1
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Sennett MA, Theobald DL. Extant Sequence Reconstruction: The Accuracy of Ancestral Sequence Reconstructions Evaluated by Extant Sequence Cross-Validation. J Mol Evol 2024; 92:181-206. [PMID: 38502220 PMCID: PMC10978691 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-024-10162-3] [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: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) is a phylogenetic method widely used to analyze the properties of ancient biomolecules and to elucidate mechanisms of molecular evolution. Despite its increasingly widespread application, the accuracy of ASR is currently unknown, as it is generally impossible to compare resurrected proteins to the true ancestors. Which evolutionary models are best for ASR? How accurate are the resulting inferences? Here we answer these questions using a cross-validation method to reconstruct each extant sequence in an alignment with ASR methodology, a method we term "extant sequence reconstruction" (ESR). We thus can evaluate the accuracy of ASR methodology by comparing ESR reconstructions to the corresponding known true sequences. We find that a common measure of the quality of a reconstructed sequence, the average probability, is indeed a good estimate of the fraction of correct amino acids when the evolutionary model is accurate or overparameterized. However, the average probability is a poor measure for comparing reconstructions from different models, because, surprisingly, a more accurate phylogenetic model often results in reconstructions with lower probability. While better (more predictive) models may produce reconstructions with lower sequence identity to the true sequences, better models nevertheless produce reconstructions that are more biophysically similar to true ancestors. In addition, we find that a large fraction of sequences sampled from the reconstruction distribution may have fewer errors than the single most probable (SMP) sequence reconstruction, despite the fact that the SMP has the lowest expected error of all possible sequences. Our results emphasize the importance of model selection for ASR and the usefulness of sampling sequence reconstructions for analyzing ancestral protein properties. ESR is a powerful method for validating the evolutionary models used for ASR and can be applied in practice to any phylogenetic analysis of real biological sequences. Most significantly, ESR uses ASR methodology to provide a general method by which the biophysical properties of resurrected proteins can be compared to the properties of the true protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Sennett
- Department of Biochemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, 02453, USA
| | - Douglas L Theobald
- Department of Biochemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, 02453, USA.
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2
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Myrtollari K, Calderini E, Kracher D, Schöngaßner T, Galušić S, Slavica A, Taden A, Mokos D, Schrüfer A, Wirnsberger G, Gruber K, Daniel B, Kourist R. Stability Increase of Phenolic Acid Decarboxylase by a Combination of Protein and Solvent Engineering Unlocks Applications at Elevated Temperatures. ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING 2024; 12:3575-3584. [PMID: 38456190 PMCID: PMC10915792 DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c06513] [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: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Enzymatic decarboxylation of biobased hydroxycinnamic acids gives access to phenolic styrenes for adhesive production. Phenolic acid decarboxylases are proficient enzymes that have been applied in aqueous systems, organic solvents, biphasic systems, and deep eutectic solvents, which makes stability a key feature. Stabilization of the enzyme would increase the total turnover number and thus reduce the energy consumption and waste accumulation associated with biocatalyst production. In this study, we used ancestral sequence reconstruction to generate thermostable decarboxylases. Investigation of a set of 16 ancestors resulted in the identification of a variant with an unfolding temperature of 78.1 °C and a half-life time of 45 h at 60 °C. Crystal structures were determined for three selected ancestors. Structural attributes were calculated to fit different regression models for predicting the thermal stability of variants that have not yet been experimentally explored. The models rely on hydrophobic clusters, salt bridges, hydrogen bonds, and surface properties and can identify more stable proteins out of a pool of candidates. Further stabilization was achieved by the application of mixtures of natural deep eutectic solvents and buffers. Our approach is a straightforward option for enhancing the industrial application of the decarboxylation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamela Myrtollari
- Institute
of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University
of Technology, Petersgasse
14, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Austrian
Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, ACIB GmbH, Petersgasse 14/1, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Adhesive
Technologies, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Henkelstr. 67, 40191 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Elia Calderini
- Institute
of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University
of Technology, Petersgasse
14, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Daniel Kracher
- Institute
of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University
of Technology, Petersgasse
14, 8010 Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed-Graz, Mozartgasse
12/II, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Tobias Schöngaßner
- Institute
of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University
of Technology, Petersgasse
14, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Stela Galušić
- Institute
of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University
of Technology, Petersgasse
14, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Anita Slavica
- Faculty
of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Department of Biochemical Engineering, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Andreas Taden
- Adhesive
