated immunogens yielded lower immune responses, particularly to the N-terminus of the molecule. While it remains unclear the impact on CelTOS antigen as immunogen, this study highlights the need to optimize antigen design for vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishita N. Waghela
- Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States,Parsons Corporation, Centreville, VA, United States
| | - Katherine L. Mallory
- Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States,Parsons Corporation, Centreville, VA, United States
| | - Justin A. Taylor
- Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States,The Geneva Foundation, Tacoma, WA, United States
| | - Cosette G. Schneider
- Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States,Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Tatyana Savransky
- Entomology Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States,General Dynamics Information Technology, Falls Church, VA, United States
| | - Chris J. Janse
- Parasitology, Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Ying K. Tam
- Acuitas Therapeutics Inc., Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Drew Weissman
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Evelina Angov
- Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Evelina Angov,
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20
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Furtado D, Cortez-Jugo C, Hung YH, Bush AI, Caruso F. mRNA Treatment Rescues Niemann-Pick Disease Type C1 in Patient Fibroblasts. Mol Pharm 2022; 19:3987-3999. [PMID: 36125338 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Messenger RNA (mRNA) holds great potential as a disease-modifying treatment for a wide array of monogenic disorders. Niemann-Pick disease type C1 (NP-C1) is an ultrarare monogenic disease that arises due to loss-of-function mutations in the NPC1 gene, resulting in the entrapment of unesterified cholesterol in the lysosomes of affected cells and a subsequent reduction in their capacity for cholesterol esterification. This causes severe damage to various organs including the brain, liver, and spleen. In this work, we describe the use of NPC1-encoded mRNA to rescue the protein insufficiency and pathogenic phenotype caused by biallelic NPC1 mutations in cultured fibroblasts derived from an NP-C1 patient. We first evaluated engineering strategies for the generation of potent mRNAs capable of eliciting high protein expression across multiple cell types. We observed that "GC3" codon optimization, coupled with N1-methylpseudouridine base modification, yielded an mRNA that was approximately 1000-fold more potent than wild-type, unmodified mRNA in a luciferase reporter assay and consistently superior to other mRNA variants. Our data suggest that the improved expression associated with this design strategy was due in large part to the increased secondary structure of the designed mRNAs. Both codon optimization and base modification appear to contribute to increased secondary structure. Applying these principles to the engineering of NPC1-encoded mRNA, we observed a normalization in NPC1 protein levels after mRNA treatment, as well as a rescue of the mutant phenotype. Specifically, mRNA treatment restored the cholesterol esterification capacity of patient cells to wild-type levels and induced a significant reduction in both unesterified cholesterol levels (>57% reduction compared to Lipofectamine-treated control in a cholesterol esterification assay) and lysosome size (157 μm2 reduction compared to Lipofectamine-treated control). These findings show that engineered mRNA can correct the deficit caused by NPC1 mutations. More broadly, they also serve to further validate the potential of this technology to correct diseases associated with loss-of-function mutations in genes coding for large, complex, intracellular proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denzil Furtado
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Christina Cortez-Jugo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Ya Hui Hung
- Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Ashley I Bush
- Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Frank Caruso
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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21
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Williams E, Bachvaroff T, Place A. A Comparison of Dinoflagellate Thiolation Domain Binding Proteins Using In Vitro and Molecular Methods. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:md20090581. [PMID: 36135770 PMCID: PMC9500876 DOI: 10.3390/md20090581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dinoflagellates play important roles in ecosystems as primary producers and consumers making natural products that can benefit or harm environmental and human health but are also potential therapeutics with unique chemistries. Annotations of dinoflagellate genes have been hampered by large genomes with many gene copies that reduce the reliability of transcriptomics, quantitative PCR, and targeted knockouts. This study aimed to functionally characterize dinoflagellate proteins by testing their interactions through in vitro assays. Specifically, nine Amphidinium carterae thiolation domains that scaffold natural product synthesis were substituted into an indigoidine synthesizing gene from the bacterium Streptomyces lavendulae and exposed to three A. carterae phosphopantetheinyl transferases that activate synthesis. Unsurprisingly, several of the dinoflagellate versions inhibited the ability to synthesize indigoidine despite being successfully phosphopantetheinated. However, all the transferases were able to phosphopantetheinate all the thiolation domains nearly equally, defying the canon that transferases participate in segregated processes via binding specificity. Moreover, two of the transferases were expressed during growth in alternating patterns while the final transferase was only observed as a breakdown product common to all three. The broad substrate recognition and compensatory expression shown here help explain why phosphopantetheinyl transferases are lost throughout dinoflagellate evolution without a loss in a biochemical process.
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22
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Recent Advances in the Heterologous Expression of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters for Marine Natural Products. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:md20060341. [PMID: 35736144 PMCID: PMC9225448 DOI: 10.3390/md20060341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine natural products (MNPs) are an important source of biologically active metabolites, particularly for therapeutic agent development after terrestrial plants and nonmarine microorganisms. Sequencing technologies have revealed that the number of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in marine microorganisms and the marine environment is much higher than expected. Unfortunately, the majority of them are silent or only weakly expressed under traditional laboratory culture conditions. Furthermore, the large proportion of marine microorganisms are either uncultivable or cannot be genetically manipulated. Efficient heterologous expression systems can activate cryptic BGCs and increase target compound yield, allowing researchers to explore more unknown MNPs. When developing heterologous expression of MNPs, it is critical to consider heterologous host selection as well as genetic manipulations for BGCs. In this review, we summarize current progress on the heterologous expression of MNPs as a reference for future research.
