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Majekodunmi T, Britton D, Montclare JK. Engineered Proteins and Materials Utilizing Residue-Specific Noncanonical Amino Acid Incorporation. Chem Rev 2024; 124:9113-9135. [PMID: 39008623 PMCID: PMC11327963 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00855] [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: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
The incorporation of noncanonical amino acids into proteins and protein-based materials has significantly expanded the repertoire of available protein structures and chemistries. Through residue-specific incorporation, protein properties can be globally modified, resulting in the creation of novel proteins and materials with diverse and tailored characteristics. In this review, we highlight recent advancements in residue-specific incorporation techniques as well as the applications of the engineered proteins and materials. Specifically, we discuss their utility in bio-orthogonal noncanonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT), fluorescent noncanonical amino acid tagging (FUNCAT), threonine-derived noncanonical amino acid tagging (THRONCAT), cross-linking, fluorination, and enzyme engineering. This review underscores the importance of noncanonical amino acid incorporation as a tool for the development of tailored protein properties to meet diverse research and industrial needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Temiloluwa Majekodunmi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York 11201, United States
| | - Dustin Britton
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York 11201, United States
| | - Jin Kim Montclare
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York 11201, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York 11201, United States
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, United States
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10012, United States
- Department of Biomaterials, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York 10010, United States
- Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York 10016, United States
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2
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Sridharan D, Dougherty JA, Ahmed U, Sanghvi SK, Alvi SB, Park KH, Islam H, Knoblaugh SE, Singh H, Kirby ED, Khan M. Bioorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging to track transplanted human induced pluripotent stem cell-specific proteome. Stem Cell Res Ther 2024; 15:186. [PMID: 38926849 PMCID: PMC11210150 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-024-03792-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and their differentiated cell types have a great potential for tissue repair and regeneration. While the primary focus of using hiPSCs has historically been to regenerate damaged tissue, emerging studies have shown a more potent effect of hiPSC-derived paracrine factors on tissue regeneration. However, the precise contents of the transplanted hiPSC-derived cell secretome are ambiguous. This is mainly due to the lack of tools to distinguish cell-specific secretome from host-derived proteins in a complex tissue microenvironment in vivo. METHODS In this study, we present the generation and characterization of a novel hiPSC line, L274G-hiPSC, expressing the murine mutant methionyl-tRNA synthetase, L274GMmMetRS, which can be used for tracking the cell specific proteome via biorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT). We assessed the trilineage differentiation potential of the L274G-hiPSCs in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we assessed the cell-specific proteome labelling in the L274G-hiPSC derived cardiomyocytes (L274G-hiPSC-CMs) in vitro following co-culture with wild type human umbilical vein derived endothelial cells and in vivo post transplantation in murine hearts. RESULTS We demonstrated that the L274G-hiPSCs exhibit typical hiPSC characteristics and that we can efficiently track the cell-specific proteome in their differentiated progenies belonging to the three germ lineages, including L274G-hiPSC-CMs. Finally, we demonstrated cell-specific BONCAT in transplanted L274G-hiPSC-CMs. CONCLUSION The novel L274G-hiPSC line can be used to study the cell-specific proteome of hiPSCs in vitro and in vivo, to delineate mechanisms underlying hiPSC-based cell therapies for a variety of regenerative medicine applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya Sridharan
- Division of Basic and Translational Sciences, Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Julie A Dougherty
- Division of Basic and Translational Sciences, Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Uzair Ahmed
- Division of Basic and Translational Sciences, Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Shridhar K Sanghvi
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Syed Baseeruddin Alvi
- Division of Basic and Translational Sciences, Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Ki Ho Park
- Department of Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Helena Islam
- Division of Basic and Translational Sciences, Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Sue E Knoblaugh
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Harpreet Singh
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Elizabeth D Kirby
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Chronic Brain Injury Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Mahmood Khan
- Division of Basic and Translational Sciences, Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
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3
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Chen MM, Kopittke PM, Zhao FJ, Wang P. Applications and opportunities of click chemistry in plant science. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 29:167-178. [PMID: 37612212 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2022 was awarded to the pioneers of Lego-like 'click chemistry': combinatorial chemistry with remarkable modularity and diversity. It has been applied to a wide variety of biological systems, from microorganisms to plants and animals, including humans. Although click chemistry is a powerful chemical biology tool, comparatively few studies have examined its potential in plant science. Here, we review click chemistry reactions and their applications in plant systems, highlighting the activity-based probes and metabolic labeling strategies combined with bioorthogonal click chemistry to visualize plant biological processes. These applications offer new opportunities to explore and understand the underlying molecular mechanisms regulating plant composition, growth, metabolism, defense, and immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Ming Chen
- Centre of Agriculture and Health, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Peter M Kopittke
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Fang-Jie Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Centre of Agriculture and Health, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
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4
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Mena C, Deulofeu-Capo O, Forn I, Dordal-Soriano J, Mantilla-Arias YA, Samos IP, Sebastián M, Cardelús C, Massana R, Romera-Castillo C, Mallenco-Fornies R, Gasol JM, Ruiz-González C. High amino acid osmotrophic incorporation by marine eukaryotic phytoplankton revealed by click chemistry. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:ycae004. [PMID: 38425478 PMCID: PMC10902890 DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The osmotrophic uptake of dissolved organic compounds in the ocean is considered to be dominated by heterotrophic prokaryotes, whereas the role of planktonic eukaryotes is still unclear. We explored the capacity of natural eukaryotic plankton communities to incorporate the synthetic amino acid L-homopropargylglycine (HPG, analogue of methionine) using biorthogonal noncanonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT), and we compared it with prokaryotic HPG use throughout a 9-day survey in the NW Mediterranean. BONCAT allows to fluorescently identify translationally active cells, but it has never been applied to natural eukaryotic communities. We found a large diversity of photosynthetic and heterotrophic eukaryotes incorporating HPG into proteins, with dinoflagellates and diatoms showing the highest percentages of BONCAT-labelled cells (49 ± 25% and 52 ± 15%, respectively). Among them, pennate diatoms exhibited higher HPG incorporation in the afternoon than in the morning, whereas small (≤5 μm) photosynthetic eukaryotes and heterotrophic nanoeukaryotes showed the opposite pattern. Centric diatoms (e.g. Chaetoceros, Thalassiosira, and Lauderia spp.) dominated the eukaryotic HPG incorporation due to their high abundances and large sizes, accounting for up to 86% of the eukaryotic BONCAT signal and strongly correlating with bulk 3H-leucine uptake rates. When including prokaryotes, eukaryotes were estimated to account for 19-31% of the bulk BONCAT signal. Our results evidence a large complexity in the osmotrophic uptake of HPG, which varies over time within and across eukaryotic groups and highlights the potential of BONCAT to quantify osmotrophy and protein synthesis in complex eukaryotic communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catalina Mena