Technologies, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Henkelstr. 67, 40191 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Daniel Mokos
- Institute
of Molecular Biosciences, University of
Graz, NAWI Graz, Humboldtstraße
50/3, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Anna Schrüfer
- Institute
of Molecular Biosciences, University of
Graz, NAWI Graz, Humboldtstraße
50/3, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Gregor Wirnsberger
- Institute
of Molecular Biosciences, University of
Graz, NAWI Graz, Humboldtstraße
50/3, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Karl Gruber
- BioTechMed-Graz, Mozartgasse
12/II, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Institute
of Molecular Biosciences, University of
Graz, NAWI Graz, Humboldtstraße
50/3, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Bastian Daniel
- BioTechMed-Graz, Mozartgasse
12/II, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Institute
of Molecular Biosciences, University of
Graz, NAWI Graz, Humboldtstraße
50/3, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Robert Kourist
- Institute
of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University
of Technology, Petersgasse
14, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Austrian
Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, ACIB GmbH, Petersgasse 14/1, 8010 Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed-Graz, Mozartgasse
12/II, 8010 Graz, Austria
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3
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Fujikawa T, Sasamoto T, Zhao F, Yamagishi A, Akanuma S. Comparative analysis of reconstructed ancestral proteins with their extant counterparts suggests primitive life had an alkaline habitat. Sci Rep 2024; 14:398. [PMID: 38172176 PMCID: PMC10764835 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50828-4] [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: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
To understand the origin and early evolution of life it is crucial to establish characteristics of the primordial environment that facilitated the emergence and evolution of life. One important environmental factor is the pH of the primordial environment. Here, we assessed the pH-dependent thermal stabilities of previously reconstructed ancestral nucleoside diphosphate kinases and ribosomal protein uS8s. The selected proteins were likely to be present in ancient organisms such as the last common ancestor of bacteria and that of archaea. We also assessed the thermal stability of homologous proteins from extant acidophilic, neutralophilic, and alkaliphilic microorganisms as a function of pH. Our results indicate that the reconstructed ancestral proteins are more akin to those of extant alkaliphilic bacteria, which display greater stability under alkaline conditions. These findings suggest that the common ancestors of bacterial and archaeal species thrived in an alkaline environment. Moreover, we demonstrate the reconstruction method employed in this study is a valuable technique for generating alkali-tolerant proteins that can be used in a variety of biotechnological and environmental applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Fujikawa
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan
| | - Takahiro Sasamoto
- Department of Applied Life Science, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0392, Japan
| | - Fangzheng Zhao
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan
| | - Akihiko Yamagishi
- Department of Applied Life Science, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0392, Japan
| | - Satoshi Akanuma
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan.
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4
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Furukawa R, Yokobori SI, Sato R, Kumagawa T, Nakagawa M, Katoh K, Yamagishi A. Amino Acid Specificity of Ancestral Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase Prior to the Last Universal Common Ancestor Commonote commonote. J Mol Evol 2022; 90:73-94. [PMID: 35084522 PMCID: PMC8821087 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-021-10043-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Extant organisms commonly use 20 amino acids in protein synthesis. In the translation system, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (ARS) selectively binds an amino acid and transfers it to the cognate tRNA. It is postulated that the amino acid repertoire of ARS expanded during the development of the translation system. In this study we generated composite phylogenetic trees for seven ARSs (SerRS, ProRS, ThrRS, GlyRS-1, HisRS, AspRS, and LysRS) which are thought to have diverged by gene duplication followed by mutation, before the evolution of the last universal common ancestor. The composite phylogenetic tree shows that the AspRS/LysRS branch diverged from the other five ARSs at the deepest node, with the GlyRS/HisRS branch and the other three ARSs (ThrRS, ProRS and SerRS) diverging at the second deepest node. ThrRS diverged next, and finally ProRS and SerRS diverged from each other. Based on the phylogenetic tree, sequences of the ancestral ARSs prior to the evolution of the last universal common ancestor were predicted. The amino acid specificity of each ancestral ARS was then postulated by comparison with amino acid recognition sites of ARSs of extant organisms. Our predictions demonstrate that ancestral ARSs had substantial specificity and that the number of amino acid types amino-acylated by proteinaceous ARSs was limited before the appearance of a fuller range of proteinaceous ARS species. From an assumption that 10 amino acid species are required for folding and function, proteinaceous ARS possibly evolved in a translation system composed of preexisting ribozyme ARSs, before the evolution of the last universal common ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryutaro Furukawa
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.,Faculty of Human Science, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Yokobori
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Riku Sato
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taimu Kumagawa
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mizuho Nakagawa
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Katoh
- Department of Genome Informatics, Genome Information Research Center, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Akihiko Yamagishi
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.
