1
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Ishida S, Ngo PHT, Gundlach A, Ellington A. Engineering Ribosomal Machinery for Noncanonical Amino Acid Incorporation. Chem Rev 2024; 124:7712-7730. [PMID: 38829723 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
The introduction of noncanonical amino acids into proteins has enabled researchers to modify fundamental physicochemical and functional properties of proteins. While the alteration of the genetic code, via the introduction of orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase:tRNA pairs, has driven many of these efforts, the various components involved in the process of translation are important for the development of new genetic codes. In this review, we will focus on recent advances in engineering ribosomal machinery for noncanonical amino acid incorporation and genetic code modification. The engineering of the ribosome itself will be considered, as well as the many factors that interact closely with the ribosome, including both tRNAs and accessory factors, such as the all-important EF-Tu. Given the success of genome re-engineering efforts, future paths for radical alterations of the genetic code will require more expansive alterations in the translation machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Ishida
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Phuoc H T Ngo
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Arno Gundlach
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Andrew Ellington
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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2
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Hao M, Ling X, Sun Y, Wang X, Li W, Chang L, Zeng Z, Shi X, Niu M, Chen L, Liu T. Tracking endogenous proteins based on RNA editing-mediated genetic code expansion. Nat Chem Biol 2024; 20:721-731. [PMID: 38302606 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01533-w] [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: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Protein labeling approaches are important to study proteins in living cells, and genome editing tools make it possible to tag endogenous proteins to address the concerns associated with overexpression. Here we established RNA editing-mediated noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) protein tagging (RENAPT) to site-specifically label endogenous proteins with ncAAs in living cells. RENAPT labels protein in a temporary and nonheritable manner and is not restricted by protospacer adjacent motif sequence. Using a fluorescent ncAA or ncAA with a bio-orthogonal reaction handle for subsequent dye labeling, we demonstrated that a variety of endogenous proteins can be imaged at their specific subcellular locations. In addition, two proteins can be tagged individually and simultaneously using two different ncAAs. Furthermore, endogenous ion channels and neuron-specific proteins can be real-time labeled in primary neurons. Thus, RENAPT presents a promising platform with broad applicability for tagging endogenous proteins in living cells to study their localization and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyu Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yi Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenzhe Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Liying Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiying Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaomeng Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Mengxiao Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Liangyi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
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3
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Gregor C, Grimm F, Rehman J, Wurm CA, Egner A. Click Chemistry with Cell-Permeable Fluorophores Expands the Choice of Bioorthogonal Markers for Two-Color Live-Cell STED Nanoscopy. Cells 2024; 13:683. [PMID: 38667298 PMCID: PMC11049381 DOI: 10.3390/cells13080683] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
STED nanoscopy allows for the direct observation of dynamic processes in living cells and tissues with diffraction-unlimited resolution. Although fluorescent proteins can be used for STED imaging, these labels are often outperformed in photostability by organic fluorescent dyes. This feature is especially crucial for time-lapse imaging. Unlike fluorescent proteins, organic fluorophores cannot be genetically fused to a target protein but require different labeling strategies. To achieve simultaneous imaging of more than one protein in the interior of the cell with organic fluorophores, bioorthogonal labeling techniques and cell-permeable dyes are needed. In addition, the fluorophores should preferentially emit in the red spectral range to reduce the potential phototoxic effects that can be induced by the STED light, which further restricts the choice of suitable markers. In this work, we selected five different cell-permeable organic dyes that fulfill all of the above requirements and applied them for SPIEDAC click labeling inside living cells. By combining click-chemistry-based protein labeling with other orthogonal and highly specific labeling methods, we demonstrate two-color STED imaging of different target structures in living specimens using different dye pairs. The excellent photostability of the dyes enables STED imaging for up to 60 frames, allowing the observation of dynamic processes in living cells over extended time periods at super-resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Gregor
- Department of Optical Nanoscopy, Institut für Nanophotonik Göttingen e.V., 37077 Göttingen, Germany;
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: From Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells” (MBExC), University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Florian Grimm
- Abberior GmbH, Hans-Adolf-Krebs Weg 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (F.G.); (J.R.)
| | - Jasmin Rehman
- Abberior GmbH, Hans-Adolf-Krebs Weg 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (F.G.); (J.R.)
| | - Christian A. Wurm
- Abberior GmbH, Hans-Adolf-Krebs Weg 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (F.G.); (J.R.)
| | - Alexander Egner
- Department of Optical Nanoscopy, Institut für Nanophotonik Göttingen e.V., 37077 Göttingen, Germany;
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: From Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells” (MBExC), University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
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4
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Durham RJ, Jayaraman V. Single-Molecule FRET Analyses of NMDA Receptors. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2799:225-242. [PMID: 38727910 PMCID: PMC11164542 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3830-9_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) enables the real-time observation of conformational changes in a single protein molecule of interest. These observations are achieved by attaching fluorophores to proteins of interest in a site-specific manner and investigating the FRET between the fluorophores. Here we describe the method wherein the FRET is studied by adhering the protein molecules to a slide using affinity-based interactions and measuring the fluorophores' fluorescence intensity from a single molecule over time. The resulting information can be used to derive distance values for a point-to-point measurement within a protein or to calculate kinetic transition rates between various conformational states of a protein. Comparing these parameters between different conditions such as the presence of protein binding partners, application of ligands, or changes in the primary sequence of the protein can provide insights into protein structural changes as well as kinetics of these changes (if in the millisecond to second timescale) that underlie functional effects. Here we describe the procedure for conducting analyses of NMDA receptor conformational changes using the above methodology and provide a discussion of various considerations that affect the design, execution, and interpretation of similar smFRET studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Durham
- Center for Membrane Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vasanthi Jayaraman