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23
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Rosenberg AA, Marx A, Bronstein AM. Codon-specific Ramachandran plots show amino acid backbone conformation depends on identity of the translated codon. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2815. [PMID: 35595777 PMCID: PMC9123026 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30390-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Synonymous codons translate into chemically identical amino acids. Once considered inconsequential to the formation of the protein product, there is evidence to suggest that codon usage affects co-translational protein folding and the final structure of the expressed protein. Here we develop a method for computing and comparing codon-specific Ramachandran plots and demonstrate that the backbone dihedral angle distributions of some synonymous codons are distinguishable with statistical significance for some secondary structures. This shows that there exists a dependence between codon identity and backbone torsion of the translated amino acid. Although these findings cannot pinpoint the causal direction of this dependence, we discuss the vast biological implications should coding be shown to directly shape protein conformation and demonstrate the usefulness of this method as a tool for probing associations between codon usage and protein structure. Finally, we urge for the inclusion of exact genetic information into structural databases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aviv A Rosenberg
- Computer Science, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Ailie Marx
- Computer Science, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Alex M Bronstein
- Computer Science, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel.
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24
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Fedorov AN. Biosynthetic Protein Folding and Molecular Chaperons. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2022; 87:S128-S19. [PMID: 35501992 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297922140115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The problem of linear polypeptide chain folding into a unique tertiary structure is one of the fundamental scientific challenges. The process of folding cannot be fully understood without its biological context, especially for big multidomain and multisubunit proteins. The principal features of biosynthetic folding are co-translational folding of growing nascent polypeptide chains and involvement of molecular chaperones in the process. The review summarizes available data on the early events of nascent chain folding, as well as on later advanced steps, including formation of elements of native structure. The relationship between the non-uniformity of translation rate and folding of the growing polypeptide is discussed. The results of studies on the effect of biosynthetic folding features on the parameters of folding as a physical process, its kinetics and mechanisms, are presented. Current understanding and hypotheses on the relationship of biosynthetic folding with the fundamental physical parameters and current views on polypeptide folding in the context of energy landscapes are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey N Fedorov
- Federal Research Center "Fundamentals of Biotechnology", Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia.
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25
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Falak S, Sajed M, Rashid N. Strategies to enhance soluble production of heterologous proteins in Escherichia coli. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-021-00994-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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26
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Fuglsang A. Intragenic codon usage in proteobacteria: Translational selection, IS expansion and genomic shrinkage. Gene 2022; 809:146015. [PMID: 34655721 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.146015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This manuscript presents a method to systematically study intragenic variations in codon usage using correspondence analysis and the effective number of codons. The method is applied to >1100 proteobacteria. Codon usage biases (measured as inertia) increases with genome size, the same is true for the percentage of inertia explained by the first axis. It is shown that there is often a relaxed or more uniform codon usage near the gene termini. Ithis is not seen n small genomes, notably those of intracellular organisms like Buchnera aphidicola or Rickettsia prowazekii where translational selection plays less of a role. When genes from E. coli, for which translational selection is well described, are split into low, intermediate and high expression, respectively, it is shown that the intragenic codon usage pattern with more uniform usage at termini exist across all three expression groups. Furthermore, the correspondence analysis reveals a unique pattern in Bordetella pertussis due to IS expansion. This study thus shows that translational selection, genome shrinkage and IS expansion result in characteristic patterns in intragenic codon usage.
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27
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Wright G, Rodriguez A, Li J, Milenkovic T, Emrich SJ, Clark PL. CHARMING: Harmonizing synonymous codon usage to replicate a desired codon usage pattern. Protein Sci 2022; 31:221-231. [PMID: 34738275 PMCID: PMC8740841 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing appreciation that synonymous codon usage, although historically regarded as phenotypically silent, can instead alter a wide range of mechanisms related to functional protein production, a term we use here to describe the net effect of transcription (mRNA synthesis), mRNA half-life, translation (protein synthesis) and the probability of a protein folding correctly to its active, functional structure. In particular, recent discoveries have highlighted the important role that sub-optimal codons can play in modifying co-translational protein folding. These results have drawn increased attention to the patterns of synonymous codon usage within coding sequences, particularly in light of the discovery that these patterns can be conserved across evolution for homologous proteins. Because synonymous codon usage differs between organisms, for heterologous gene expression it can be desirable to make synonymous codon substitutions to match the codon usage pattern from the original organism in the heterologous expression host. Here we present CHARMING (for Codon HARMonizING), a robust and versatile algorithm to design mRNA sequences for heterologous gene expression and other related codon harmonization tasks. CHARMING can be run as a downloadable Python script or via a web portal at http://www.codons.org.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Wright
- Department of Computer Science & EngineeringUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA,Present address:
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer ScienceMilwaukee School of EngineeringMilwaukeeWIUSA
| | - Anabel Rodriguez
- Department of Chemistry & BiochemistryUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics & StatisticsUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Tijana Milenkovic
- Department of Computer Science & EngineeringUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Scott J. Emrich
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer ScienceUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Patricia L. Clark
- Department of Chemistry & BiochemistryUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
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28
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Perach M, Zafrir Z, Tuller T, Lewinson O. Identification of conserved slow codons that are important for protein expression and function. RNA Biol 2021; 18:2296-2307. [PMID: 33691590 PMCID: PMC8632084 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2021.1901185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRASTDue to the redundancy of the genetic code most amino acids are encoded by several 'synonymous' codons. These codons are used unevenly, and each organism demonstrates its own unique codon usage bias, where the 'preferred' codons are associated with tRNAs that are found in high concentrations. Therefore, for decades, the prevailing view had been that preferred and non-preferred codons are linked to high or slow translation rates, respectively.However, this simplified view is contrasted by the frequent failures of codon-optimization efforts and by evidence of non-preferred (i.e. 'slow') codons having specific roles important for efficient production of functional proteins. One such specific role of slower codons is the regulation of co-translational protein folding, a complex biophysical process that is very challenging to model or to measure.Here, we combined a genome-wide approach with experiments to investigate the role of slow codons in protein production and co-translational folding. We analysed homologous gene groups from divergent bacteria and identified positions of inter-species conservation of bias towards slow codons. We then generated mutants where the conserved slow codons are substituted with 'fast' ones, and experimentally studied the effects of these codon substitutions. Using cellular and biochemical approaches we find that at certain locations, slow-to-fast codon substitutions reduce protein expression, increase protein aggregation, and impair protein function.This report provides an approach for identifying functionally relevant regions with slower codons and demonstrates that such codons are important for protein expression and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Perach