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5
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Akanuma S, Yamaguchi M, Yamagishi A. Comprehensive mutagenesis to identify amino acid residues contributing to the difference in thermostability between two originally thermostable ancestral proteins. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258821. [PMID: 34673819 PMCID: PMC8530338 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Further improvement of the thermostability of inherently thermostable proteins is an attractive challenge because more thermostable proteins are industrially more useful and serve as better scaffolds for protein engineering. To establish guidelines that can be applied for the rational design of hyperthermostable proteins, we compared the amino acid sequences of two ancestral nucleoside diphosphate kinases, Arc1 and Bac1, reconstructed in our previous study. Although Bac1 is a thermostable protein whose unfolding temperature is around 100°C, Arc1 is much more thermostable with an unfolding temperature of 114°C. However, only 12 out of 139 amino acids are different between the two sequences. In this study, one or a combination of amino acid(s) in Bac1 was/were substituted by a residue(s) found in Arc1 at the same position(s). The best mutant, which contained three amino acid substitutions (S108D, G116A and L120P substitutions), showed an unfolding temperature more than 10°C higher than that of Bac1. Furthermore, a combination of the other nine amino acid substitutions also led to improved thermostability of Bac1, although the effects of individual substitutions were small. Therefore, not only the sum of the contributions of individual amino acids, but also the synergistic effects of multiple amino acids are deeply involved in the stability of a hyperthermostable protein. Such insights will be helpful for future rational design of hyperthermostable proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Akanuma
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Minako Yamaguchi
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akihiko Yamagishi
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
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6
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Evolution of Protein Structure and Stability in Global Warming. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21249662. [PMID: 33352933 PMCID: PMC7767258 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
This review focuses on the molecular signatures of protein structures in relation to evolution and survival in global warming. It is based on the premise that the power of evolutionary selection may lead to thermotolerant organisms that will repopulate the planet and continue life in general, but perhaps with different kinds of flora and fauna. Our focus is on molecular mechanisms, whereby known examples of thermoresistance and their physicochemical characteristics were noted. A comparison of interactions of diverse residues in proteins from thermophilic and mesophilic organisms, as well as reverse genetic studies, revealed a set of imprecise molecular signatures that pointed to major roles of hydrophobicity, solvent accessibility, disulfide bonds, hydrogen bonds, ionic and π-electron interactions, and an overall condensed packing of the higher-order structure, especially in the hydrophobic regions. Regardless of mutations, specialized protein chaperones may play a cardinal role. In evolutionary terms, thermoresistance to global warming will likely occur in stepwise mutational changes, conforming to the molecular signatures, such that each "intermediate" fits a temporary niche through punctuated equilibrium, while maintaining protein functionality. Finally, the population response of different species to global warming may vary substantially, and, as such, some may evolve while others will undergo catastrophic mass extinction.
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7
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Revisiting the Relationships Between Genomic G + C Content, RNA Secondary Structures, and Optimal Growth Temperature. J Mol Evol 2020; 89:165-171. [PMID: 33216148 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-020-09974-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Over twenty years ago Galtier and Lobry published a manuscript entitled "Relationships between Genomic G + C Content, RNA Secondary Structure, and Optimal Growth Temperature" in the Journal of Molecular Evolution that showcased the lack of a relationship between genomic G + C content and optimal growth temperature (OGT) in a set of about 200 prokaryotes. Galtier and Lobry also assessed the relationship between RNA secondary structures (rRNA stems, tRNAs) and OGT, and in this case a clear relationship emerged. Increasing structured RNA G + C content (particularly in regions that are double-stranded) correlates with increased OGT. Both of these fundamental relationships have withstood test of many additional sequences and spawned a variety of different applications that include prediction of OGT from rRNA sequence and computational ncRNA identification approaches. In this work, I present the motivation behind Galtier and Lobry's original paper and the larger questions addressed by the work, how these questions have evolved over the last two decades, and the impact of Galtier and Lobry's manuscript in fields beyond these questions.