- Center for Membrane Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
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5
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Sasso J, Tenchov R, Bird R, Iyer KA, Ralhan K, Rodriguez Y, Zhou QA. The Evolving Landscape of Antibody-Drug Conjugates: In Depth Analysis of Recent Research Progress. Bioconjug Chem 2023; 34:1951-2000. [PMID: 37821099 PMCID: PMC10655051 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are targeted immunoconjugate constructs that integrate the potency of cytotoxic drugs with the selectivity of monoclonal antibodies, minimizing damage to healthy cells and reducing systemic toxicity. Their design allows for higher doses of the cytotoxic drug to be administered, potentially increasing efficacy. They are currently among the most promising drug classes in oncology, with efforts to expand their application for nononcological indications and in combination therapies. Here we provide a detailed overview of the recent advances in ADC research and consider future directions and challenges in promoting this promising platform to widespread therapeutic use. We examine data from the CAS Content Collection, the largest human-curated collection of published scientific information, and analyze the publication landscape of recent research to reveal the exploration trends in published documents and to provide insights into the scientific advances in the area. We also discuss the evolution of the key concepts in the field, the major technologies, and their development pipelines with company research focuses, disease targets, development stages, and publication and investment trends. A comprehensive concept map has been created based on the documents in the CAS Content Collection. We hope that this report can serve as a useful resource for understanding the current state of knowledge in the field of ADCs and the remaining challenges to fulfill their potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet
M. Sasso
- CAS,
A Division of the American Chemical Society, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Rumiana Tenchov
- CAS,
A Division of the American Chemical Society, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Robert Bird
- CAS,
A Division of the American Chemical Society, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | | | | | - Yacidzohara Rodriguez
- CAS,
A Division of the American Chemical Society, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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6
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Depienne S, Bouzelha M, Courtois E, Pavageau K, Lalys PA, Marchand M, Alvarez-Dorta D, Nedellec S, Marín-Fernández L, Grandjean C, Boujtita M, Deniaud D, Mével M, Gouin SG. Click-electrochemistry for the rapid labeling of virus, bacteria and cell surfaces. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5122. [PMID: 37612288 PMCID: PMC10447534 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40534-0] [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: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Methods for direct covalent ligation of microorganism surfaces remain poorly reported, and mostly based on metabolic engineering for bacteria and cells functionalization. While effective, a faster method avoiding the bio-incorporation step would be highly complementary. Here, we used N-methylluminol (NML), a fully tyrosine-selective protein anchoring group after one-electron oxidation, to label the surface of viruses, living bacteria and cells. The functionalization was performed electrochemically and in situ by applying an electric potential to aqueous buffered solutions of tagged NML containing the viruses, bacteria or cells. The broad applicability of the click-electrochemistry method was explored on recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAV2), Escherichia coli (Gram-) and Staphyloccocus epidermidis (Gram + ) bacterial strains, and HEK293 and HeLa eukaryotic cell lines. Surface electro-conjugation was achieved in minutes to yield functionalized rAAV2 that conserved both structural integrity and infectivity properties, and living bacteria and cell lines that were still alive and able to divide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mohammed Bouzelha
- Nantes Université, TaRGeT, Translational Research for Gene Therapies, CHU Nantes, INSERM, UMR 1089, F-44000, Nantes, France
| | | | - Karine Pavageau
- Nantes Université, TaRGeT, Translational Research for Gene Therapies, CHU Nantes, INSERM, UMR 1089, F-44000, Nantes, France
| | | | - Maia Marchand
- Nantes Université, CNRS, CEISAM UMR 6230, F-44000, Nantes, France
| | - Dimitri Alvarez-Dorta
- Nantes Université, CNRS, CEISAM UMR 6230, F-44000, Nantes, France
- Capacités, 16 rue des marchandises, 44200, Nantes, France
| | - Steven Nedellec
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, CNRS, Inserm, BioCore, US16, SFR Bonamy, Nantes, France
| | | | | | | | - David Deniaud
- Nantes Université, CNRS, CEISAM UMR 6230, F-44000, Nantes, France
| | - Mathieu Mével
- Nantes Université, TaRGeT, Translational Research for Gene Therapies, CHU Nantes, INSERM, UMR 1089, F-44000, Nantes, France.
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7
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Veit S, Paweletz LC, Günther Pomorski T. Determination of membrane protein orientation upon liposomal reconstitution down to the single vesicle level. Biol Chem 2023; 404:647-661. [PMID: 36857289 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2022-0325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Reconstitution of membrane proteins into liposomal membranes represents a key technique in enabling functional analysis under well-defined conditions. In this review, we provide a brief introduction to selected methods that have been developed to determine membrane protein orientation after reconstitution in liposomes, including approaches based on proteolytic digestion with proteases, site-specific labeling, fluorescence quenching and activity assays. In addition, we briefly highlight new strategies based on single vesicle analysis to address the problem of sample heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarina Veit
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry , Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry , NC 7/174, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Laura Charlotte Paweletz
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry , Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry , NC 7/174, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Thomas Günther Pomorski
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry , Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry , NC 7/174, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44780 Bochum, Germany
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
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8
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Li M, Peng T. Genetic Encoding of a Fluorescent Noncanonical Amino Acid as a FRET Donor for the Analysis of Deubiquitinase Activities. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2676:55-67. [PMID: 37277624 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3251-2_4] [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: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The genetic code expansion technology enables the genetic encoding of fluorescent noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) for site-specific fluorescent labeling of proteins. These co-translational and internal fluorescent tags have been harnessed to establish genetically encoded Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) probes for studying protein structural changes and interactions. Here, we describe the protocols for site-specific incorporation of an aminocoumarin-derived fluorescent ncAA into proteins in E. coli and preparation of a fluorescent ncAA-based FRET probe for assaying the activities of deubiquitinases, a key class of enzymes involved in ubiquitination. We also describe the deployment of an in vitro fluorescence assay to screen and analyze small-molecule inhibitors against deubiquitinases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manjia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tao Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China.
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China.