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, the Bruce and Ruth Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Zohar Zafrir
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tamir Tuller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Oded Lewinson
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, the Bruce and Ruth Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
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29
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Pirahmadi S, Afzali S, Zargar M, Zakeri S, Mehrizi AA. How can we develop an effective subunit vaccine to achieve successful malaria eradication? Microb Pathog 2021; 160:105203. [PMID: 34547408 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Malaria, a mosquito-borne infection, is the most widespread parasitic disease. Despite numerous efforts to eradicate malaria, this disease is still a health concern worldwide. Owing to insecticide-resistant vectors and drug-resistant parasites, available controlling measures are insufficient to achieve a malaria-free world. Thus, there is an urgent need for new intervention tools such as efficient malaria vaccines. Subunit vaccines are the most promising malaria vaccines under development. However, one of the major drawbacks of subunit vaccines is the lack of efficient and durable immune responses including antigen-specific antibody, CD4+, and CD8+ T-cell responses, long-lived plasma cells, memory cells, and functional antibodies for parasite neutralization or inhibition of parasite invasion. These types of responses could be induced by whole organism vaccines, but eliciting these responses with subunit vaccines has been proven to be more challenging. Consequently, subunit vaccines require several policies to overcome these challenges. In this review, we address common approaches that can improve the efficacy of subunit vaccines against malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakineh Pirahmadi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shima Afzali
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Zargar
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sedigheh Zakeri
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Akram Abouie Mehrizi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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30
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Anaerobic Fungal Mevalonate Pathway Genomic Biases Lead to Heterologous Toxicity Underpredicted by Codon Adaptation Indices. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9091986. [PMID: 34576881 PMCID: PMC8468974 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9091986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaerobic fungi are emerging biotechnology platforms with genomes rich in biosynthetic potential. Yet, the heterologous expression of their biosynthetic pathways has had limited success in model hosts like E. coli. We find one reason for this is that the genome composition of anaerobic fungi like P. indianae are extremely AT-biased with a particular preference for rare and semi-rare AT-rich tRNAs in E coli, which are not explicitly predicted by standard codon adaptation indices (CAI). Native P. indianae genes with these extreme biases create drastic growth defects in E. coli (up to 69% reduction in growth), which is not seen in genes from other organisms with similar CAIs. However, codon optimization rescues growth, allowing for gene evaluation. In this manner, we demonstrate that anaerobic fungal homologs such as PI.atoB are more active than S. cerevisiae homologs in a hybrid pathway, increasing the production of mevalonate up to 2.5 g/L (more than two-fold) and reducing waste carbon to acetate by ~90% under the conditions tested. This work demonstrates the bioproduction potential of anaerobic fungal enzyme homologs and how the analysis of codon utilization enables the study of otherwise difficult to express genes that have applications in biocatalysis and natural product discovery.
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31
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van Aalst E, Wylie BJ. Cholesterol Is a Dose-Dependent Positive Allosteric Modulator of CCR3 Ligand Affinity and G Protein Coupling. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:724603. [PMID: 34490352 PMCID: PMC8417553 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.724603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Cholesterol as an allosteric modulator of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) function is well documented. This quintessential mammalian lipid facilitates receptor–ligand interactions and multimerization states. Functionally, this introduces a complicated mechanism for the homeostatic modulation of GPCR signaling. Chemokine receptors are Class A GPCRs responsible for immune cell trafficking through the binding of endogenous peptide ligands. CCR3 is a CC motif chemokine receptor expressed by eosinophils and basophils. It traffics these cells by transducing the signal stimulated by the CC motif chemokine primary messengers 11, 24, and 26. These behaviors are close to the human immunoresponse. Thus, CCR3 is implicated in cancer metastasis and inflammatory conditions. However, there is a paucity of experimental evidence linking the functional states of CCR3 to the molecular mechanisms of cholesterol–receptor cooperativity. In this vein, we present a means to combine codon harmonization and a maltose-binding protein fusion tag to produce CCR3 from E. coli. This technique yields ∼2.6 mg of functional GPCR per liter of minimal media. We leveraged this protein production capability to investigate the effects of cholesterol on CCR3 function in vitro. We found that affinity for the endogenous ligand CCL11 increases in a dose-dependent manner with cholesterol concentration in both styrene:maleic acid lipid particles (SMALPs) and proteoliposomes. This heightened receptor activation directly translates to increased signal transduction as measured by the GTPase activity of the bound G-protein α inhibitory subunit 3 (Gαi3). This work represents a critical step forward in understanding the role of cholesterol-GPCR allostery in regulation of signal transduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan van Aalst
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Benjamin J Wylie
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States
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32
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Roberts RE, Yuvaraj JK, Andersson MN. Codon Optimization of Insect Odorant Receptor Genes May Increase Their Stable Expression for Functional Characterization in HEK293 Cells. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:744401. [PMID: 34552471 PMCID: PMC8450354 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.744401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect odorant receptor (OR) genes are routinely expressed in Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK) 293 cells for functional characterization ("de-orphanization") using transient or stable expression. However, progress in this research field has been hampered because some insect ORs are not functional in this system, which may be due to insufficient protein levels. We investigated whether codon optimization of insect OR sequences for expression in human cells could facilitate their functional characterization in HEK293 cells with stable and inducible expression. We tested the olfactory receptor co-receptor (Orco) proteins from the bark beetles Ips typographus ("Ityp") and Dendroctonus ponderosae ("Dpon"), and six ItypORs previously characterized in Xenopus laevis oocytes and/or HEK cells. Western blot analysis indicated that codon optimization yielded increased cellular protein levels for seven of the eight receptors. Our experimental assays demonstrated that codon optimization enabled functional characterization of two ORs (ItypOR25 and ItypOR29) which are unresponsive when expressed from wildtype (non-codon optimized) genes. Similar to previous Xenopus oocyte recordings, ItypOR25 responded primarily to the host/conifer monoterpene (+)-3-carene. ItypOR29 responded primarily to (+)-isopinochamphone and similar ketones produced by fungal symbionts and trees. Codon optimization also resulted in significantly increased responses in ItypOR49 to its pheromone ligand (R)-(-)-ipsdienol, and improved responses to the Orco agonist VUAA1 in ItypOrco. However, codon optimization did not result in functional expression of DponOrco, ItypOR23, ItypOR27, and ItypOR28 despite higher protein levels as indicated by Western blots. We conclude that codon optimization may enable or improve the functional characterization of insect ORs in HEK cells, although this method is not sufficient for all ORs that are not functionally expressed from wildtype genes.