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Ona Deulofeu-Capo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Irene Forn
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Júlia Dordal-Soriano
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Yulieth A Mantilla-Arias
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Iván P Samos
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Marta Sebastián
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Clara Cardelús
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Ramon Massana
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Cristina Romera-Castillo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Rebeca Mallenco-Fornies
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Josep M Gasol
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Clara Ruiz-González
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona 08003, Spain
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5
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Kostešić E, Mitrović M, Kajan K, Marković T, Hausmann B, Orlić S, Pjevac P. Microbial Diversity and Activity of Biofilms from Geothermal Springs in Croatia. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 86:2305-2319. [PMID: 37209180 PMCID: PMC10640420 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02239-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Hot spring biofilms are stable, highly complex microbial structures. They form at dynamic redox and light gradients and are composed of microorganisms adapted to the extreme temperatures and fluctuating geochemical conditions of geothermal environments. In Croatia, a large number of poorly investigated geothermal springs host biofilm communities. Here, we investigated the microbial community composition of biofilms collected over several seasons at 12 geothermal springs and wells. We found biofilm microbial communities to be temporally stable and highly dominated by Cyanobacteria in all but one high-temperature sampling site (Bizovac well). Of the physiochemical parameters recorded, temperature had the strongest influence on biofilm microbial community composition. Besides Cyanobacteria, the biofilms were mainly inhabited by Chloroflexota, Gammaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidota. In a series of incubations with Cyanobacteria-dominated biofilms from Tuhelj spring and Chloroflexota- and Pseudomonadota-dominated biofilms from Bizovac well, we stimulated either chemoorganotrophic or chemolithotrophic community members, to determine the fraction of microorganisms dependent on organic carbon (in situ predominantly produced via photosynthesis) versus energy derived from geochemical redox gradients (here simulated by addition of thiosulfate). We found surprisingly similar levels of activity in response to all substrates in these two distinct biofilm communities, and observed microbial community composition and hot spring geochemistry to be poor predictors of microbial activity in the study systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ema Kostešić
- Division of Materials Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Maja Mitrović
- Division of Materials Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Katarina Kajan
- Division of Materials Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Science and Technology-Integration of Mediterranean Region (STIM), Split, Croatia
| | | | - Bela Hausmann
- Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sandi Orlić
- Division of Materials Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Science and Technology-Integration of Mediterranean Region (STIM), Split, Croatia
| | - Petra Pjevac
- Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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6
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Carlisle AK, Götz J, Bodea LG. Three methods for examining the de novo proteome of microglia using BONCAT bioorthogonal labeling and FUNCAT click chemistry. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102418. [PMID: 37432857 PMCID: PMC10511912 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102418] [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: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Bioorthogonal labeling and click chemistry techniques allow the detailed examination of cellular physiology through tagging and visualizing newly synthesized proteins. Here, we describe three methods applying bioorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging and fluorescent non-canonical amino acid tagging to quantify protein synthesis in microglia. We describe steps for cell seeding and labeling. We then detail microscopy, flow cytometry, and Western blotting techniques. These methods can be easily adapted for other cell types to explore cellular physiology in health and disease. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Evans et al. (2021).1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Keolani Carlisle
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jürgen Götz
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Liviu-Gabriel Bodea
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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7
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Frates ES, Spietz RL, Silverstein MR, Girguis P, Hatzenpichler R, Marlow JJ. Natural and anthropogenic carbon input affect microbial activity in salt marsh sediment. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1235906. [PMID: 37744927 PMCID: PMC10512730 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1235906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Salt marshes are dynamic, highly productive ecosystems positioned at the interface between terrestrial and marine systems. They are exposed to large quantities of both natural and anthropogenic carbon input, and their diverse sediment-hosted microbial communities play key roles in carbon cycling and remineralization. To better understand the effects of natural and anthropogenic carbon on sediment microbial ecology, several sediment cores were collected from Little Sippewissett Salt Marsh (LSSM) on Cape Cod, MA, USA and incubated with either Spartina alterniflora cordgrass or diesel fuel. Resulting shifts in microbial diversity and activity were assessed via bioorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT) combined with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Both Spartina and diesel amendments resulted in initial decreases of microbial diversity as well as clear, community-wide shifts in metabolic activity. Multi-stage degradative frameworks shaped by fermentation were inferred based on anabolically active lineages. In particular, the metabolically versatile Marinifilaceae were prominent under both treatments, as were the sulfate-reducing Desulfovibrionaceae, which may be attributable to their ability to utilize diverse forms of carbon under nutrient limited conditions. By identifying lineages most directly involved in the early stages of carbon processing, we offer potential targets for indicator species to assess ecosystem health and highlight key players for selective promotion of bioremediation or carbon sequestration pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin S. Frates
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Rachel L. Spietz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States
| | | | - Peter Girguis
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Roland Hatzenpichler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States
- Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States