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9
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Zhang H, Zheng Z, Dong L, Shi N, Yang Y, Chen H, Shen Y, Xia Q. Rational incorporation of any unnatural amino acid into proteins by machine learning on existing experimental proofs. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:4930-4941. [PMID: 36147660 PMCID: PMC9472073 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.08.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The unnatural amino acid (UAA) incorporation technique through genetic code expansion has been extensively used in protein engineering for the last two decades. Mutations into UAAs offer more dimensions to tune protein structures and functions. However, the huge library of optional UAAs and various circumstances of mutation sites on different proteins urge rational UAA incorporations guided by artificial intelligence. Here we collected existing experimental proofs of UAA-incorporated proteins in literature and established a database of known UAA substitution sites. By program designing and machine learning on the database, we showed that UAA incorporations into proteins are predictable by the observed evolutional, steric and physiochemical factors. Based on the predicted probability of successful UAA substitutions, we tested the model performance using literature-reported and freshly-designed experimental proofs, and demonstrated its potential in screening UAA-incorporated proteins. This work expands structure-based computational biology and virtual screening to UAA-incorporated proteins, and offers a useful tool to automate the rational design of proteins with any UAA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Zhetao Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Liangzhen Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Ningning Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yuelin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Hongmin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yuxuan Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Qing Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
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10
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Stadler KA, Becker W, Darnhofer B, Birner-Gruenberger R, Zangger K. Overexpression of recombinant proteins containing non-canonical amino acids in Vibrio natriegens: p-azido-L-phenylalanine as coupling site for 19F-tags. Amino Acids 2022; 54:1041-1053. [PMID: 35419750 PMCID: PMC9217835 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-022-03148-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Vibrio natriegens is the fastest growing organism identified so far. The minimum doubling time of only 9.4 min, the ability to utilize over 60 different carbon sources and its non-pathogenic properties make it an interesting alternative to E. coli as a new production host for recombinant proteins. We investigated the ability of the engineered V. natriegens strain, Vmax™ Express, to incorporate the non-canonical amino acid (ncAA) p-azido-L-phenylalanine (AzF) into recombinant proteins for NMR applications. AzF was incorporated into enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) and MlaC, an intermembrane transport protein, by stop codon suppression. AzF incorporation into EYFP resulted in an improved suppression efficiency (SE) of up to 35.5 ± 0.8% and a protein titer of 26.7 ± 0.7 mg/L. The expression levels of MlaC-AzF even exceeded those of E. coli BL21 cells. For the recording of 1H-15N and 19F NMR spectra, EYFP-AzF was expressed and isotopically labeled in minimal medium and the newly introduced azido-group was used as coupling site for NMR sensitive 19F-tags. Our findings show that Vmax is a flexible expression host, suitable for the incorporation of ncAAs in recombinant proteins with the potential to surpass protein yields of E. coli. The presented method suggests the implementation of V. natriegens for expression of isotopically labeled proteins containing ncAAs, which can be chemically modified for the application in protein-observed 19F-NMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina A Stadler
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Heinrichstrasse 28, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Walter Becker
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Heinrichstrasse 28, 8010, Graz, Austria
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Barbara Darnhofer
- Diagnostic and Research Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Stiftingtalstrasse 6, 8010, Graz, Austria
- Omics Center Graz, BioTechMed-Graz, Stiftingtalstrasse 24, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Ruth Birner-Gruenberger
- Diagnostic and Research Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Stiftingtalstrasse 6, 8010, Graz, Austria
- Omics Center Graz, BioTechMed-Graz, Stiftingtalstrasse 24, 8010, Graz, Austria
- Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Technische Universität Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/164, 1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Klaus Zangger
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Heinrichstrasse 28, 8010, Graz, Austria.
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11
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Gueta O, Sheinenzon O, Azulay R, Shalit H, Strugach DS, Hadar D, Gelkop S, Milo A, Amiram M. Tuning the Properties of Protein-Based Polymers Using High-Performance Orthogonal Translation Systems for the Incorporation of Aromatic Non-Canonical Amino Acids. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:913057. [PMID: 35711629 PMCID: PMC9195583 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.913057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The incorporation of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) using engineered aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) has emerged as a powerful methodology to expand the chemical repertoire of proteins. However, the low efficiencies of typical aaRS variants limit the incorporation of ncAAs to only one or a few sites within a protein chain, hindering the design of protein-based polymers (PBPs) in which multi-site ncAA incorporation can be used to impart new properties and functions. Here, we determined the substrate specificities of 11 recently developed high-performance aaRS variants and identified those that enable an efficient multi-site incorporation of 15 different aromatic ncAAs. We used these aaRS variants to produce libraries of two temperature-responsive PBPs—elastin- and resilin-like polypeptides (ELPs and RLPs, respectively)—that bear multiple instances of each ncAA. We show that incorporating such aromatic ncAAs into the protein structure of ELPs and RLPs can affect their temperature responsiveness, secondary structure, and self-assembly propensity, yielding new and diverse families of ELPs and RLPs, each from a single DNA template. Finally, using a molecular model, we demonstrate that the temperature-responsive behavior of RLPs is strongly affected by both the hydrophobicity and the size of the unnatural aromatic side-chain. The ability to efficiently incorporate multiple instances of diverse ncAAs alongside the 20 natural amino acids can help to elucidate the effect of ncAA incorporation on these and many other PBPs, with the aim of designing additional precise and chemically diverse polymers with new or improved properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osher Gueta
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Ortal Sheinenzon
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Rotem Azulay
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Hadas Shalit
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Daniela S Strugach
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Dagan Hadar
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Sigal Gelkop
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Anat Milo
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Miriam Amiram
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
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12
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Schloßhauer JL, Cavak N, Zemella A, Thoring L, Kubick S. Cell Engineering and Cultivation of Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells for the Development of Orthogonal Eukaryotic Cell-free Translation Systems. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:832379. [PMID: 35586195 PMCID: PMC9109823 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.832379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The investigation of protein structures, functions and interactions often requires modifications to adapt protein properties to the specific application. Among many possible methods to equip proteins with new chemical groups, the utilization of orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs enables the site-specific incorporation of non-canonical amino acids at defined positions in the protein. The open nature of cell-free protein synthesis reactions provides an optimal environment, as the orthogonal components do not need to be transported across the cell membrane and the impact on cell viability is negligible. In the present work, it was shown that the expression of orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in CHO cells prior to cell disruption enhanced the modification of the pharmaceutically relevant adenosine A2a receptor. For this purpose, in complement to transient transfection of CHO cells, an approach based on CRISPR/Cas9 technology was selected to generate a translationally active cell lysate harboring endogenous orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey L. Schloßhauer
- Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Niño Cavak
- Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Lena Thoring
- Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus –Senftenberg, The Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- *Correspondence: Stefan Kubick,
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13
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Rothman JH. Synthesis of Endocyclic Cycloalkyne Amino Acids. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:9053-9060. [PMID: 35309419 PMCID: PMC8928491 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c00270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