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Cantoia A, Aguilar Lucero D, Ceccarelli EA, Rosano GL. From the notebook to recombinant protein production in Escherichia coli: Design of expression vectors and gene cloning. Methods Enzymol 2021; 659:19-35. [PMID: 34752286 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Research in recombinant protein expression in microorganism hosts spans half a century. The field has evolved from mostly trial-and-error approaches to more rational strategies, including careful design of the expression vectors and the coding sequence for the protein of interest. It is important to reflect on many aspects about vector construction, such as codon usage, integration site, coding sequence mutagenesis and many others. In this chapter, we overview methods and considerations to generate a suitable construct and anticipate possible experimental roadblocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejo Cantoia
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Dianela Aguilar Lucero
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Eduardo A Ceccarelli
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Germán L Rosano
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
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To KKW, Cho WCS. An overview of rational design of mRNA-based therapeutics and vaccines. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2021; 16:1307-1317. [PMID: 34058918 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2021.1935859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Messenger RNA (mRNA)-based therapeutics and vaccines have emerged as a disruptive new drug class for various applications, including regenerative medicine, cancer treatment, and prophylactic and therapeutic vaccinations. AREAS COVERED This review provides an update about the rational structure-based design of various formats of mRNA-based therapeutics. The authors discuss the recent advances in the mRNA modifications that have been used to enhance stability, promote translation efficiency and regulate immunogenicity for specific applications. EXPERT OPINION Extensive research efforts have been made to optimize mRNA constructs and preparation procedures to unleash the full potential of mRNA-based therapeutics and vaccines. Sequence optimization (untranslated region and codon usage), chemical engineering of nucleotides and modified 5'cap, and optimization of in vitro transcription and mRNA purification protocols have overcome the major obstacles (instability, delivery, immunogenicity and safety) hindering the clinical applications of mRNA therapeutics and vaccines. The optimized design parameters should not be applied as default to different biological systems, but rather individually optimized for each mRNA sequence and intended application. Further advancement in the mRNA design and delivery technologies for achieving cell type- and organ site-specificity will broaden the scope and usefulness of this new class of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth K W To
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - William C S Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, China
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Arsın H, Jasilionis A, Dahle H, Sandaa RA, Stokke R, Nordberg Karlsson E, Steen IH. Exploring Codon Adjustment Strategies towards Escherichia coli-Based Production of Viral Proteins Encoded by HTH1, a Novel Prophage of the Marine Bacterium Hypnocyclicus thermotrophus. Viruses 2021; 13:v13071215. [PMID: 34201869 PMCID: PMC8310279 DOI: 10.3390/v13071215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Marine viral sequence space is immense and presents a promising resource for the discovery of new enzymes interesting for research and biotechnology. However, bottlenecks in the functional annotation of viral genes and soluble heterologous production of proteins hinder access to downstream characterization, subsequently impeding the discovery process. While commonly utilized for the heterologous expression of prokaryotic genes, codon adjustment approaches have not been fully explored for viral genes. Herein, the sequence-based identification of a putative prophage is reported from within the genome of Hypnocyclicus thermotrophus, a Gram-negative, moderately thermophilic bacterium isolated from the Seven Sisters hydrothermal vent field. A prophage-associated gene cluster, consisting of 46 protein coding genes, was identified and given the proposed name Hypnocyclicus thermotrophus phage H1 (HTH1). HTH1 was taxonomically assigned to the viral family Siphoviridae, by lowest common ancestor analysis of its genome and phylogeny analyses based on proteins predicted as holin and DNA polymerase. The gene neighbourhood around the HTH1 lytic cassette was found most similar to viruses infecting Gram-positive bacteria. In the HTH1 lytic cassette, an N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase (Amidase_2) with a peptidoglycan binding motif (LysM) was identified. A total of nine genes coding for enzymes putatively related to lysis, nucleic acid modification and of unknown function were subjected to heterologous expression in Escherichia coli. Codon optimization and codon harmonization approaches were applied in parallel to compare their effects on produced proteins. Comparison of protein yields and thermostability demonstrated that codon optimization yielded higher levels of soluble protein, but codon harmonization led to proteins with higher thermostability, implying a higher folding quality. Altogether, our study suggests that both codon optimization and codon harmonization are valuable approaches for successful heterologous expression of viral genes in E. coli, but codon harmonization may be preferable in obtaining recombinant viral proteins of higher folding quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasan Arsın
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, N-5020 Bergen, Norway; (R.-A.S.); (R.S.)
- Centre for Deep Sea Research, University of Bergen, N-5020 Bergen, Norway;
- Correspondence: (H.A.); (I.H.S.); Tel.: +47-555-88-375 (I.H.S.)
| | - Andrius Jasilionis
- Division of Biotechnology, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden; (A.J.); (E.N.K.)
| | - Håkon Dahle
- Centre for Deep Sea Research, University of Bergen, N-5020 Bergen, Norway;
- Computational Biology Unit, University of Bergen, N-5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Ruth-Anne Sandaa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, N-5020 Bergen, Norway; (R.-A.S.); (R.S.)
| | - Runar Stokke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, N-5020 Bergen, Norway; (R.-A.S.); (R.S.)