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8
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Pelgrom LR, Davis GM, O'Shaughnessy S, Wezenberg EJM, Van Kasteren SI, Finlay DK, Sinclair LV. QUAS-R: An SLC1A5-mediated glutamine uptake assay with single-cell resolution reveals metabolic heterogeneity with immune populations. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112828. [PMID: 37478011 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
System-level analysis of single-cell data is rapidly transforming the field of immunometabolism. Given the competitive demand for nutrients in immune microenvironments, there is a need to understand how and when immune cells access these nutrients. Here, we describe a new approach for single-cell analysis of nutrient uptake where we use in-cell biorthogonal labeling of a functionalized amino acid after transport into the cell. In this manner, the bona fide active uptake of glutamine via SLC1A5/ASCT2 could be quantified. We used this assay to interrogate the transport capacity of complex immune subpopulations, both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our findings provide an easy sensitive single-cell assay to assess which cells support their function via SLC1A5-mediated uptake. This is a significant addition to the single-cell metabolic toolbox required to decode the metabolic landscape of complex immune microenvironments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard R Pelgrom
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry and the Institute of Chemical Immunology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Gavin M Davis
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, D02R590 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Simon O'Shaughnessy
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, D02R590 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Emilie J M Wezenberg
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry and the Institute of Chemical Immunology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sander I Van Kasteren
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry and the Institute of Chemical Immunology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - David K Finlay
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, D02R590 Dublin, Ireland; School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, D02R590 Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Linda V Sinclair
- School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, Scotland, UK.
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9
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Jecmen T, Tuzhilkin R, Sulc M. Photo-Methionine, Azidohomoalanine and Homopropargylglycine Are Incorporated into Newly Synthesized Proteins at Different Rates and Differentially Affect the Growth and Protein Expression Levels of Auxotrophic and Prototrophic E. coli in Minimal Medium. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11779. [PMID: 37511538 PMCID: PMC10380393 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411779] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Residue-specific incorporation of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) introduces bio-orthogonal functionalities into proteins. As such, this technique is applied in protein characterization and quantification. Here, we studied protein expression with three methionine analogs, namely photo-methionine (pMet), azidohomoalanine (Aha) and homopropargylglycine (Hpg), in prototrophic E. coli BL-21 and auxotrophic E. coli B834 to maximize ncAA content, thereby assessing the effect of ncAAs on bacterial growth and the expression of cytochrome b5 (b5M46), green fluorescence protein (MBP-GFP) and phage shock protein A. In auxotrophic E. coli, ncAA incorporation ranged from 50 to 70% for pMet and reached approximately 50% for Aha, after 26 h expression, with medium and low expression levels of MBP-GFP and b5M46, respectively. In the prototrophic strain, by contrast, the protein expression levels were higher, albeit with a sharp decrease in the ncAA content after the first hours of expression. Similar expression levels and 70-80% incorporation rates were achieved in both bacterial strains with Hpg. Our findings provide guidance for expressing proteins with a high content of ncAAs, highlight pitfalls in determining the levels of methionine replacement by ncAAs by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and indicate a possible systematic bias in metabolic labeling techniques using Aha or Hpg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Jecmen
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 2030, 128 43 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Tuzhilkin
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 2030, 128 43 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Sulc
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 2030, 128 43 Prague, Czech Republic
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10
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Trexler RV, Van Goethem MW, Goudeau D, Nath N, Malmstrom RR, Northen TR, Couradeau E. BONCAT-FACS-Seq reveals the active fraction of a biocrust community undergoing a wet-up event. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1176751. [PMID: 37434715 PMCID: PMC10330726 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1176751] [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: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Determining which microorganisms are active within soil communities remains a major technical endeavor in microbial ecology research. One promising method to accomplish this is coupling bioorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT) with fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) which sorts cells based on whether or not they are producing new proteins. Combined with shotgun metagenomic sequencing (Seq), we apply this method to profile the diversity and potential functional capabilities of both active and inactive microorganisms in a biocrust community after being resuscitated by a simulated rain event. We find that BONCAT-FACS-Seq is capable of discerning the pools of active and inactive microorganisms, especially within hours of applying the BONCAT probe. The active and inactive components of the biocrust community differed in species richness and composition at both 4 and 21 h after the wetting event. The active fraction of the biocrust community is marked by taxa commonly observed in other biocrust communities, many of which play important roles in species interactions and nutrient transformations. Among these, 11 families within the Firmicutes are enriched in the active fraction, supporting previous reports indicating that the Firmicutes are key early responders to biocrust wetting. We highlight the apparent inactivity of many Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria through 21 h after wetting, and note that members of the Chitinophagaceae, enriched in the active fraction, may play important ecological roles following wetting. Based on the enrichment of COGs in the active fraction, predation by phage and other bacterial members, as well as scavenging and recycling of labile nutrients, appear to be important ecological processes soon after wetting. To our knowledge, this is the first time BONCAT-FACS-Seq has been applied to biocrust samples, and therefore we discuss the potential advantages and shortcomings of coupling metagenomics to BONCAT to intact soil communities such as biocrust. In all, by pairing BONCAT-FACS and metagenomics, we are capable of highlighting the taxa and potential functions that typifies the microbes actively responding to a rain event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan V. Trexler
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Marc W. Van Goethem
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Danielle Goudeau
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Nandita Nath
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Rex R. Malmstrom
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Trent R. Northen
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Estelle Couradeau
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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11