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8
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Furukawa R, Toma W, Yamazaki K, Akanuma S. Ancestral sequence reconstruction produces thermally stable enzymes with mesophilic enzyme-like catalytic properties. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15493. [PMID: 32968141 PMCID: PMC7511310 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72418-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Enzymes have high catalytic efficiency and low environmental impact, and are therefore potentially useful tools for various industrial processes. Crucially, however, natural enzymes do not always have the properties required for specific processes. It may be necessary, therefore, to design, engineer, and evolve enzymes with properties that are not found in natural enzymes. In particular, the creation of enzymes that are thermally stable and catalytically active at low temperature is desirable for processes involving both high and low temperatures. In the current study, we designed two ancestral sequences of 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase by an ancestral sequence reconstruction technique based on a phylogenetic analysis of extant homologous amino acid sequences. Genes encoding the designed sequences were artificially synthesized and expressed in Escherichia coli. The reconstructed enzymes were found to be slightly more thermally stable than the extant thermophilic homologue from Thermus thermophilus. Moreover, they had considerably higher low-temperature catalytic activity as compared with the T. thermophilus enzyme. Detailed analyses of their temperature-dependent specific activities and kinetic properties showed that the reconstructed enzymes have catalytic properties similar to those of mesophilic homologues. Collectively, our study demonstrates that ancestral sequence reconstruction can produce a thermally stable enzyme with catalytic properties adapted to low-temperature reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryutaro Furukawa
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan
| | - Wakako Toma
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan
| | - Koji Yamazaki
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan
| | - Satoshi Akanuma
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan.
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9
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Abstract
The chemistry of abiotic nucleotide synthesis of RNA and DNA in the context of their prebiotic origins on early earth is a continuing challenge. How did (or how can) the nucleotides form and assemble from the small molecule inventories and under conditions that prevailed on early earth 3.5-4 billion years ago? This review provides a background and up-to-date progress that will allow the reader to judge where the field stands currently and what remains to be achieved. We start with a brief primer on the biological synthesis of nucleotides, followed by an extensive focus on the prebiotic formation of the components of nucleotides-either via the synthesis of ribose and the canonical nucleobases and then joining them together or by building both the conjoined sugar and nucleobase, part-by-part-toward the ultimate goal of forming RNA and DNA by polymerization. The review will emphasize that there are-and will continue to be-many more questions than answers from the synthetic, mechanistic, and analytical perspectives. We wrap up the review with a cautionary note in this context about coming to conclusions as to whether the problem of chemistry of prebiotic nucleotide synthesis has been solved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahipal Yadav
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,NSF-NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Ravi Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,NSF-NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,NSF-NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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10
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Chandler PG, Broendum SS, Riley BT, Spence MA, Jackson CJ, McGowan S, Buckle AM. Strategies for Increasing Protein Stability. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2073:163-181. [PMID: 31612442 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9869-2_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The stability of wild-type proteins is often a hurdle to their practical use in research, industry, and medicine. The route to engineering stability of a protein of interest lies largely with the available data. Where high-resolution structural data is available, rational design, based on fundamental principles of protein chemistry, can improve protein stability. Recent advances in computational biology and the use of nonnatural amino acids have also provided novel rational methods for improving protein stability. Likewise, the explosion of sequence and structural data available in public databases, in combination with improvements in freely available computational tools, has produced accessible phylogenetic approaches. Trawling modern sequence databases can identify the thermostable homologs of a target protein, and evolutionary data can be quickly generated using available phylogenetic tools. Grafting features from those thermostable homologs or ancestors provides stability improvement through a semi-rational approach. Further, molecular techniques such as directed evolution have shown great promise in delivering designer proteins. These strategies are well documented and newly accessible to the molecular biologist, allowing for rapid enhancements of protein stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter G Chandler
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Sebastian S Broendum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Blake T Riley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Matthew A Spence
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Colin J Jackson
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Sheena McGowan
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Ashley M Buckle
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
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11