"Click-ligation" is a widely adopted and valuable means to ligate biomolecules whereby two appended biologically inert moieties, such as alkynes and azides, link by cycloaddition. For terminal alkynes, Cu+1 catalysis is required which degrades oligonucleotides by catalyzing their hydrolysis but is also physiologically incompatible. The smallest activated alkynes that do not require Cu+1 catalysis are cyclooctynes or dibenzo-cyclooctynes. For this purpose, there are commercially available nucleosides and amino acids that are appended to these moieties. However, these structures are bulky, dissimilar to native amino acids, and when incorporated within biological molecules could likely perturb native structural configuration. Presented are the syntheses of structural analogues of proline with an inserted propargyl moiety within a series of ring sizes. Moreover, a synthetic pathway to medium-size ring heterocycloalkynes mediated by using mild Mitsunobu conditions in tandem with a Nicholas-related strategy for cyclization is introduced. Avoiding the usual harsh acidic conditions for the Nicholas reaction allows improved functional group compatibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey H. Rothman
- Herbert
Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, 1130 St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, New York 10032, United States
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14
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Moon S, Javed A, Hard ER, Pratt MR. Methods for Studying Site-Specific O-GlcNAc Modifications: Successes, Limitations, and Important Future Goals. JACS AU 2022; 2:74-83. [PMID: 35098223 PMCID: PMC8791055 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
O-GlcNAcylation is a dynamic post-translational modification which affects myriad proteins, cellular functions, and disease states. Its presence or absence modulates protein function via differential protein- and site-specific mechanisms, necessitating innovative techniques to probe the modification in highly selective manners. To this end, a variety of biological and chemical methods have been developed to study specific O-GlcNAc modification events both in vitro and in vivo, each with their own respective strengths and shortcomings. Together, they comprise a potent chemical biology toolbox for the analysis of O-GlcNAcylation (and, in theory, other post-translational modifications) while highlighting the need and space for more facile, generalizable, and biologically authentic techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart
P. Moon
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biological Sciences, University of Southern
California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Afraah Javed
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biological Sciences, University of Southern
California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Eldon R. Hard
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biological Sciences, University of Southern
California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Matthew R. Pratt
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biological Sciences, University of Southern
California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
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15
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Lateef OM, Akintubosun MO, Olaoba OT, Samson SO, Adamczyk M. Making Sense of "Nonsense" and More: Challenges and Opportunities in the Genetic Code Expansion, in the World of tRNA Modifications. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:938. [PMID: 35055121 PMCID: PMC8779196 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolutional development of the RNA translation process that leads to protein synthesis based on naturally occurring amino acids has its continuation via synthetic biology, the so-called rational bioengineering. Genetic code expansion (GCE) explores beyond the natural translational processes to further enhance the structural properties and augment the functionality of a wide range of proteins. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic ribosomal machinery have been proven to accept engineered tRNAs from orthogonal organisms to efficiently incorporate noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) with rationally designed side chains. These side chains can be reactive or functional groups, which can be extensively utilized in biochemical, biophysical, and cellular studies. Genetic code extension offers the contingency of introducing more than one ncAA into protein through frameshift suppression, multi-site-specific incorporation of ncAAs, thereby increasing the vast number of possible applications. However, different mediating factors reduce the yield and efficiency of ncAA incorporation into synthetic proteins. In this review, we comment on the recent advancements in genetic code expansion to signify the relevance of systems biology in improving ncAA incorporation efficiency. We discuss the emerging impact of tRNA modifications and metabolism in protein design. We also provide examples of the latest successful accomplishments in synthetic protein therapeutics and show how codon expansion has been employed in various scientific and biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olubodun Michael Lateef
- Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland; (O.M.L.); (M.O.A.); (S.O.S.)
| | | | - Olamide Tosin Olaoba
- Laboratory of Functional and Structural Biochemistry, Federal University of Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos 13565-905, SP, Brazil;
| | - Sunday Ocholi Samson
- Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland; (O.M.L.); (M.O.A.); (S.O.S.)
| | - Malgorzata Adamczyk
- Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland; (O.M.L.); (M.O.A.); (S.O.S.)
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16
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Arsić A, Hagemann C, Stajković N, Schubert T, Nikić-Spiegel I. Minimal genetically encoded tags for fluorescent protein labeling in living neurons. Nat Commun 2022; 13:314. [PMID: 35031604 PMCID: PMC8760255 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-27956-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern light microscopy, including super-resolution techniques, has brought about a demand for small labeling tags that bring the fluorophore closer to the target. This challenge can be addressed by labeling unnatural amino acids (UAAs) with bioorthogonal click chemistry. The minimal size of the UAA and the possibility to couple the fluorophores directly to the protein of interest with single-residue precision in living cells make click labeling unique. Here, we establish click labeling in living primary neurons and use it for fixed-cell, live-cell, dual-color pulse-chase, and super-resolution microscopy of neurofilament light chain (NFL). We also show that click labeling can be combined with CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering for tagging endogenous NFL. Due to its versatile nature and compatibility with advanced multicolor microscopy techniques, we anticipate that click labeling will contribute to novel discoveries in the neurobiology field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Arsić
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 25, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 27, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Cathleen Hagemann
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 27, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nevena Stajković
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 25, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 27, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Timm Schubert
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 25, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 7, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ivana Nikić-Spiegel
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 25, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
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17
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Jia B, Wang T, Lehmann J. Peptidyl transferase center decompaction and structural constraints during early protein elongation on the ribosome. Sci Rep 2021; 11:24061. [PMID: 34911999 PMCID: PMC8674327 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02985-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide bond formation on the ribosome requires that aminoacyl-tRNAs and peptidyl-tRNAs are properly positioned on the A site and the P site of the peptidyl transferase center (PTC) so that nucleophilic attack can occur. Here we analyse some constraints associated with the induced-fit mechanism of the PTC, that promotes this positioning through a compaction around the aminoacyl ester orchestrated by U2506. The physical basis of PTC decompaction, that allows the elongated peptidyl-tRNA to free itself from that state and move to the P site of the PTC, is still unclear. From thermodynamics considerations and an analysis of published ribosome structures, the present work highlights the rational of this mechanism, in which the free-energy released by the new peptide bond is used to kick U2506 away from the reaction center. Furthermore, we show the evidence that decompaction is impaired when the nascent peptide is not yet anchored inside the exit tunnel, which may contribute to explain why the first rounds of elongation are inefficient, an issue that has attracted much interest for about two decades. Results in this field are examined in the light of the present analysis and a physico-chemical correlation in the genetic code, which suggest that elementary constraints associated with the size of the side-chain of the amino acids penalize early elongation events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Jia
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Tianlong Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Jean Lehmann
- CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), University of Paris-Saclay, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