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Villalobos-Cantor S, Barrett RM, Condon AF, Arreola-Bustos A, Rodriguez KM, Cohen MS, Martin I. Rapid cell type-specific nascent proteome labeling in Drosophila. eLife 2023; 12:83545. [PMID: 37092974 PMCID: PMC10125018 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Controlled protein synthesis is required to regulate gene expression and is often carried out in a cell type-specific manner. Protein synthesis is commonly measured by labeling the nascent proteome with amino acid analogs or isotope-containing amino acids. These methods have been difficult to implement in vivo as they require lengthy amino acid replacement procedures. O-propargyl-puromycin (OPP) is a puromycin analog that incorporates into nascent polypeptide chains. Through its terminal alkyne, OPP can be conjugated to a fluorophore-azide for directly visualizing nascent protein synthesis, or to a biotin-azide for capture and identification of newly-synthesized proteins. To achieve cell type-specific OPP incorporation, we developed phenylacetyl-OPP (PhAc-OPP), a puromycin analog harboring an enzyme-labile blocking group that can be removed by penicillin G acylase (PGA). Here, we show that cell type-specific PGA expression in Drosophila can be used to achieve OPP labeling of newly-synthesized proteins in targeted cell populations within the brain. Following a brief 2 hr incubation of intact brains with PhAc-OPP, we observe robust imaging and affinity purification of OPP-labeled nascent proteins in PGA-targeted cell populations. We apply this method to show a pronounced age-related decline in neuronal protein synthesis in the fly brain, demonstrating the capability of PhAc-OPP to quantitatively capture in vivo protein synthesis states. This method, which we call POPPi (PGA-dependent OPP incorporation), should be applicable for rapidly visualizing protein synthesis and identifying nascent proteins synthesized under diverse physiological and pathological conditions with cellular specificity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanny Villalobos-Cantor
- Jungers Center for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Ruth M Barrett
- Jungers Center for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Alec F Condon
- Jungers Center for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Alicia Arreola-Bustos
- Jungers Center for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Kelsie M Rodriguez
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Michael S Cohen
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Ian Martin
- Jungers Center for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
- Parkinson Center of Oregon, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
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12
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Saleh AM, VanDyk TG, Jacobson KR, Khan SA, Calve S, Kinzer-Ursem TL. An Integrative Biology Approach to Quantify the Biodistribution of Azidohomoalanine In Vivo. Cell Mol Bioeng 2023; 16:99-115. [PMID: 37096070 PMCID: PMC10121978 DOI: 10.1007/s12195-023-00760-4] [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: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Identification and quantitation of newly synthesized proteins (NSPs) are critical to understanding protein dynamics in development and disease. Probing the nascent proteome can be achieved using non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) to selectively label the NSPs utilizing endogenous translation machinery, which can then be quantitated with mass spectrometry. We have previously demonstrated that labeling the in vivo murine proteome is feasible via injection of azidohomoalanine (Aha), an ncAA and methionine (Met) analog, without the need for Met depletion. Aha labeling can address biological questions wherein temporal protein dynamics are significant. However, accessing this temporal resolution requires a more complete understanding of Aha distribution kinetics in tissues. Results To address these gaps, we created a deterministic, compartmental model of the kinetic transport and incorporation of Aha in mice. Model results demonstrate the ability to predict Aha distribution and protein labeling in a variety of tissues and dosing paradigms. To establish the suitability of the method for in vivo studies, we investigated the impact of Aha administration on normal physiology by analyzing plasma and liver metabolomes following various Aha dosing regimens. We show that Aha administration induces minimal metabolic alterations in mice. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that we can reproducibly predict protein labeling and that the administration of this analog does not significantly alter in vivo physiology over the course of our experimental study. We expect this model to be a useful tool to guide future experiments utilizing this technique to study proteomic responses to stimuli. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12195-023-00760-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aya M. Saleh
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, 206 S. Martin Jischke Dr, West Lafayette, IN 47906 USA
| | - Tyler G. VanDyk
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, 206 S. Martin Jischke Dr, West Lafayette, IN 47906 USA
| | - Kathryn R. Jacobson
- Purdue University Interdisciplinary Life Science Program, 155 S. Grant Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Shaheryar A. Khan
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, 206 S. Martin Jischke Dr, West Lafayette, IN 47906 USA
| | - Sarah Calve
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, 206 S. Martin Jischke Dr, West Lafayette, IN 47906 USA
- Purdue University Interdisciplinary Life Science Program, 155 S. Grant Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado – Boulder, 1111 Engineering Center, 427 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
| | - Tamara L. Kinzer-Ursem
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, 206 S. Martin Jischke Dr, West Lafayette, IN 47906 USA
- Purdue University Interdisciplinary Life Science Program, 155 S. Grant Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
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13
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Steward KF, Refai M, Dyer WE, Copié V, Lachowiec J, Bothner B. Acute stress reduces population-level metabolic and proteomic variation. BMC Bioinformatics 2023; 24:87. [PMID: 36882728 PMCID: PMC9993721 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-023-05185-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Variation in omics data due to intrinsic biological stochasticity is often viewed as a challenging and undesirable feature of complex systems analyses. In fact, numerous statistical methods are utilized to minimize the variation among biological replicates. RESULTS We demonstrate that the common statistics relative standard deviation (RSD) and coefficient of variation (CV), which are often used for quality control or part of a larger pipeline in omics analyses, can also be used as a metric of a physiological stress response. Using an approach we term Replicate Variation Analysis (RVA), we demonstrate that acute physiological stress leads to feature-wide canalization of CV profiles of metabolomes and proteomes across biological replicates. Canalization is the repression of variation between replicates, which increases phenotypic similarity. Multiple in-house mass spectrometry omics datasets in addition to publicly available data were analyzed to assess changes in CV profiles in plants, animals, and microorganisms. In addition, proteomics data sets were evaluated utilizing RVA to identify functionality of reduced CV proteins. CONCLUSIONS RVA provides a foundation for understanding omics level shifts that occur in response to cellular stress. This approach to data analysis helps characterize stress response and recovery, and could be deployed to detect populations under stress, monitor health status, and conduct environmental monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine F Steward
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Mohammed Refai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - William E Dyer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA.,Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University, Bozeman, USA
| | - Valérie Copié
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA.,Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, USA
| | - Jennifer Lachowiec
- Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University, Bozeman, USA
| | - Brian Bothner
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA. .,Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, USA.
