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Hriňová K, Dlapová J, Kubala B, Kormanová Ľ, Levarski Z, Struhárňanská E, Turňa J, Stuchlík S. Production of Reverse Transcriptase and DNA Polymerase in Bacterial Expression Systems. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:727. [PMID: 39061809 PMCID: PMC11274053 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11070727] [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: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA amplification and reverse transcription enzymes have proven to be invaluable in fast and reliable diagnostics and research applications because of their processivity, specificity, and robustness. Our study focused on the production of mutant Taq DNA polymerase and mutant M-MLV reverse transcriptase in the expression hosts Vibrio natriegens and Escherichia coli under various expression conditions. We also examined nonspecific extracellular production in V. natriegens. Intracellularly, M-MLV was produced in V. natriegens at the level of 11% of the total cell proteins (TCPs) compared with 16% of TCPs in E. coli. We obtained a soluble protein that accounted for 11% of the enzyme produced in V. natriegens and 22% of the enzyme produced in E. coli. Taq pol was produced intracellularly in V. natriegens at the level of 30% of TCPs compared with 26% of TCPs in E. coli. However, Taq pol was almost non-soluble in E. coli, whereas in V. natriegens, we obtained a soluble protein that accounted for 23% of the produced enzyme. We detected substantial extracellular production of Taq pol. Thus, V. natriegens is a suitable alternative host with the potential for production of recombinant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristína Hriňová
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia; (K.H.); (J.D.); (Ľ.K.); (E.S.); (J.T.); (S.S.)
| | - Johana Dlapová
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia; (K.H.); (J.D.); (Ľ.K.); (E.S.); (J.T.); (S.S.)
| | - Bohuš Kubala
- Laboratory for Microbial Ecology, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 21, 84551 Bratislava, Slovakia;
| | - Ľubica Kormanová
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia; (K.H.); (J.D.); (Ľ.K.); (E.S.); (J.T.); (S.S.)
| | - Zdenko Levarski
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia; (K.H.); (J.D.); (Ľ.K.); (E.S.); (J.T.); (S.S.)
- Science Park, Comenius University in Bratislava, 84104 Bratislava, Slovakia
- ReKoMBe, s.r.o., 84102 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Eva Struhárňanská
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia; (K.H.); (J.D.); (Ľ.K.); (E.S.); (J.T.); (S.S.)
- ReKoMBe, s.r.o., 84102 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ján Turňa
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia; (K.H.); (J.D.); (Ľ.K.); (E.S.); (J.T.); (S.S.)
- Science Park, Comenius University in Bratislava, 84104 Bratislava, Slovakia
- ReKoMBe, s.r.o., 84102 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Stanislav Stuchlík
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia; (K.H.); (J.D.); (Ľ.K.); (E.S.); (J.T.); (S.S.)
- Science Park, Comenius University in Bratislava, 84104 Bratislava, Slovakia
- ReKoMBe, s.r.o., 84102 Bratislava, Slovakia
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Sun Y, Ko DH, Gao J, Fu K, Mao Y, He Y, Tian H. Engineering psychrophilic polymerase for nanopore long-read sequencing. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1406722. [PMID: 39011153 PMCID: PMC11246872 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1406722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Unveiling the potential application of psychrophilic polymerases as candidates for polymerase-nanopore long-read sequencing presents a departure from conventional choices such as thermophilic Bacillus stearothermophilus (Bst) renowned for its limitation in temperature and mesophilic Bacillus subtilis phage (phi29) polymerases for limitations in strong exonuclease activity and weak salt tolerance. Exploiting the PB-Bst fusion DNA polymerases from Psychrobacillus (PB) and Bacillus stearothermophilus (Bst), our structural and biochemical analysis reveal a remarkable enhancement in salt tolerance and a concurrent reduction in exonuclease activity, achieved through targeted substitution of a pivotal functional domain. The sulfolobus 7-kDa protein (Sso7d) emerges as a standout fusion domain, imparting significant improvements in PB-Bst processivity. Notably, this study elucidates additional functional sites regulating exonuclease activity (Asp43 and Glu45) and processivity using artificial nucleotides (Glu266, Gln283, Leu334, Glu335, Ser426, and Asp430). By disclosing the intricate dynamics in exonuclease activity, strand displacement, and artificial nucleotide-based processivity at specific functional sites, our findings not only advance the fundamental understanding of psychrophilic polymerases but also provide novel insights into polymerase engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Yun He
- Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics and Sequencing, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hui Tian
- Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics and Sequencing, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
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Elias M, Guan X, Hudson D, Bose R, Kwak J, Petrounia I, Touah K, Mansour S, Yue P, Errasti G, Delacroix T, Ghosh A, Chakrabarti R. Evolution of Organic Solvent-Resistant DNA Polymerases. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:3170-3188. [PMID: 37611245 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00515] [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: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