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18
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Genetic Code Expansion System for Tight Control of Gene Expression in Bombyx mori Cell Lines. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12121081. [PMID: 34940169 PMCID: PMC8709394 DOI: 10.3390/insects12121081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Bombyx mori is a lepidopteran insect with economic value. Its genetic background is clear, and genome sequence is relatively complete, but the function of many genes has not been determined. The genetic code expansion system has become an important means of gene function research. In this study, a genetic code expansion system suitable for B. mori cells was established. This system included a modified tRNAPyl/Pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) pair from Methanosarcina mazei, the reporter gene D[TAG]G formed by DsRed and EGFP through amber stop codon TAG connection and the unnatural amino acid H-Lys(Boc)-OH. In silkworm BmE and BmNs cell lines, the reporter gene expression was strictly controlled by H-Lys(Boc)-OH in the presence of both PylRS and tRNAPyl. The silkworm genetic code expansion system established here is another useful controllable gene expression system besides tetracycline induced expression system. Abstract Inducible gene expression systems are important tools for studying gene function and to control protein synthesis. With the completion of the detailed map of the silkworm (Bombyx mori) genome, the study of Bombyx mori has entered the post-genome era. While the functions of many genes have been described in detail, many coding genes remain unidentified. Except for the available tetracycline induction system, there is currently a dearth of other effective induction systems for B. mori. A genetic code expansion system can be used for protein labeling and to regulate gene expression. Here, we have established a genetic code expansion system for B. mori based on the well-researched tRNAPyl/PylRS pair from Methanosarcina mazei. We used H-Lys(Boc)-OH, which is a lysine derivative to efficiently and tightly control the expression of the reporter gene DsRed[TAG]EGFP (D[TAG]G), which encoded a H-Lys(Boc)-OH-bearing protein fused with DsRed and EGFP (here regarded as D[Boc]G) in B. mori cell lines BmE and BmNs. In D[TAG]G, the amber stop codon is recognized as the orthogonal tRNAPyl. Successful application of genetic code expansion system in silkworm cell lines will support the research into the function of silkworm genes and paves the way for the identification of new genes and protein markers in silkworm.
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19
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Stork DA, Squyres GR, Kuru E, Gromek KA, Rittichier J, Jog A, Burton BM, Church GM, Garner EC, Kunjapur AM. Designing efficient genetic code expansion in Bacillus subtilis to gain biological insights. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5429. [PMID: 34521822 PMCID: PMC8440579 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25691-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacillus subtilis is a model gram-positive bacterium, commonly used to explore questions across bacterial cell biology and for industrial uses. To enable greater understanding and control of proteins in B. subtilis, here we report broad and efficient genetic code expansion in B. subtilis by incorporating 20 distinct non-standard amino acids within proteins using 3 different families of genetic code expansion systems and two choices of codons. We use these systems to achieve click-labelling, photo-crosslinking, and translational titration. These tools allow us to demonstrate differences between E. coli and B. subtilis stop codon suppression, validate a predicted protein-protein binding interface, and begin to interrogate properties underlying bacterial cytokinesis by precisely modulating cell division dynamics in vivo. We expect that the establishment of this simple and easily accessible chemical biology system in B. subtilis will help uncover an abundance of biological insights and aid genetic code expansion in other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devon A Stork
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Georgia R Squyres
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Erkin Kuru
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katarzyna A Gromek
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jonathan Rittichier
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aditya Jog
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Briana M Burton
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - George M Church
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Ethan C Garner
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Aditya M Kunjapur
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
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20
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Afonin S, Koniev S, Préau L, Takamiya M, Strizhak AV, Babii O, Hrebonkin A, Pivovarenko VG, Dathe M, le Noble F, Rastegar S, Strähle U, Ulrich AS, Komarov IV. In Vivo Behavior of the Antibacterial Peptide Cyclo[RRRWFW], Explored Using a 3-Hydroxychromone-Derived Fluorescent Amino Acid. Front Chem 2021; 9:688446. [PMID: 34262894 PMCID: PMC8273159 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.688446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Labeling biomolecules with fluorescent labels is an established tool for structural, biochemical, and biophysical studies; however, it remains underused for small peptides. In this work, an amino acid bearing a 3-hydroxychromone fluorophore, 2-amino-3-(2-(furan-2-yl)-3-hydroxy-4-oxo-4H-chromen-6-yl)propanoic acid (FHC), was incorporated in a known hexameric antimicrobial peptide, cyclo[RRRWFW] (cWFW), in place of aromatic residues. Circular dichroism spectropolarimetry and antibacterial activity measurements demonstrated that the FHC residue perturbs the peptide structure depending on labeling position but does not modify the activity of cWFW significantly. FHC thus can be considered an adequate label for studies of the parent peptide. Several analytical and imaging techniques were used to establish the activity of the obtained labeled cWFW analogues toward animal cells and to study the behavior of the peptides in a multicellular organism. The 3-hydroxychromone fluorophore can undergo excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), resulting in double-band emission from its two tautomeric forms. This feature allowed us to get insights into conformational equilibria of the labeled peptides, localize the cWFW analogues in human cells (HeLa and HEK293) and zebrafish embryos, and assess the polarity of the local environment around the label by confocal fluorescence microscopy. We found that the labeled peptides efficiently penetrated cancerous cells and localized mainly in lipid-containing and/or other nonpolar subcellular compartments. In the zebrafish embryo, the peptides remained in the bloodstream upon injection into the cardinal vein, presumably adhering to lipoproteins and/or microvesicles. They did not diffuse into any tissue to a significant extent during the first 3 h after administration. This study demonstrated the utility of fluorescent labeling by double-emission labels to evaluate biologically active peptides as potential drug candidates in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergii Afonin
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Serhii Koniev
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Enamine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Laetitia Préau
- Institute of Zoology (ZOO), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Masanari Takamiya
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems, Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Alexander V. Strizhak
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Enamine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Oleg Babii
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Andrii Hrebonkin
- Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | | | - Margitta Dathe
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, (FMP), Berlin, Germany
| | - Ferdinand le Noble
- Institute of Zoology (ZOO), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems, Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Sepand Rastegar
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems, Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Uwe Strähle
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems, Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Anne S. Ulrich
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
- Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Igor V. Komarov
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Enamine, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Lumobiotics, Karlsruhe, Germany
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21
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De Rosa L, Di Stasi R, Romanelli A, D’Andrea LD. Exploiting Protein N-Terminus for Site-Specific Bioconjugation. Molecules 2021; 26:3521. [PMID: 34207845 PMCID: PMC8228110 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26123521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Although a plethora of chemistries have been developed to selectively decorate protein molecules, novel strategies continue to be reported with the final aim of improving selectivity and mildness of the reaction conditions, preserve protein integrity, and fulfill all the increasing requirements of the modern applications of protein conjugates. The targeting of the protein N-terminal alpha-amine group appears a convenient solution to the issue, emerging as a useful and unique reactive site universally present in each protein molecule. Herein, we provide an updated overview of the methodologies developed until today to afford the selective modification of proteins through the targeting of the N-terminal alpha-amine. Chemical and enzymatic strategies enabling the selective labeling of the protein N-terminal alpha-amine group are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia De Rosa
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Napoli, Italy; (L.D.R.); (R.D.S.)