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14
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Landor LAI, Bratbak G, Larsen A, Tjendra J, Våge S. Differential toxicity of bioorthogonal non-canonical amino acids (BONCAT) in Escherichia coli. J Microbiol Methods 2023; 206:106679. [PMID: 36720393 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2023.106679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell methods allow studying the activity of single bacterial cells, potentially shedding light on regulatory mechanisms involved in services like biochemical cycling. Bioorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT) is a promising method for studying bacterial activity in natural communities, using the methionine analogues L-azidohomoalanine (AHA) and L-homopropargylglycine (HPG) to track protein production in single cells. Both AHA and HPG have been deemed non-toxic, but recent findings suggest that HPG affects bacterial metabolism. In this study we examined the effect of AHA and HPG on Escherichia coli with respect to acute toxicity and growth. E. coli exposed to 5.6-90 μM HPG showed no growth, and the growth rate was significantly reduced at >0.35 μM HPG, compared to the HPG-free control. In contrast, E. coli showed growth at concentrations up to 9 mM AHA. In assays where AHA or HPG were added during the exponential growth phase, the growth sustained but the growth rate was immediately reduced at the highest concentrations (90 μM HPG and 10 mM AHA). Prolonged incubations (20h) with apparently non-toxic concentrations suggest that the cells incorporating NCAAs fail to divide and do not contribute to the next generation resulting in the relative abundance of labelled cells to decrease over time. These results show that HPG and AHA have different impact on the growth of E. coli. Both concentration and incubation time affect the results and need to be considered when designing BONCAT experiments and evaluating results. Time course incubations are suggested as a possible way to obtain more reliable results.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gunnar Bratbak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Aud Larsen
- NORCE Environment and Climate, Bergen, Norway
| | - Jesslyn Tjendra
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Selina Våge
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Norway.
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15
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van Kasteren S, Rozen DE. Using click chemistry to study microbial ecology and evolution. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:9. [PMID: 36721064 PMCID: PMC9889756 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-022-00205-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Technological advances have largely driven the revolution in our understanding of the structure and function of microbial communities. Culturing, long the primary tool to probe microbial life, was supplanted by sequencing and other -omics approaches, which allowed detailed quantitative insights into species composition, metabolic potential, transcriptional activity, secretory responses and more. Although the ability to characterize "who's there" has never been easier or cheaper, it remains technically challenging and expensive to understand what the diverse species and strains that comprise microbial communities are doing in situ, and how these behaviors change through time. Our aim in this brief review is to introduce a developing toolkit based on click chemistry that can accelerate and reduce the expense of functional analyses of the ecology and evolution of microbial communities. After first outlining the history of technological development in this field, we will discuss key applications to date using diverse labels, including BONCAT, and then end with a selective (biased) view of areas where click-chemistry and BONCAT-based approaches stand to have a significant impact on our understanding of microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander van Kasteren
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry and The Institute of Chemical Immunology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, Leiden, 2300 RA, The Netherlands.
| | - Daniel E Rozen
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, Leiden, 2300 RA, The Netherlands.