- Centre for Deep Sea Research, University of Bergen, N-5020 Bergen, Norway;
| | - Eva Nordberg Karlsson
- Division of Biotechnology, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden; (A.J.); (E.N.K.)
| | - Ida Helene Steen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, N-5020 Bergen, Norway; (R.-A.S.); (R.S.)
- Centre for Deep Sea Research, University of Bergen, N-5020 Bergen, Norway;
- Correspondence: (H.A.); (I.H.S.); Tel.: +47-555-88-375 (I.H.S.)
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Zrimec J, Buric F, Kokina M, Garcia V, Zelezniak A. Learning the Regulatory Code of Gene Expression. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:673363. [PMID: 34179082 PMCID: PMC8223075 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.673363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Data-driven machine learning is the method of choice for predicting molecular phenotypes from nucleotide sequence, modeling gene expression events including protein-DNA binding, chromatin states as well as mRNA and protein levels. Deep neural networks automatically learn informative sequence representations and interpreting them enables us to improve our understanding of the regulatory code governing gene expression. Here, we review the latest developments that apply shallow or deep learning to quantify molecular phenotypes and decode the cis-regulatory grammar from prokaryotic and eukaryotic sequencing data. Our approach is to build from the ground up, first focusing on the initiating protein-DNA interactions, then specific coding and non-coding regions, and finally on advances that combine multiple parts of the gene and mRNA regulatory structures, achieving unprecedented performance. We thus provide a quantitative view of gene expression regulation from nucleotide sequence, concluding with an information-centric overview of the central dogma of molecular biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Zrimec
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Filip Buric
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mariia Kokina
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Victor Garcia
- School of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Aleksej Zelezniak
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden
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Advancements in macromolecular crystallography: from past to present. Emerg Top Life Sci 2021; 5:127-149. [PMID: 33969867 DOI: 10.1042/etls20200316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Protein Crystallography or Macromolecular Crystallography (MX) started as a new discipline of science with the pioneering work on the determination of the protein crystal structures by John Kendrew in 1958 and Max Perutz in 1960. The incredible achievements in MX are attributed to the development of advanced tools, methodologies, and automation in every aspect of the structure determination process, which have reduced the time required for solving protein structures from years to a few days, as evident from the tens of thousands of crystal structures of macromolecules available in PDB. The advent of brilliant synchrotron sources, fast detectors, and novel sample delivery methods has shifted the paradigm from static structures to understanding the dynamic picture of macromolecules; further propelled by X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFELs) that explore the femtosecond regime. The revival of the Laue diffraction has also enabled the understanding of macromolecules through time-resolved crystallography. In this review, we present some of the astonishing method-related and technological advancements that have contributed to the progress of MX. Even with the rapid evolution of several methods for structure determination, the developments in MX will keep this technique relevant and it will continue to play a pivotal role in gaining unprecedented atomic-level details as well as revealing the dynamics of biological macromolecules. With many exciting developments awaiting in the upcoming years, MX has the potential to contribute significantly to the growth of modern biology by unraveling the mechanisms of complex biological processes as well as impacting the area of drug designing.
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So you want to express your protein in Escherichia coli? Essays Biochem 2021; 65:247-260. [PMID: 33955451 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20200170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant proteins have been extensively employed as therapeutics for the treatment of various critical and life-threatening diseases and as industrial enzymes in high-value industrial processes. Advances in genetic engineering and synthetic biology have broadened the horizon of heterologous protein production using multiple expression platforms. Selection of a suitable expression system depends on a variety of factors ranging from the physicochemical properties of the target protein to economic considerations. For more than 40 years, Escherichia coli has been an established organism of choice for protein production. This review aims to provide a stepwise approach for any researcher embarking on the journey of recombinant protein production in E. coli. We present an overview of the challenges associated with heterologous protein expression, fundamental considerations connected to the protein of interest (POI) and designing expression constructs, as well as insights into recently developed technologies that have contributed to this ever-growing field.