| | - Rossella Di Stasi
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Napoli, Italy; (L.D.R.); (R.D.S.)
| | - Alessandra Romanelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Venezian 21, 20133 Milano, Italy;
| | - Luca Domenico D’Andrea
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta”, CNR Via M. Bianco 9, 20131 Milano, Italy
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22
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Chen H, Wilson J, Ottinger S, Gan Q, Fan C. Introducing noncanonical amino acids for studying and engineering bacterial microcompartments. Curr Opin Microbiol 2021; 61:67-72. [PMID: 33813159 PMCID: PMC8169543 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) with selectively permeable shells and encapsulated enzyme cores are well-suited candidates for nano-bioreactors because of their advantages of enhancing pathway flux and protection against toxic products. To better study and engineer protein-based BMCs, a series of protein chemistry approaches are adopted. As one of the most advanced techniques, genetic code expansion can introduce various noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) with diverse functional groups into target proteins, thus providing powerful tools for protein studies and engineering. This review summarizes and proposes useful tools based on current development of the genetic code expansion technique towards challenges in BMC studies and engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Jessica Wilson
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Sara Ottinger
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Qinglei Gan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Chenguang Fan
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
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23
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Xing Y, Varghese B, Ling Z, Kar AS, Reinoso Jacome E, Ren X. Extracellular Matrix by Design: Native Biomaterial Fabrication and Functionalization to Boost Tissue Regeneration. REGENERATIVE ENGINEERING AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40883-021-00210-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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24
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Scinto SL, Bilodeau DA, Hincapie R, Lee W, Nguyen SS, Xu M, am Ende CW, Finn MG, Lang K, Lin Q, Pezacki JP, Prescher JA, Robillard MS, Fox JM. Bioorthogonal chemistry. NATURE REVIEWS. METHODS PRIMERS 2021; 1:30. [PMID: 34585143 PMCID: PMC8469592 DOI: 10.1038/s43586-021-00028-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Bioorthogonal chemistry represents a class of high-yielding chemical reactions that proceed rapidly and selectively in biological environments without side reactions towards endogenous functional groups. Rooted in the principles of physical organic chemistry, bioorthogonal reactions are intrinsically selective transformations not commonly found in biology. Key reactions include native chemical ligation and the Staudinger ligation, copper-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, strain-promoted [3 + 2] reactions, tetrazine ligation, metal-catalysed coupling reactions, oxime and hydrazone ligations as well as photoinducible bioorthogonal reactions. Bioorthogonal chemistry has significant overlap with the broader field of 'click chemistry' - high-yielding reactions that are wide in scope and simple to perform, as recently exemplified by sulfuryl fluoride exchange chemistry. The underlying mechanisms of these transformations and their optimal conditions are described in this Primer, followed by discussion of how bioorthogonal chemistry has become essential to the fields of biomedical imaging, medicinal chemistry, protein synthesis, polymer science, materials science and surface science. The applications of bioorthogonal chemistry are diverse and include genetic code expansion and metabolic engineering, drug target identification, antibody-drug conjugation and drug delivery. This Primer describes standards for reproducibility and data deposition, outlines how current limitations are driving new research directions and discusses new opportunities for applying bioorthogonal chemistry to emerging problems in biology and biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel L. Scinto
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Didier A. Bilodeau
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- These authors contributed equally: Didier A. Bilodeau, Robert Hincapie, Wankyu Lee, Sean S. Nguyen, Minghao Xu
| | - Robert Hincapie
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Didier A. Bilodeau, Robert Hincapie, Wankyu Lee, Sean S. Nguyen, Minghao Xu
| | - Wankyu Lee
- Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Cambridge, MA, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Didier A. Bilodeau, Robert Hincapie, Wankyu Lee, Sean S. Nguyen, Minghao Xu
| | - Sean S. Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Didier A. Bilodeau, Robert Hincapie, Wankyu Lee, Sean S. Nguyen, Minghao Xu
| | - Minghao Xu
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Didier A. Bilodeau, Robert Hincapie, Wankyu Lee, Sean S. Nguyen, Minghao Xu
| | | | - M. G. Finn
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kathrin Lang
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Qing Lin
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - John Paul Pezacki
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer A. Prescher
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | | | - Joseph M. Fox
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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25
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Laxman P, Ansari S, Gaus K, Goyette J. The Benefits of Unnatural Amino Acid Incorporation as Protein Labels for Single Molecule Localization Microscopy. Front Chem 2021; 9:641355. [PMID: 33842432 PMCID: PMC8027105 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.641355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Single Molecule Localization Microscopy (SMLM) is an imaging method that allows for the visualization of structures smaller than the diffraction limit of light (~200 nm). This is achieved through techniques such as stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) and photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM). A large part of obtaining ideal imaging of single molecules is the choice of the right fluorescent label. An upcoming field of protein labeling is incorporating unnatural amino acids (UAAs) with an attached fluorescent dye for precise localization and visualization of individual molecules. For this technique, fluorescent probes are conjugated to UAAs and are introduced into the protein of interest (POI) as a label. Here we contrast this labeling method with other commonly used protein-based labeling methods such as fluorescent proteins (FPs) or self-labeling tags such as Halotag, SNAP-tags, and CLIP-tags, and highlight the benefits and shortcomings of the site-specific incorporation of UAAs coupled with fluorescent dyes in SMLM.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jesse Goyette
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Australia Node in Single Molecule Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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26
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Abstract
Genetic code expansion is one of the most powerful technologies in protein engineering. In addition to the 20 canonical amino acids, the expanded genetic code is supplemented by unnatural amino acids, which have artificial side chains that can be introduced into target proteins in vitro and in vivo. A wide range of chemical groups have been incorporated co-translationally into proteins in single cells and multicellular organisms by using genetic code expansion. Incorporated unnatural amino acids have been used for novel structure-function relationship studies, bioorthogonal labelling of proteins in cellulo for microscopy and in vivo for tissue-specific proteomics, the introduction of post-translational modifications and optical control of protein function, to name a few examples. In this Minireview, the development of genetic code expansion technology is briefly introduced, then its applications in neurobiology are discussed, with a focus on studies using mammalian cells and mice as model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Nikić‐Spiegel
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative NeuroscienceUniversity of TübingenOtfried-Müller-Strasse 2572076TübingenGermany
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27
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Cheloha RW, Harmand TJ, Wijne C, Schwartz TU, Ploegh HL. Exploring cellular biochemistry with nanobodies. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:15307-15327. [PMID: 32868455 PMCID: PMC7650250 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev120.012960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Reagents that bind tightly and specifically to biomolecules of interest remain essential in the exploration of biology and in their ultimate application to medicine. Besides ligands for receptors of known specificity, agents commonly used for this purpose are monoclonal antibodies derived from mice, rabbits, and other animals. However, such antibodies can be expensive to produce, challenging to engineer, and are not necessarily stable in the context of the cellular cytoplasm, a reducing environment. Heavy chain-only antibodies, discovered in camelids, have been truncated to yield single-domain antibody fragments (VHHs or nanobodies) that overcome many of these shortcomings. Whereas they are known as crystallization chaperones for membrane proteins or as simple alternatives to conventional antibodies, nanobodies have been applied in settings where the use of standard antibodies or their derivatives would be impractical or impossible. We review recent examples in which the unique properties of nanobodies have been combined with complementary methods, such as chemical functionalization, to provide tools with unique and useful properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross W Cheloha