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16
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Hu M, Ling Z, Ren X. Extracellular matrix dynamics: tracking in biological systems and their implications. J Biol Eng 2022; 16:13. [PMID: 35637526 PMCID: PMC9153193 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-022-00292-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) constitutes the main acellular microenvironment of cells in almost all tissues and organs. The ECM not only provides mechanical support, but also mediates numerous biochemical interactions to guide cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, and migration. Thus, better understanding the everchanging temporal and spatial shifts in ECM composition and structure - the ECM dynamics - will provide fundamental insight regarding extracellular regulation of tissue homeostasis and how tissue states transition from one to another during diverse pathophysiological processes. This review outlines the mechanisms mediating ECM-cell interactions and highlights how changes in the ECM modulate tissue development and disease progression, using the lung as the primary model organ. We then discuss existing methodologies for revealing ECM compositional dynamics, with a particular focus on tracking newly synthesized ECM proteins. Finally, we discuss the ramifications ECM dynamics have on tissue engineering and how to implement spatial and temporal specific extracellular microenvironments into bioengineered tissues. Overall, this review communicates the current capabilities for studying native ECM dynamics and delineates new research directions in discovering and implementing ECM dynamics to push the frontier forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Zihan Ling
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Xi Ren
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
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17
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Isolation, identification, and characterization of lignocellulose-degrading Geobacillus thermoleovorans from Yellowstone National Park. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 88:e0095821. [PMID: 34669438 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00958-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbial degradation of lignocellulose in natural ecosystems presents numerous biotechnological opportunities, including biofuel production from agricultural waste and feedstock biomass. To explore the degradation potential of specific thermophiles, we have identified and characterized extremophilic microorganisms isolated from hot springs environments that are capable of biodegrading lignin and cellulose substrates under thermoalkaline conditions, using a combination of culturing, genomics and metabolomics techniques. Organisms that can use lignin and cellulose as a sole carbon source at 60-75°C were isolated from sediment slurry of thermoalkaline hot springs (71-81°C and pH 8-9) of Yellowstone National Park. Full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that these isolates were closely related to Geobacillus thermoleovorans. Interestingly, most of these isolates demonstrated biofilm formation on lignin, a phenotype that is correlated with increased bioconversion. Assessment of metabolite level changes in two Geobacillus isolates from two representative springs were undertaken to characterize the metabolic responses associated with growth on glucose versus lignin carbon source as a function of pH and temperature. Overall, results from this study support that thermoalkaline springs harbor G. thermoleovorans microorganisms with lignocellulosic biomass degradation capabilities and potential downstream biotechnological applications. IMPORTANCE As lignocellulosic biomass represents a major agro-industrial waste and renewable resource, its potential to replace non-renewable petroleum-based products for energy production is considerable. Microbial ligninolytic and cellulolytic enzymes are of high interest in bio-refineries for the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass, as they can withstand the extreme conditions (e.g., high temperature, high pH) required for processing. Of high interest is the ligninolytic potential of specific Geobacillus thermoleovorans isolates to function at a broad range of pH and temperatures, as lignin is the bottleneck in the bioprocessing of lignocellulose. In this study, results obtain from G. thermolerovorans isolates originating from YNP springs are significant as very few microorganisms from alkaline thermal environments have been discovered to have lignin and cellulose biodegrading capabilities, and this work opens new avenues for the biotechnological valorization of lignocellulosic biomass at an industrial scale.
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18
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Morey TM, Esmaeili MA, Duennwald ML, Rylett RJ. SPAAC Pulse-Chase: A Novel Click Chemistry-Based Method to Determine the Half-Life of Cellular Proteins. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:722560. [PMID: 34557490 PMCID: PMC8452969 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.722560] [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: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessing the stability and degradation of proteins is central to the study of cellular biological processes. Here, we describe a novel pulse-chase method to determine the half-life of cellular proteins that overcomes the limitations of other commonly used approaches. This method takes advantage of pulse-labeling of nascent proteins in living cells with the bioorthogonal amino acid L-azidohomoalanine (AHA) that is compatible with click chemistry-based modifications. We validate this method in both mammalian and yeast cells by assessing both over-expressed and endogenous proteins using various fluorescent and chemiluminescent click chemistry-compatible probes. Importantly, while cellular stress responses are induced to a limited extent following live-cell AHA pulse-labeling, we also show that this response does not result in changes in cell viability and growth. Moreover, this method is not compromised by the cytotoxicity evident in other commonly used protein half-life measurement methods and it does not require the use of radioactive amino acids. This new method thus presents a versatile, customizable, and valuable addition to the toolbox available to cell biologists to determine the stability of cellular proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor M Morey
- Molecular Medicine Research Group, Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Mohammad Ali Esmaeili
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Martin L Duennwald
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - R Jane Rylett
- Molecular Medicine Research Group, Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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19
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Marlow J, Spietz R, Kim K, Ellisman M, Girguis P, Hatzenpichler R. Spatially resolved correlative microscopy and microbial identification reveal dynamic depth- and mineral-dependent anabolic activity in salt marsh sediment. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:4756-4777. [PMID: 34346142 PMCID: PMC8456820 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Coastal salt marshes are key sites of biogeochemical cycling and ideal systems in which to investigate the community structure of complex microbial communities. Here, we clarify structural-functional relationships among microorganisms and their mineralogical environment, revealing previously undescribed metabolic activity patterns and precise spatial arrangements within salt marsh sediment. Following 3.7-day in situ incubations with a non-canonical amino acid that was incorporated into new biomass, samples were resin-embedded and analysed by correlative fluorescence and electron microscopy to map the microscale arrangements of anabolically active and inactive organisms alongside mineral grains. Parallel sediment samples were examined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and 16S rRNA gene sequencing to link anabolic activity to taxonomic identity. Both approaches demonstrated a rapid decline in the proportion of anabolically active cells with depth into salt marsh sediment, from ~60% in the top centimetre to 9.4%-22.4% between 2 and 10 cm. From the top to the bottom, the most prominent active community members shifted from sulfur cycling phototrophic consortia, to putative sulfate-reducing bacteria likely oxidizing organic compounds, to fermentative lineages. Correlative microscopy revealed more abundant (and more anabolically active) organisms around non-quartz minerals including rutile, orthoclase and plagioclase. Microbe-mineral relationships appear to be dynamic and context-dependent arbiters of biogeochemical cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Marlow