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Bourgade B, Minton NP, Islam MA. Genetic and metabolic engineering challenges of C1-gas fermenting acetogenic chassis organisms. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:fuab008. [PMID: 33595667 PMCID: PMC8351756 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Unabated mining and utilisation of petroleum and petroleum resources and their conversion to essential fuels and chemicals have drastic environmental consequences, contributing to global warming and climate change. In addition, fossil fuels are finite resources, with a fast-approaching shortage. Accordingly, research efforts are increasingly focusing on developing sustainable alternatives for chemicals and fuels production. In this context, bioprocesses, relying on microorganisms, have gained particular interest. For example, acetogens use the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway to grow on single carbon C1-gases (CO2 and CO) as their sole carbon source and produce valuable products such as acetate or ethanol. These autotrophs can, therefore, be exploited for large-scale fermentation processes to produce industrially relevant chemicals from abundant greenhouse gases. In addition, genetic tools have recently been developed to improve these chassis organisms through synthetic biology approaches. This review will focus on the challenges of genetically and metabolically modifying acetogens. It will first discuss the physical and biochemical obstacles complicating successful DNA transfer in these organisms. Current genetic tools developed for several acetogens, crucial for strain engineering to consolidate and expand their catalogue of products, will then be described. Recent tool applications for metabolic engineering purposes to allow redirection of metabolic fluxes or production of non-native compounds will lastly be covered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Bourgade
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UK
| | - Nigel P Minton
- BBSRC/EPSRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre (SBRC), School of Life Sciences, University Park, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - M Ahsanul Islam
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UK
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Ranaghan MJ, Li JJ, Laprise DM, Garvie CW. Assessing optimal: inequalities in codon optimization algorithms. BMC Biol 2021; 19:36. [PMID: 33607980 PMCID: PMC7893858 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-00968-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Custom genes have become a common resource in recombinant biology over the last 20 years due to the plummeting cost of DNA synthesis. These genes are often "optimized" to non-native sequences for overexpression in a non-native host by substituting synonymous codons within the coding DNA sequence (CDS). A handful of studies have compared native and optimized CDSs, reporting different levels of soluble product due to the accumulation of misfolded aggregates, variable activity of enzymes, and (at least one report of) a change in substrate specificity. No study, to the best of our knowledge, has performed a practical comparison of CDSs generated from different codon optimization algorithms or reported the corresponding protein yields. RESULTS In our efforts to understand what factors constitute an optimized CDS, we identified that there is little consensus among codon-optimization algorithms, a roughly equivalent chance that an algorithm-optimized CDS will increase or diminish recombinant yields as compared to the native DNA, a near ubiquitous use of a codon database that was last updated in 2007, and a high variability of output CDSs by some algorithms. We present a case study, using KRas4B, to demonstrate that a median codon frequency may be a better predictor of soluble yields than the more commonly utilized CAI metric. CONCLUSIONS We present a method for visualizing, analyzing, and comparing algorithm-optimized DNA sequences for recombinant protein expression. We encourage researchers to consider if DNA optimization is right for their experiments, and work towards improving the reproducibility of published recombinant work by publishing non-native CDSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Ranaghan
- Center for the Development of Therapeutics, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
| | - Jeffrey J Li
- Center for the Development of Therapeutics, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Dylan M Laprise
- Center for the Development of Therapeutics, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Colin W Garvie
- Center for the Development of Therapeutics, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
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Schneider CG, Taylor JA, Sibilo MQ, Miura K, Mallory KL, Mann C, Karch C, Beck Z, Matyas GR, Long CA, Bergmann-Leitner E, Burkhard P, Angov E. Orientation of Antigen Display on Self-Assembling Protein Nanoparticles Influences Immunogenicity. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9020103. [PMID: 33572803 PMCID: PMC7911071 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9020103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-assembling protein nanoparticles (SAPN) serve as a repetitive antigen delivery platform with high-density epitope display; however, antigen characteristics such as size and epitope presentation can influence the immunogenicity of the assembled particle and are aspects to consider for a rationally designed effective vaccine. Here, we characterize the folding and immunogenicity of heterogeneous antigen display by integrating (a) dual-stage antigen SAPN presenting the P. falciparum (Pf) merozoite surface protein 1 subunit, PfMSP119, and Pf cell-traversal protein for ookinetes and sporozoites, PfCelTOS, in addition to (b) a homogenous antigen SAPN displaying two copies of PfCelTOS. Mice and rabbits were utilized to evaluate antigen-specific humoral and cellular induction as well as functional antibodies via growth inhibition of the blood-stage parasite. We demonstrate that antigen orientation and folding influence the elicited immune response, and when appropriately designed, SAPN can serve as an adaptable platform for an effective multi-antigen display.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cosette G. Schneider
- Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; (C.G.S.); (J.A.T.); (M.Q.S.); (K.L.M.); (C.M.); (E.B.-L.)
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Justin A. Taylor
- Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; (C.G.S.); (J.A.T.); (M.Q.S.); (K.L.M.); (C.M.); (E.B.-L.)
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Michael Q. Sibilo
- Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; (C.G.S.); (J.A.T.); (M.Q.S.); (K.L.M.); (C.M.); (E.B.-L.)
- Parsons Corporation, Centreville, VA 20120, USA
| | - Kazutoyo Miura
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD 20892, USA; (K.M.); (C.A.L.)
| | - Katherine L. Mallory
- Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; (C.G.S.); (J.A.T.); (M.Q.S.); (K.L.M.); (C.M.); (E.B.-L.)
- Parsons Corporation, Centreville, VA 20120, USA
| | - Christopher Mann
- Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; (C.G.S.); (J.A.T.); (M.Q.S.); (K.L.M.); (C.M.); (E.B.-L.)
- Parsons Corporation, Centreville, VA 20120, USA
| | - Christopher Karch
- Laboratory of Antigen and Adjuvants, US Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; (C.K.); (Z.B.); (G.R.M.)
- Henry Jackson Foundation, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Zoltan Beck
- Laboratory of Antigen and Adjuvants, US Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; (C.K.); (Z.B.); (G.R.M.)
- Henry Jackson Foundation, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Gary R. Matyas
- Laboratory of Antigen and Adjuvants, US Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; (C.K.); (Z.B.); (G.R.M.)
| | - Carole A. Long
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD 20892, USA; (K.M.); (C.A.L.)
| | - Elke Bergmann-Leitner
- Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; (C.G.S.); (J.A.T.); (M.Q.S.); (K.L.M.); (C.M.); (E.B.-L.)