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Thomas A, Cutlan R, Finnigan W, van der Giezen M, Harmer N. Highly thermostable carboxylic acid reductases generated by ancestral sequence reconstruction. Commun Biol 2019; 2:429. [PMID: 31799431 PMCID: PMC6874671 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0677-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Carboxylic acid reductases (CARs) are biocatalysts of industrial importance. Their properties, especially their poor stability, render them sub-optimal for use in a bioindustrial pipeline. Here, we employed ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) - a burgeoning engineering tool that can identify stabilizing but enzymatically neutral mutations throughout a protein. We used a three-algorithm approach to reconstruct functional ancestors of the Mycobacterial and Nocardial CAR1 orthologues. Ancestral CARs (AncCARs) were confirmed to be CAR enzymes with a preference for aromatic carboxylic acids. Ancestors also showed varied tolerances to solvents, pH and in vivo-like salt concentrations. Compared to well-studied extant CARs, AncCARs had a Tm up to 35 °C higher, with half-lives up to nine times longer than the greatest previously observed. Using ancestral reconstruction we have expanded the existing CAR toolbox with three new thermostable CAR enzymes, providing access to the high temperature biosynthesis of aldehydes to drive new applications in biocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Thomas
- Living Systems Institute, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD UK
- Present Address: Department of Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD UK
| | - Rhys Cutlan
- Living Systems Institute, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD UK
- Present Address: Department of Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD UK
| | - William Finnigan
- Present Address: Department of Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD UK
| | - Mark van der Giezen
- Present Address: Department of Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD UK
- Centre for Organelle Research, University of Stavanger, Richard Johnsens gate 4, Stavanger, 4021 Norway
| | - Nicholas Harmer
- Living Systems Institute, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD UK
- Present Address: Department of Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD UK
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12
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Chen Q, Xiao Y, Zhang W, Mu W. Current methods and applications in computational protein design for food industry. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2019; 60:3259-3270. [DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2019.1682513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Qiuming Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yaqin Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Wenli Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Wanmeng Mu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
- International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
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13
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Garcia AK, Kaçar B. How to resurrect ancestral proteins as proxies for ancient biogeochemistry. Free Radic Biol Med 2019; 140:260-269. [PMID: 30951835 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2019.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Throughout the history of life, enzymes have served as the primary molecular mediators of biogeochemical cycles by catalyzing the metabolic pathways that interact with geochemical substrates. The byproducts of enzymatic activities have been preserved as chemical and isotopic signatures in the geologic record. However, interpretations of these signatures are limited by the assumption that such enzymes have remained functionally conserved over billions of years of molecular evolution. By reconstructing ancient genetic sequences in conjunction with laboratory enzyme resurrection, preserved biogeochemical signatures can instead be related to experimentally constrained, ancestral enzymatic properties. We may thereby investigate instances within molecular evolutionary trajectories potentially tied to significant biogeochemical transitions evidenced in the geologic record. Here, we survey recent enzyme resurrection studies to provide a reasoned assessment of areas of success and common pitfalls relevant to ancient biogeochemical applications. We conclude by considering the Great Oxidation Event, which provides a constructive example of a significant biogeochemical transition that warrants investigation with ancestral enzyme resurrection. This event also serves to highlight the pitfalls of facile interpretation of paleophenotype models and data, as applied to two examples of enzymes that likely both influenced and were influenced by the rise of atmospheric oxygen - RuBisCO and nitrogenase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K Garcia
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Betül Kaçar
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA; Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
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14
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Musil M, Konegger H, Hon J, Bednar D, Damborsky J. Computational Design of Stable and Soluble Biocatalysts. ACS Catal 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.8b03613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Milos Musil
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), and Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- IT4Innovations Centre of Excellence, Faculty of Information Technology, Brno University of Technology, 612 66 Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital, Pekarska 53, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Hannes Konegger
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), and Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital, Pekarska 53, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Hon
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), and Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- IT4Innovations Centre of Excellence, Faculty of Information Technology, Brno University of Technology, 612 66 Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital, Pekarska 53, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David Bednar
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), and Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital, Pekarska 53, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Damborsky