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyHarvard University16 Divinity AveCambridgeMassachusetts02138USA
| | - Rachel Spietz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Thermal Biology Institute, and Center for Biofilm EngineeringMontana State UniversityBozemanMontana59717USA
| | - Keun‐Young Kim
- Department of NeurosciencesUniversity of California at San Diego School of Medicine and National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, University of CaliforniaSan DiegoLa JollaCalifornia92093USA
| | - Mark Ellisman
- Department of NeurosciencesUniversity of California at San Diego School of Medicine and National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, University of CaliforniaSan DiegoLa JollaCalifornia92093USA
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of CaliforniaSan DiegoLa JollaCalifornia92161USA
| | - Peter Girguis
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyHarvard University16 Divinity AveCambridgeMassachusetts02138USA
| | - Roland Hatzenpichler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Thermal Biology Institute, and Center for Biofilm EngineeringMontana State UniversityBozemanMontana59717USA
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20
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Amino Acid Analog Induces Stress Response in Marine Synechococcus. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0020021. [PMID: 33990310 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00200-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterizing the cell-level metabolic trade-offs that phytoplankton exhibit in response to changing environmental conditions is important for predicting the impact of these changes on marine food web dynamics and biogeochemical cycling. The time-selective proteome-labeling approach, bioorthogonal noncanonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT), has potential to provide insight into differential allocation of resources at the cellular level, especially when coupled with proteomics. However, the application of this technique in marine phytoplankton remains limited. We demonstrate that the marine cyanobacteria Synechococcus sp. and two groups of eukaryotic algae take up the modified amino acid l-homopropargylglycine (HPG), suggesting that BONCAT can be used to detect translationally active phytoplankton. However, the impact of HPG addition on growth dynamics varied between groups of phytoplankton. In addition, proteomic analysis of Synechococcus cells grown with HPG revealed a physiological shift in nitrogen metabolism, general protein stress, and energy production, indicating a potential limitation for the use of BONCAT in understanding the cell-level response of Synechococcus sp. to environmental change. Variability in HPG sensitivity between algal groups and the impact of HPG on Synechococcus physiology indicates that particular considerations should be taken when applying this technique to other marine taxa or mixed marine microbial communities. IMPORTANCE Phytoplankton form the base of the marine food web and substantially impact global energy and nutrient flow. Marine picocyanobacteria of the genus Synechococcus comprise a large portion of phytoplankton biomass in the ocean and therefore are important model organisms. The technical challenges of environmental proteomics in mixed microbial communities have limited our ability to detect the cell-level adaptations of phytoplankton communities to a changing environment. The proteome labeling technique, bioorthogonal noncanonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT), has potential to address some of these challenges by simplifying proteomic analyses. This study explores the ability of marine phytoplankton to take up the modified amino acid, l-homopropargylglycine (HPG), required for BONCAT, and investigates the proteomic response of Synechococcus to HPG. We not only demonstrate that cyanobacteria can take up HPG but also highlight the physiological impact of HPG on Synechococcus, which has implications for future applications of this technique in the marine environment.
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21
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Zhao L, Castanié-Cornet MP, Kumar S, Genevaux P, Hayer-Hartl M, Hartl FU. Bacterial RF3 senses chaperone function in co-translational folding. Mol Cell 2021; 81:2914-2928.e7. [PMID: 34107307 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Molecular chaperones assist with protein folding by interacting with nascent polypeptide chains (NCs) during translation. Whether the ribosome can sense chaperone defects and, in response, abort translation of misfolding NCs has not yet been explored. Here we used quantitative proteomics to investigate the ribosome-associated chaperone network in E. coli and the consequences of its dysfunction. Trigger factor and the DnaK (Hsp70) system are the major NC-binding chaperones. HtpG (Hsp90), GroEL, and ClpB contribute increasingly when DnaK is deficient. Surprisingly, misfolding because of defects in co-translational chaperone function or amino acid analog incorporation results in recruitment of the non-canonical release factor RF3. RF3 recognizes aberrant NCs and then moves to the peptidyltransferase site to cooperate with RF2 in mediating chain termination, facilitating clearance by degradation. This function of RF3 reduces the accumulation of misfolded proteins and is critical for proteostasis maintenance and cell survival under conditions of limited chaperone availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Zhao
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Marie-Pierre Castanié-Cornet
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Sneha Kumar
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Pierre Genevaux
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Manajit Hayer-Hartl
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
| | - F Ulrich Hartl
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
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22
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Interrogating Plant-Microbe Interactions with Chemical Tools: Click Chemistry Reagents for Metabolic Labeling and Activity-Based Probes. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26010243. [PMID: 33466477 PMCID: PMC7796436 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26010243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Continued expansion of the chemical biology toolbox presents many new and diverse opportunities to interrogate the fundamental molecular mechanisms driving complex plant-microbe interactions. This review will examine metabolic labeling with click chemistry reagents and activity-based probes for investigating the impacts of plant-associated microbes on plant growth, metabolism, and immune responses. While the majority of the studies reviewed here used chemical biology approaches to examine the effects of pathogens on plants, chemical biology will also be invaluable in future efforts to investigate mutualistic associations between beneficial microbes and their plant hosts.