| | | | - Evelina Angov
- Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; (C.G.S.); (J.A.T.); (M.Q.S.); (K.L.M.); (C.M.); (E.B.-L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-301-319-9614
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Nissley DA, Carbery A, Chonofsky M, Deane CM. Ribosome occupancy profiles are conserved between structurally and evolutionarily related yeast domains. Bioinformatics 2021; 37:1853-1859. [PMID: 33483722 PMCID: PMC8317121 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btab020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Motivation Protein synthesis is a non-equilibrium process, meaning that the speed of translation can influence the ability of proteins to fold and function. Assuming that structurally similar proteins fold by similar pathways, the profile of translation speed along an mRNA should be evolutionarily conserved between related proteins to direct correct folding and downstream function. The only evidence to date for such conservation of translation speed between homologous proteins has used codon rarity as a proxy for translation speed. There are, however, many other factors including mRNA structure and the chemistry of the amino acids in the A- and P-sites of the ribosome that influence the speed of amino acid addition. Results Ribosome profiling experiments provide a signal directly proportional to the underlying translation times at the level of individual codons. We compared ribosome occupancy profiles (extracted from five different large-scale yeast ribosome profiling studies) between related protein domains to more directly test if their translation schedule was conserved. Our analysis reveals that the ribosome occupancy profiles of paralogous domains tend to be significantly more similar to one another than to profiles of non-paralogous domains. This trend does not depend on domain length, structural classes, amino acid composition or sequence similarity. Our results indicate that entire ribosome occupancy profiles and not just rare codon locations are conserved between even distantly related domains in yeast, providing support for the hypothesis that translation schedule is conserved between structurally related domains to retain folding pathways and facilitate efficient folding. Availability and implementation Python3 code is available on GitHub at https://github.com/DanNissley/Compare-ribosome-occupancy. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Nissley
- Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3LB, UK
| | - Anna Carbery
- Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3LB, UK
| | - Mark Chonofsky
- Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3LB, UK
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Gutiérrez-Ortega A, Moreno DA, Ferrari SA, Espinosa-Andrews H, Ortíz EP, Milián-Suazo F, Alvarez AH. High-yield production of major T-cell ESAT6-CFP10 fusion antigen of M. tuberculosis complex employing codon-optimized synthetic gene. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 171:82-88. [PMID: 33418045 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.12.179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Translation engineering and bioinformatics have accelerated the rate at which gene sequences can be improved to generate multi-epitope proteins. Strong antigenic proteins for tuberculosis diagnosis include individual ESAT6 and CFP10 proteins or derived peptides. Obtention of heterologous multi-component antigens in E. coli without forming inclusion bodies remain a biotechnological challenge. The gene sequence for ESAT6-CFP10 fusion antigen was optimized by codon bias adjust for high-level expression as a soluble protein. The obtained fusion protein of 23.7 kDa was observed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis after Ni-affinity chromatography and the yield of expressed soluble protein reached a concentration of approximately 67 mg/L in shake flask culture after IPTG induction. Antigenicity was evaluated at 4 μg/mL in whole blood cultures from bovines, and protein stimuli were assessed using a specific in vitro IFN-γ release assay. The hybrid protein was able to stimulate T-cell specific responses of bovine TB suspects. The results indicate that improved E. coli codon usage is a good and cost-effective strategy to potentialize large scale production of multi-epitope proteins with sustained antigenic properties for diagnostic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Gutiérrez-Ortega
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y diseño del Estado de Jalisco A.C., Av. Normalistas 800, C.P. 44270 Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - D A Moreno
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y diseño del Estado de Jalisco A.C., Av. Normalistas 800, C.P. 44270 Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - S A Ferrari
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y diseño del Estado de Jalisco A.C., Av. Normalistas 800, C.P. 44270 Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - H Espinosa-Andrews
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y diseño del Estado de Jalisco A.C., Av. Normalistas 800, C.P. 44270 Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - E P Ortíz
- Centro Universitario de Los Altos, Universidad de Guadalajara, Km 7.5 Carretera a Yahualica, CP 47600 Tepatitlán de Morelos, Mexico
| | - F Milián-Suazo
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Av. de las Ciencias s/n Juriquilla, Delegación Santa Rosa Jáuregui, C.P. 76230 Querétaro, Mexico
| | - A H Alvarez
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y diseño del Estado de Jalisco A.C., Av. Normalistas 800, C.P. 44270 Guadalajara, Mexico.
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Fu H, Liang Y, Zhong X, Pan Z, Huang L, Zhang H, Xu Y, Zhou W, Liu Z. Codon optimization with deep learning to enhance protein expression. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17617. [PMID: 33077783 PMCID: PMC7572362 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74091-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterologous expression is the main approach for recombinant protein production ingenetic synthesis, for which codon optimization is necessary. The existing optimization methods are based on biological indexes. In this paper, we propose a novel codon optimization method based on deep learning. First, we introduce the concept of codon boxes, via which DNA sequences can be recoded into codon box sequences while ignoring the order of bases. Then, the problem of codon optimization can be converted to sequence annotation of corresponding amino acids with codon boxes. The codon optimization models for Escherichia Coli were trained by the Bidirectional Long-Short-Term Memory Conditional Random Field. Theoretically, deep learning is a good method to obtain the distribution characteristics of DNA. In addition to the comparison of the codon adaptation index, protein expression experiments for plasmodium falciparum candidate vaccine and polymerase acidic protein were implemented for comparison with the original sequences and the optimized sequences from Genewiz and ThermoFisher. The results show that our method for enhancing protein expression is efficient and competitive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongguang Fu
- University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Yanbing Liang
- University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Xiuqin Zhong
- University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.
| | - ZhiLing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Lei Huang
- University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - HaiLin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yang Xu
- University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Zhong Liu
- Chengdu Institute of Computer Applications, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
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Nieuwkoop T, Finger-Bou M, van der Oost J, Claassens NJ. The Ongoing Quest to Crack the Genetic Code for Protein Production. Mol Cell 2020; 80:193-209. [PMID: 33010203 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the genetic design principles that determine protein production remains a major challenge. Although the key principles of gene expression were discovered 50 years ago, additional factors are still being uncovered. Both protein-coding and non-coding sequences harbor elements that collectively influence the efficiency of protein production by modulating transcription, mRNA decay, and translation. The influences of many contributing elements are intertwined, which complicates a full understanding of the individual factors. In natural genes, a functional balance between these factors has been obtained in the course of evolution, whereas for genetic-engineering projects, our incomplete understanding still limits optimal design of synthetic genes. However, notable advances have recently been made, supported by high-throughput analysis of synthetic gene libraries as well as by state-of-the-art biomolecular techniques. We discuss here how these advances further strengthen understanding of the gene expression process and how they can be harnessed to optimize protein production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thijs Nieuwkoop
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Max Finger-Bou
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - John van der Oost
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Nico J Claassens
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, the Netherlands.