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), and Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital, Pekarska 53, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
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15
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Chakravorty D, Patra S. RankProt: A multi criteria-ranking platform to attain protein thermostabilizing mutations and its in vitro applications - Attribute based prediction method on the principles of Analytical Hierarchical Process. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0203036. [PMID: 30286107 PMCID: PMC6171822 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Attaining recombinant thermostable proteins is still a challenge for protein engineering. The complexity is the length of time and enormous efforts required to achieve the desired results. Present work proposes a novel and economic strategy of attaining protein thermostability by predicting site-specific mutations at the shortest possible time. The success of the approach can be attributed to Analytical Hierarchical Process and the outcome was a rationalized thermostable mutation(s) prediction tool- RankProt. Briefly the method involved ranking of 17 biophysical protein features as class predictors, derived from 127 pairs of thermostable and mesostable proteins. Among the 17 predictors, ionic interactions and main-chain to main-chain hydrogen bonds were the highest ranked features with eigen value of 0.091. The success of the tool was judged by multi-fold in silico validation tests and it achieved the prediction accuracy of 91% with AUC 0.927. Further, in vitro validation was carried out by predicting thermostabilizing mutations for mesostable Bacillus subtilis lipase and performing the predicted mutations by multi-site directed mutagenesis. The rationalized method was successful to render the lipase thermostable with optimum temperature stability and Tm increase by 20°C and 7°C respectively. Conclusively it can be said that it was the minimum number of mutations in comparison to the number of mutations incorporated to render Bacillus subtilis lipase thermostable, by directed evolution techniques. The present work shows that protein stabilizing mutations can be rationally designed by balancing the biophysical pleiotropy of proteins, in accordance to the selection pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debamitra Chakravorty
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Sanjukta Patra
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, India
- * E-mail:
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16
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Kawamura K. Hydrothermal Microflow Technology as a Research Tool for Origin-of-Life Studies in Extreme Earth Environments. Life (Basel) 2017; 7:E37. [PMID: 28974048 PMCID: PMC5745550 DOI: 10.3390/life7040037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although studies about the origin of life are a frontier in science and a number of effective approaches have been developed, drawbacks still exist. Examples include: (1) simulation of chemical evolution experiments (which were demonstrated for the first time by Stanley Miller); (2) approaches tracing back the most primitive life-like systems (on the basis of investigations of present organisms); and (3) constructive approaches for making life-like systems (on the basis of molecular biology), such as in vitro construction of the RNA world. Naturally, simulation experiments of chemical evolution under plausible ancient Earth environments have been recognized as a potentially fruitful approach. Nevertheless, simulation experiments seem not to be sufficient for identifying the scenario from molecules to life. This is because primitive Earth environments are still not clearly defined and a number of possibilities should be taken into account. In addition, such environments frequently comprise extreme conditions when compared to the environments of present organisms. Therefore, we need to realize the importance of accurate and convenient experimental approaches that use practical research tools, which are resistant to high temperature and pressure, to facilitate chemical evolution studies. This review summarizes improvements made in such experimental approaches over the last two decades, focusing primarily on our hydrothermal microflow reactor technology. Microflow reactor systems are a powerful tool for performing simulation experiments in diverse simulated hydrothermal Earth conditions in order to measure the kinetics of formation and degradation and the interactions of biopolymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunio Kawamura
- Department of Human Environmental Studies, Hiroshima Shudo University, Ozuka-higashi, Asaminami-ku, Hiroshima 731-3195, Japan.
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Dunn CD. Some Liked It Hot: A Hypothesis Regarding Establishment of the Proto-Mitochondrial Endosymbiont During Eukaryogenesis. J Mol Evol 2017; 85:99-106. [PMID: 28916841 PMCID: PMC5682861 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-017-9809-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells are characterized by a considerable increase in subcellular compartmentalization when compared to prokaryotes. Most evidence suggests that the earliest eukaryotes consisted of mitochondria derived from an α-proteobacterial ancestor enclosed within an archaeal host cell. However, what benefits the archaeal host and the proto-mitochondrial endosymbiont might have obtained at the beginning of this endosymbiotic relationship remains unclear. In this work, I argue that heat generated by the proto-mitochondrion initially permitted an archaeon living at high temperatures to colonize a cooler environment, thereby removing apparent limitations on cellular complexity. Furthermore, heat generation by the endosymbiont would have provided phenotypic flexibility not available through fixed alleles selected for fitness at specific temperatures. Finally, a role for heat production by the proto-mitochondrion bridges a conceptual gap between initial endosymbiont entry to the archaeal host and a later role for mitochondrial ATP production in permitting increased cellular complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory D Dunn
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. .,College of Sciences, Koç University, 34450, Sarıyer, İstanbul, Turkey.
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