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Thibault J Harmand
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Charlotte Wijne
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Thomas U Schwartz
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hidde L Ploegh
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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28
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Cui Z, Johnston WA, Alexandrov K. Cell-Free Approach for Non-canonical Amino Acids Incorporation Into Polypeptides. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:1031. [PMID: 33117774 PMCID: PMC7550873 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.01031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology holds promise to revolutionize the life sciences and biomedicine via expansion of macromolecular diversity outside the natural chemical space. Use of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) via codon reassignment has found diverse applications in protein structure and interaction analysis, introduction of post-translational modifications, production of constrained peptides, antibody-drug conjugates, and novel enzymes. However, simultaneously encoding multiple ncAAs in vivo requires complex engineering and is sometimes restricted by the cell's poor uptake of ncAAs. In contrast the open nature of cell-free protein synthesis systems offers much greater freedom for manipulation and repurposing of the biosynthetic machinery by controlling the level and identity of translational components and reagents, and allows simultaneous incorporation of multiple ncAAs with non-canonical side chains and even backbones (N-methyl, D-, β-amino acids, α-hydroxy acids etc.). This review focuses on the two most used Escherichia coli-based cell-free protein synthesis systems; cell extract- and PURE-based systems. The former is a biological mixture with >500 proteins, while the latter consists of 38 individually purified biomolecules. We delineate compositions of these two systems and discuss their respective advantages and applications. Also, we dissect the translational components required for ncAA incorporation and compile lists of ncAAs that can be incorporated into polypeptides via different acylation approaches. We highlight the recent progress in using unnatural nucleobase pairs to increase the repertoire of orthogonal codons, as well as using tRNA-specific ribozymes for in situ acylation. We summarize advances in engineering of translational machinery such as tRNAs, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, elongation factors, and ribosomes to achieve efficient incorporation of structurally challenging ncAAs. We note that, many engineered components of biosynthetic machinery are developed for the use in vivo but are equally applicable to the in vitro systems. These are included in the review to provide a comprehensive overview for ncAA incorporation and offer new insights for the future development in cell-free systems. Finally, we highlight the exciting progress in the genomic engineering, resulting in E. coli strains free of amber and some redundant sense codons. These strains can be used for preparation of cell extracts offering multiple reassignment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenling Cui
- Synthetic Biology Laboratory, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Wayne A Johnston
- Synthetic Biology Laboratory, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Kirill Alexandrov
- Synthetic Biology Laboratory, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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29
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Tomás RMF, Gibson MI. 100th Anniversary of Macromolecular Science Viewpoint: Re-Engineering Cellular Interfaces with Synthetic Macromolecules Using Metabolic Glycan Labeling. ACS Macro Lett 2020; 9:991-1003. [PMID: 32714634 PMCID: PMC7377358 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Cell-surface functionality is largely programmed by genetically encoded information through modulation of protein expression levels, including glycosylation enzymes. Genetic tools enable control over protein-based functionality, but are not easily adapted to recruit non-native functionality such as synthetic polymers and nanomaterials to tune biological responses and attach therapeutic or imaging payloads. Similar to how polymer-protein conjugation evolved from nonspecific PEGylation to site-selective bioconjugates, the same evolution is now occurring for polymer-cell conjugation. This Viewpoint discusses the potential of using metabolic glycan labeling to install bio-orthogonal reactive cell-surface anchors for the recruitment of synthetic polymers and nanomaterials to cell surfaces, exploring the expanding therapeutic and diagnostic potential. Comparisons to conventional approaches that target endogenous membrane components, such as hydrophobic, protein coupling and electrostatic conjugation, as well as enzymatic and genetic tools, have been made to highlight the huge potential of this approach in the emerging cellular engineering field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben M. F. Tomás
- Department of Chemistry and Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew I. Gibson
- Department of Chemistry and Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
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30
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Elia N. Using unnatural amino acids to selectively label proteins for cellular imaging: a cell biologist viewpoint. FEBS J 2020; 288:1107-1117. [PMID: 32640070 PMCID: PMC7983921 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Twenty-five years ago, GFP revolutionized the field of cell biology by enabling scientists to visualize, for the first time, proteins in living cells. However, when it comes to current, state-of-the-art imaging technologies, fluorescent proteins (such as GFP) have several limitations that result from their size and photophysics. Over the past decade, an elegant, alternative approach, which is based on the direct labeling of proteins with fluorescent dyes and is compatible with live-cell and super-resolution imaging applications, has been introduced. In this approach, an unnatural amino acid that can covalently bind a fluorescent dye is incorporated into the coding sequence of a protein. The protein of interest is thereby site-specifically fluorescently labeled inside the cell, eliminating the need for protein- or peptide-labeling tags. Whether this labeling approach will change cell biology research is currently unclear, but it clearly has the potential to do so. In this short review, a general overview of this approach is provided, focusing on the imaging of site-specifically labeled proteins in mammalian tissue culture cells, and highlighting its advantages and limitations for cellular imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Elia
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.,National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev (NIBN), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
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31
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Flon V, Bénard M, Schapman D, Galas L, Renard PY, Sabot C. Fluorophore-Assisted Click Chemistry through Copper(I) Complexation. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10040619. [PMID: 32316290 PMCID: PMC7225998 DOI: 10.3390/biom10040619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) is one of the most powerful chemical strategies for selective fluorescent labeling of biomolecules in in vitro or biological systems. In order to accelerate the ligation process and ensure efficient formation of conjugates under diluted conditions, external copper(I) ligands or sophisticated copper(I)-chelating azides are used. This latter strategy, however, increases the bulkiness of the triazole linkage, thus perturbing the biological function or dynamic behavior of the conjugates. In a proof-of-concept study, we investigated the use of an extremely compact fluorophore-based copper(I) chelating azide in order to accelerate the CuAAC with concomitant fluorescence labeling; in our strategy, the fluorophore is able to complex copper(I) species while retaining its photophysical properties. It is believed that this unprecedented approach which was applied for the labeling of a short peptide molecule and the fluorescent labeling of live cells, could be extended to other families of nitrogen-based fluorophores in order to tune both the reaction rate and photophysical characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Flon
- Normandie Univ, CNRS, UNIROUEN, INSA Rouen, COBRA (UMR 6014), 76000 Rouen, France; (V.F.); (P.-Y.R.)