The introduction of thermostable polymerases revolutionized the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and biotechnology. However, many GC-rich genes cannot be PCR-amplified with high efficiency in water, irrespective of temperature. Although polar organic cosolvents can enhance nucleic acid polymerization and amplification by destabilizing duplex DNA and secondary structures, nature has not selected for the evolution of solvent-tolerant polymerase enzymes. Here, we used ultrahigh-throughput droplet-based selection and deep sequencing along with computational free-energy and binding affinity calculations to evolve Taq polymerase to generate enzymes that are both stable and highly active in the presence of organic cosolvents, resulting in up to 10% solvent resistance and over 100-fold increase in stability at 97.5 °C in the presence of 1,4-butanediol, as well as tolerance to up to 10 times higher concentrations of the potent cosolvents sulfolane and 2-pyrrolidone. Using these polymerases, we successfully amplified a broad spectrum of GC-rich templates containing regions with over 90% GC content, including templates recalcitrant to amplification with existing polymerases, even in the presence of cosolvents. We also demonstrated dramatically reduced GC bias in the amplification of genes with widely varying GC content in quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). By expanding the scope of solvent systems compatible with nucleic acid polymerization, these organic solvent-resistant polymerases enable a dramatic reduction of sequence bias not achievable through thermal resistance alone, with significant implications for a wide range of applications including sequencing and synthetic biology in mixed aqueous-organic media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Elias
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
| | - Xiangying Guan
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
| | - Devin Hudson
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
| | - Rahul Bose
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
| | - Joon Kwak
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
| | - Ioanna Petrounia
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
| | - Kenza Touah
- Center for Protein Engineering & Drug Discovery, PMC Isochem SAS, 32 Rue Lavoisier, Vert-Le-Petit 91710, France
| | - Sourour Mansour
- Center for Protein Engineering & Drug Discovery, PMC Isochem SAS, 32 Rue Lavoisier, Vert-Le-Petit 91710, France
| | - Peng Yue
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
| | - Gauthier Errasti
- Center for Protein Engineering & Drug Discovery, PMC Isochem SAS, 32 Rue Lavoisier, Vert-Le-Petit 91710, France
| | - Thomas Delacroix
- Center for Protein Engineering & Drug Discovery, PMC Isochem SAS, 32 Rue Lavoisier, Vert-Le-Petit 91710, France
| | - Anisha Ghosh
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
- McGill University, 845 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Raj Chakrabarti
- Chakrabarti Advanced Technology, LLC, PMC Group Building, 1288 Route 73, Suite 110, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054, United States
- Center for Protein Engineering & Drug Discovery, PMC Isochem SAS, 32 Rue Lavoisier, Vert-Le-Petit 91710, France
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Li X, Chen B, Chen W, Pu Z, Qi X, Yang L, Wu J, Yu H. Customized multiple sequence alignment as an effective strategy to improve performance of Taq DNA polymerase. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:6507-6525. [PMID: 37658164 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12744-5] [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: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Engineering Taq DNA polymerase (TaqPol) for improved activity, stability and sensitivity was critical for its wide applications. Multiple sequence alignment (MSA) has been widely used in engineering enzymes for improved properties. Here, we first designed TaqPol mutations based on MSA of 2756 sequences from both thermophilic and non-thermophilic organisms. Two double mutations were generated including a variant H676F/R677G showing a decrease in both activity and stability, and a variant Y686R/E687K showing an improved activity, but a decreased stability. Mutations targeted on coevolutionary residues of Arg677 and Tyr686 were then applied to rescue stability or activity loss of the double mutants, which achieved a partial success. Sequence analysis revealed that the two mutations are abundant in non-thermophilic sequences but not in thermophilic homologues. Then, a small-scale MSA containing sequences from only thermophilic organisms was applied to predict 13 single variants and two of them, E507Q and E734N showed a simultaneous increase in both stability and activity, even in sensitivity. A customized MSA was hence more effective in engineering a thermophilic enzyme and could be used in engineering other enzymes. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed the impact of mutations on the protein dynamics and interactions between TaqPol and substrates. KEY POINTS: • The pool of sequence for alignment is critical to engineering Taq DNA polymerase. • The variants with low properties can be rescued by mutations in coevolving network. • Improving binding with DNA can improve DNA polymerase stability and activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinjia Li
- Institute of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, Zhejiang, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Centre, Hangzhou, 311200, Zhejiang, China
| | - Binbin Chen
- Institute of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, Zhejiang, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Centre, Hangzhou, 311200, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wanyi Chen
- Institute of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, Zhejiang, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Centre, Hangzhou, 311200, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhongji Pu
- Institute of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, Zhejiang, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Centre, Hangzhou, 311200, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xin Qi
- Building No.4, Zhongguancun Dongsheng International Science Park, No. 1 North Yongtaizhuang Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100192, China
| | - Lirong Yang
- Institute of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, Zhejiang, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Centre, Hangzhou, 311200, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jianping Wu
- Institute of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, Zhejiang, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Centre, Hangzhou, 311200, Zhejiang, China
| | - Haoran Yu
- Institute of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, Zhejiang, China.