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23
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Schipp CJ, Ma Y, Al‐Shameri A, D'Alessio F, Neubauer P, Contestabile R, Budisa N, di Salvo ML. An Engineered Escherichia coli Strain with Synthetic Metabolism for in-Cell Production of Translationally Active Methionine Derivatives. Chembiochem 2020; 21:3525-3538. [PMID: 32734669 PMCID: PMC7756864 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
In the last decades, it has become clear that the canonical amino acid repertoire codified by the universal genetic code is not up to the needs of emerging biotechnologies. For this reason, extensive genetic code re-engineering is essential to expand the scope of ribosomal protein translation, leading to reprogrammed microbial cells equipped with an alternative biochemical alphabet to be exploited as potential factories for biotechnological purposes. The prerequisite for this to happen is a continuous intracellular supply of noncanonical amino acids through synthetic metabolism from simple and cheap precursors. We have engineered an Escherichia coli bacterial system that fulfills these requirements through reconfiguration of the methionine biosynthetic pathway and the introduction of an exogenous direct trans-sulfuration pathway. Our metabolic scheme operates in vivo, rescuing intermediates from core cell metabolism and combining them with small bio-orthogonal compounds. Our reprogrammed E. coli strain is capable of the in-cell production of l-azidohomoalanine, which is directly incorporated into proteins in response to methionine codons. We thereby constructed a prototype suitable for economic, versatile, green sustainable chemistry, pushing towards enzyme chemistry and biotechnology-based production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Johannes Schipp
- Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of BiotechnologyTechnische Universität Berlin ACK 24Ackerstraße 7613355BerlinGermany
| | - Ying Ma
- Paraxel International GmbH, Berlin, Campus DRK Kliniken Berlin Westend Haus 18Spandauer Damm 13014050BerlinGermany
| | - Ammar Al‐Shameri
- Institut für ChemieTechnische Universität BerlinMüller-Breslau-Straße. 1010623BerlinGermany
| | - Federico D'Alessio
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche “A. Rossi Fanelli”Sapienza Università di RomaPiazzale Aldo Moro, 5 – Edificio CU2000185RomaItaly
| | - Peter Neubauer
- Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of BiotechnologyTechnische Universität Berlin ACK 24Ackerstraße 7613355BerlinGermany
| | - Roberto Contestabile
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche “A. Rossi Fanelli”Sapienza Università di RomaPiazzale Aldo Moro, 5 – Edificio CU2000185RomaItaly
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Institut für ChemieTechnische Universität BerlinMüller-Breslau-Straße. 1010623BerlinGermany
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of ManitobaWinnipegMB, R3T 2N2Canada
| | - Martino Luigi di Salvo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche “A. Rossi Fanelli”Sapienza Università di RomaPiazzale Aldo Moro, 5 – Edificio CU2000185RomaItaly
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Pino LK, Rose J, O'Broin A, Shah S, Schilling B. Emerging mass spectrometry-based proteomics methodologies for novel biomedical applications. Biochem Soc Trans 2020; 48:1953-1966. [PMID: 33079175 PMCID: PMC7609030 DOI: 10.1042/bst20191091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Research into the basic biology of human health and disease, as well as translational human research and clinical applications, all benefit from the growing accessibility and versatility of mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics. Although once limited in throughput and sensitivity, proteomic studies have quickly grown in scope and scale over the last decade due to significant advances in instrumentation, computational approaches, and bio-sample preparation. Here, we review these latest developments in MS and highlight how these techniques are used to study the mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases. We first describe recent groundbreaking technological advancements for MS-based proteomics, including novel data acquisition techniques and protein quantification approaches. Next, we describe innovations that enable the unprecedented depth of coverage in protein signaling and spatiotemporal protein distributions, including studies of post-translational modifications, protein turnover, and single-cell proteomics. Finally, we explore new workflows to investigate protein complexes and structures, and we present new approaches for protein-protein interaction studies and intact protein or top-down MS. While these approaches are only recently incipient, we anticipate that their use in biomedical MS proteomics research will offer actionable discoveries for the improvement of human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay K. Pino
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Jacob Rose
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, U.S.A
| | - Amy O'Broin
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, U.S.A
| | - Samah Shah
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, U.S.A
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25
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Valentini TD, Lucas SK, Binder KA, Cameron LC, Motl JA, Dunitz JM, Hunter RC. Bioorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging reveals translationally active subpopulations of the cystic fibrosis lung microbiota. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2287. [PMID: 32385294 PMCID: PMC7210995 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16163-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Culture-independent studies of cystic fibrosis lung microbiota have provided few mechanistic insights into the polymicrobial basis of disease. Deciphering the specific contributions of individual taxa to CF pathogenesis requires comprehensive understanding of their ecophysiology at the site of infection. We hypothesize that only a subset of CF microbiota are translationally active and that these activities vary between subjects. Here, we apply bioorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT) to visualize and quantify bacterial translational activity in expectorated sputum. We report that the percentage of BONCAT-labeled (i.e. active) bacterial cells varies substantially between subjects (6-56%). We use fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and genomic sequencing to assign taxonomy to BONCAT-labeled cells. While many abundant taxa are indeed active, most bacterial species detected by conventional molecular profiling show a mixed population of both BONCAT-labeled and unlabeled cells, suggesting heterogeneous growth rates in sputum. Differentiating translationally active subpopulations adds to our evolving understanding of CF lung disease and may help guide antibiotic therapies targeting bacteria most likely to be susceptible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia D Valentini
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Minnesota, 689 23rd Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
| | - Sarah K Lucas
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Minnesota, 689 23rd Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
| | - Kelsey A Binder
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Minnesota, 689 23rd Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
| | - Lydia C Cameron
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Minnesota, 689 23rd Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
| | - Jason A Motl
- Academic Health Center, University Flow Cytometry Resource, University of Minnesota, 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
| | - Jordan M Dunitz
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware St. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
| | - Ryan C Hunter
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Minnesota, 689 23rd Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States.
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