| | - Magalie Bénard
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM, PRIMACEN, 76000 Rouen, France; (M.B.); (D.S.); (L.G.)
| | - Damien Schapman
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM, PRIMACEN, 76000 Rouen, France; (M.B.); (D.S.); (L.G.)
| | - Ludovic Galas
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM, PRIMACEN, 76000 Rouen, France; (M.B.); (D.S.); (L.G.)
| | - Pierre-Yves Renard
- Normandie Univ, CNRS, UNIROUEN, INSA Rouen, COBRA (UMR 6014), 76000 Rouen, France; (V.F.); (P.-Y.R.)
| | - Cyrille Sabot
- Normandie Univ, CNRS, UNIROUEN, INSA Rouen, COBRA (UMR 6014), 76000 Rouen, France; (V.F.); (P.-Y.R.)
- Correspondence:
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32
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Wang T, Liang C, Xu H, An Y, Xiao S, Zheng M, Liu L, Nie L. Incorporation of nonstandard amino acids into proteins: principles and applications. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 36:60. [PMID: 32266578 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-020-02837-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The cellular ribosome shows a naturally evolved strong preference for the synthesis of proteins with standard amino acids. An in-depth understanding of the translation process enables scientists to go beyond this natural limitation and engineer translating systems capable of synthesizing proteins with artificially designed and synthesized non-standard amino acids (nsAA) featuring more bulky sidechains. The sidechains can be functional groups, with chosen biophysical or chemical activities, that enable the direct application of these proteins. Alternatively, the sidechains can be designed to contain highly reactive groups: enabling the ready formation of conjugates via a covalent bond between the sidechain and other chemicals or biomolecules. This co-translational incorporation of nsAAs into proteins allows for a vast number of possible applications. In this paper, we first systematically summarized the advances in the engineering of the translation system. Subsequently, we reviewed the extensive applications of these nsAA-containing proteins (after chemical modification) by discussing representative reports on how they can be utilized for different purposes. Finally, we discussed the direction of further studies which could be undertaken to improve the current technology utilized in incorporating nsAAs in order to use them to their full potential and improve accessibility across disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianwen Wang
- College of Life Sciences, and Institute for Conservation and Utilization of Agro-Bioresources in Dabie Mountains, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, 464000, Henan, China
| | - Chen Liang
- College of Life Sciences, and Institute for Conservation and Utilization of Agro-Bioresources in Dabie Mountains, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, 464000, Henan, China
| | - Hongjv Xu
- College of Life Sciences, and Institute for Conservation and Utilization of Agro-Bioresources in Dabie Mountains, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, 464000, Henan, China
| | - Yafei An
- College of Life Sciences, and Institute for Conservation and Utilization of Agro-Bioresources in Dabie Mountains, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, 464000, Henan, China
| | - Sha Xiao
- College of Life Sciences, and Institute for Conservation and Utilization of Agro-Bioresources in Dabie Mountains, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, 464000, Henan, China
| | - Mengyuan Zheng
- College of Life Sciences, and Institute for Conservation and Utilization of Agro-Bioresources in Dabie Mountains, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, 464000, Henan, China
| | - Lu Liu
- College of International Education, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, 464000, Henan, China
| | - Lei Nie
- College of Life Sciences, and Institute for Conservation and Utilization of Agro-Bioresources in Dabie Mountains, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, 464000, Henan, China.
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33
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Zhou H, Cheung JW, Carpenter T, Jones SK, Luong NH, Tran NC, Jacobs SE, Galbada Liyanage SA, Cropp TA, Yin J. Enhancing the incorporation of lysine derivatives into proteins with methylester forms of unnatural amino acids. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2020; 30:126876. [PMID: 31836447 PMCID: PMC7644286 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2019.126876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
We have improved the incorporation of l- and d-forms of unnatural amino acid (UAA) Nε-thiaprolyl-l-lysine (ThzK) into ubiquitin (UB) and green fluorescent protein (GFP) by 2-6 folds with the use of the methylester forms of the UAAs in E coli cell culture. We also improved the yields of UAA-incorporated UB and GFP with the methylester forms of Nε-Boc-l-Lysine (BocK) and Nε-propargyl-l-Lysine (PrK) by 2-5 folds compared to their free acid forms. Our work demonstrated that using methylester-capped UAAs for protein expression is a useful strategy to enhance the yields of UAA-incorporated proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States
| | - Jenny W Cheung
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, United States
| | - Tomaya Carpenter
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States
| | - Stacey K Jones
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States
| | - Nhu H Luong
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States
| | - Nhi C Tran
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States
| | - Savannah E Jacobs
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States
| | | | - T Ashton Cropp
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, United States; Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219, United States.
| | - Jun Yin
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States.
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