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Centre, Hangzhou, 311200, Zhejiang, China.
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Oscorbin I, Filipenko M. Bst polymerase - a humble relative of Taq polymerase. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:4519-4535. [PMID: 37767105 PMCID: PMC10520511 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA polymerases are a superfamily of enzymes synthesizing DNA using DNA as a template. They are essential for nucleic acid metabolism and for DNA replication and repair. Modern biotechnology and molecular diagnostics rely heavily on DNA polymerases in analyzing nucleic acids. Among a variety of discovered DNA polymerases, Bst polymerase, a large fragment of DNA polymerase I from Geobacillus stearothermophilus, is one of the most commonly used but is not as well studied as Taq polymerase. The ability of Bst polymerase to displace an upstream DNA strand during synthesis, coupled with its moderate thermal stability, has provided the basis for several isothermal DNA amplification methods, including LAMP, WGA, RCA, and many others. Bst polymerase is one of the key components defining the robustness and analytical characteristics of diagnostic test systems based on isothermal amplification. Here, we present an overview of the biochemical and structural features of Bst polymerase and provide information on its mutated analogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Oscorbin
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICBFM SB RAS), 8 Lavrentiev Avenue, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Maxim Filipenko
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICBFM SB RAS), 8 Lavrentiev Avenue, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
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Shirshikov FV, Bespyatykh JA. Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification: From Theory to Practice. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY 2022; 48:1159-1174. [PMID: 36590469 PMCID: PMC9788664 DOI: 10.1134/s106816202206022x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Increasing the accuracy of pathogen identification and reducing the duration of analysis remain relevant for modern molecular diagnostics up to this day. In laboratory and clinical practice, detection of pathogens mostly relies on methods of nucleic acid amplification, among which the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is considered the "gold standard." Nevertheless, in some cases, isothermal amplification methods act as an alternative to PCR diagnostics. Upon more than thirty years of the development of isothermal DNA synthesis, the appearance of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has enabled new directions of in-field diagnostics of bacterial and viral infections. This review examines the key characteristics of the LAMP method and corresponding features in practice. We discuss the structure of LAMP amplicons with single-stranded loops, which have the sites for primer annealing under isothermal conditions. The latest achievements in the modification of the LAMP method are analyzed, which allow considering it as a unique platform for creating the next-generation diagnostic assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. V. Shirshikov
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 119435 Moscow, Russia
| | - J. A. Bespyatykh
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 119435 Moscow, Russia
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Sakhabutdinova AR, Gazizov RR, Chemeris AV, Garafutdinov RR. Reverse transcriptase-free detection of viral RNA using Hemo Klentaq DNA polymerase. Anal Biochem 2022; 659:114960. [PMID: 36306819 PMCID: PMC9597527 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2022.114960] [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: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the demand for the fast and reliable detection of viral RNA. Although various methods for RNA amplification and detection have been proposed, some limitations, including those caused by reverse transcription (RT), need to be overcome. Here, we report on the direct detection of specific RNA by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) requiring no prior RT step. It was found that Hemo KlenTaq (HKTaq), which is posed as DNA-dependent DNA polymerase, possesses reverse transcriptase activity and provides reproducible amplification of RNA targets with an efficiency comparable to common RT-PCR. Using nasopharyngeal swab extracts from COVID-19-positive patients, the high reliability of SARS-CoV-2 detection based on HKTaq was demonstrated. The most accurate detection of specific targets are provided by nearby primers, which allow to determine RNA in solutions affected to multiple freeze-thaw cycles. HKTaq can be used for elaboration of simplified amplification techniques intended for the analysis of any specific RNA and requiring only one DNA polymerase.
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Carvajal-Maldonado D, Drogalis Beckham L, Wood RD, Doublié S. When DNA Polymerases Multitask: Functions Beyond Nucleotidyl Transfer. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 8:815845. [PMID: 35071329 PMCID: PMC8782244 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.815845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA polymerases catalyze nucleotidyl transfer, the central reaction in synthesis of DNA polynucleotide chains. They function not only in DNA replication, but also in diverse aspects of DNA repair and recombination. Some DNA polymerases can perform translesion DNA synthesis, facilitating damage tolerance and leading to mutagenesis. In addition to these functions, many DNA polymerases conduct biochemically distinct reactions. This review presents examples of DNA polymerases that carry out nuclease (3'-5' exonuclease, 5' nuclease, or end-trimming nuclease) or lyase (5' dRP lyase) extracurricular activities. The discussion underscores how DNA polymerases have a remarkable ability to manipulate DNA strands, sometimes involving relatively large intramolecular movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denisse Carvajal-Maldonado
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Lea Drogalis Beckham
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Richard D Wood
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sylvie Doublié
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
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