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46
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Sandomenico A, Sivaccumar JP, Ruvo M. Evolution of Escherichia coli Expression System in Producing Antibody Recombinant Fragments. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21176324. [PMID: 32878291 PMCID: PMC7504322 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibodies and antibody-derived molecules are continuously developed as both therapeutic agents and key reagents for advanced diagnostic investigations. Their application in these fields has indeed greatly expanded the demand of these molecules and the need for their production in high yield and purity. While full-length antibodies require mammalian expression systems due to the occurrence of functionally and structurally important glycosylations, most antibody fragments and antibody-like molecules are non-glycosylated and can be more conveniently prepared in E. coli-based expression platforms. We propose here an updated survey of the most effective and appropriate methods of preparation of antibody fragments that exploit E. coli as an expression background and review the pros and cons of the different platforms available today. Around 250 references accompany and complete the review together with some lists of the most important new antibody-like molecules that are on the market or are being developed as new biotherapeutics or diagnostic agents.
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47
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Pines G, Fankhauser RG, Eckert CA. Predicting Drug Resistance Using Deep Mutational Scanning. Molecules 2020; 25:E2265. [PMID: 32403408 PMCID: PMC7248951 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25092265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance is a major healthcare challenge, resulting in a continuous need to develop new inhibitors. The development of these inhibitors requires an understanding of the mechanisms of resistance for a critical mass of occurrences. Recent genome editing technologies based on high-throughput DNA synthesis and sequencing may help to predict mutations resulting in resistance by testing large mutagenesis libraries. Here we describe the rationale of this approach, with examples and relevance to drug development and resistance in malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gur Pines
- Department of Entomology, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, P.O.B 15159, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
| | - Reilly G. Fankhauser
- Department of Dermatology, Oregon Health & Science University, Baird Hall 3225 SW Pavilion Loop, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
| | - Carrie A. Eckert
- Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, 027 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401, USA
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48
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Van Aalst E, Yekefallah M, Mehta AK, Eason I, Wylie B. Codon Harmonization of a Kir3.1-KirBac1.3 Chimera for Structural Study Optimization. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10030430. [PMID: 32164257 PMCID: PMC7175280 DOI: 10.3390/biom10030430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The expression of functional, folded, and isotopically enriched membrane proteins is an enduring bottleneck for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies. Indeed, historically, protein yield optimization has been insufficient to allow NMR analysis of many complex Eukaryotic membrane proteins. However, recent work has found that manipulation of plasmid codons improves the odds of successful NMR-friendly protein production. In the last decade, numerous studies showed that matching codon usage patterns in recombinant gene sequences to those in the native sequence is positively correlated with increased protein yield. This phenomenon, dubbed codon harmonization, may be a powerful tool in optimizing recombinant expression of difficult-to-produce membrane proteins for structural studies. Here, we apply this technique to an inward rectifier K+ Channel (Kir) 3.1-KirBac1.3 chimera. Kir3.1 falls within the G protein-coupled inward rectifier K+ (GIRK) channel family, thus NMR studies may inform on the nuances of GIRK gating action in the presence and absence of its G Protein, lipid, and small molecule ligands. In our hands, harmonized plasmids increase protein yield nearly two-fold compared to the traditional ‘fully codon optimized’ construct. We then employ a fluorescence-based functional assay and solid-state NMR correlation spectroscopy to show the final protein product is folded and functional.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Van Aalst
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79423, USA; (E.V.A.); (M.Y.); (I.E.)
| | - Maryam Yekefallah
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79423, USA; (E.V.A.); (M.Y.); (I.E.)
| | - Anil K. Mehta
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Box 10015, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA;
| | - Isaac Eason
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79423, USA; (E.V.A.); (M.Y.); (I.E.)
| | - Benjamin Wylie
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79423, USA; (E.V.A.); (M.Y.); (I.E.)
- Correspondence:
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Weiner I, Feldman Y, Shahar N, Yacoby I, Tuller T. CSO – A sequence optimization software for engineering chloroplast expression in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. ALGAL RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2019.101788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Punde N, Kooken J, Leary D, Legler PM, Angov E. Codon harmonization reduces amino acid misincorporation in bacterially expressed P. falciparum proteins and improves their immunogenicity. AMB Express 2019; 9:167. [PMID: 31630257 PMCID: PMC6800875 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-019-0890-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Codon usage frequency influences protein structure and function. The frequency with which codons are used potentially impacts primary, secondary and tertiary protein structure. Poor expression, loss of function, insolubility, or truncation can result from species-specific differences in codon usage. “Codon harmonization” more closely aligns native codon usage frequencies with those of the expression host particularly within putative inter-domain segments where slower rates of translation may play a role in protein folding. Heterologous expression of Plasmodium falciparum genes in Escherichia coli has been a challenge due to their AT-rich codon bias and the highly repetitive DNA sequences. Here, codon harmonization was applied to the malarial antigen, CelTOS (Cell-traversal protein for ookinetes and sporozoites). CelTOS is a highly conserved P. falciparum protein involved in cellular traversal through mosquito and vertebrate host cells. It reversibly refolds after thermal denaturation making it a desirable malarial vaccine candidate. Protein expressed in E. coli from a codon harmonized sequence of P. falciparum CelTOS (CH-PfCelTOS) was compared with protein expressed from the native codon sequence (N-PfCelTOS) to assess the impact of codon usage on protein expression levels, solubility, yield, stability, structural integrity, recognition with CelTOS-specific mAbs and immunogenicity in mice. While the translated proteins were expected to be identical, the translated products produced from the codon-harmonized sequence differed in helical content and showed a smaller distribution of polypeptides in mass spectra indicating lower heterogeneity of the codon harmonized version and fewer amino acid misincorporations. Substitutions of hydrophobic-to-hydrophobic amino acid were observed more commonly than any other. CH-PfCelTOS induced significantly higher antibody levels compared with N-PfCelTOS; however, no significant differences in either IFN-γ or IL-4 cellular responses were detected between the two antigens.
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