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Marin Ž, Lacombe C, Rostami S, Arasteh Kani A, Borgonovo A, Cserjan-Puschmann M, Mairhofer J, Striedner G, Wiltschi B. Residue-Specific Incorporation of Noncanonical Amino Acids in Auxotrophic Hosts: Quo Vadis?. Chem Rev 2025; 125:4840-4932. [PMID: 40378355 PMCID: PMC12123629 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2025] [Accepted: 04/17/2025] [Indexed: 05/18/2025]
Abstract
The residue-specific incorporation of noncanonical amino acids in auxotrophic hosts allows the global exchange of a canonical amino acid with its noncanonical analog. Noncanonical amino acids are not encoded by the standard genetic code, but they carry unique side chain chemistries, e.g., to perform bioorthogonal conjugation reactions or to manipulate the physicochemical properties of a protein such as folding and stability. The method was introduced nearly 70 years ago and is still in widespread use because of its simplicity and robustness. In our study, we review the trends in the field during the last two decades. We give an overview of the application of the method for artificial post-translational protein modifications and the selective functionalization and directed immobilization of proteins. We highlight the trends in the use of noncanonical amino acids for the analysis of nascent proteomes and the engineering of enzymes and biomaterials, and the progress in the biosynthesis of amino acid analogs. We also discuss the challenges for the scale-up of the technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Žana Marin
- Department
of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Institute of Bioprocess Science
and Engineering, BOKU University, Muthgasse 18, 1190Vienna, Austria
- acib
- Austrian
Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Muthgasse 18, 1190Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Lacombe
- Department
of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Institute of Bioprocess Science
and Engineering, BOKU University, Muthgasse 18, 1190Vienna, Austria
| | - Simindokht Rostami
- Department
of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Institute of Bioprocess Science
and Engineering, BOKU University, Muthgasse 18, 1190Vienna, Austria
| | - Arshia Arasteh Kani
- Department
of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Institute of Bioprocess Science
and Engineering, BOKU University, Muthgasse 18, 1190Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrea Borgonovo
- Department
of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Institute of Bioprocess Science
and Engineering, BOKU University, Muthgasse 18, 1190Vienna, Austria
- acib
- Austrian
Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Muthgasse 18, 1190Vienna, Austria
| | - Monika Cserjan-Puschmann
- Department
of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Institute of Bioprocess Science
and Engineering, BOKU University, Muthgasse 18, 1190Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Gerald Striedner
- Department
of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Institute of Bioprocess Science
and Engineering, BOKU University, Muthgasse 18, 1190Vienna, Austria
| | - Birgit Wiltschi
- Department
of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Institute of Bioprocess Science
and Engineering, BOKU University, Muthgasse 18, 1190Vienna, Austria
- acib
- Austrian
Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Muthgasse 18, 1190Vienna, Austria
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Jain PM, Nellikka A, Kammara R. Understanding bacteriocin heterologous expression: A review. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 277:133916. [PMID: 39033897 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Bacteriocins are a diverse group of ribosomally synthesised antimicrobial peptides/proteins that play an important role in self-defence. They are widely used as bio-preservatives and effective substitutes for disease eradication. They can be used in conjunction with or as an alternative to antibiotics to minimize the risk of resistance development. There are remarkably few reports indicating resistance to bacteriocins. Although there are many research reports that emphasise heterologous expression of bacteriocin, there are no convincing reports on the significant role that intrinsic and extrinsic factors play in overexpression. A coordinated and cooperative expression system works in concert with multiple genetic elements encoding native proteins, immunoproteins, exporters, transporters and enzymes involved in the post-translational modification of bacteriocins. The simplest way could be to utilise the existing E. coli expression system, which is conventional, widely used for heterologous expression and has been further extended for bacteriocin expression. In this article, we will review the intrinsic and extrinsic factors, advantages, disadvantages and major problems associated with bacteriocin overexpression in E. coli. Finally, we recommend the most effective strategies as well as numerous bacteriocin expression systems from E. coli, Lactococcus, Kluveromyces lactis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris for their suitability for successful overexpression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanshi M Jain
- Department of Microbiology and Fermentation Technology, CSIR-CFTRI, AcSIR, Mysore, India
| | - Anagha Nellikka
- Department of Microbiology and Fermentation Technology, CSIR-CFTRI, AcSIR, Mysore, India
| | - Rajagopal Kammara
- Department of Microbiology and Fermentation Technology, CSIR-CFTRI, AcSIR, Mysore, India.
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Liu WQ, Ji X, Ba F, Zhang Y, Xu H, Huang S, Zheng X, Liu Y, Ling S, Jewett MC, Li J. Cell-free biosynthesis and engineering of ribosomally synthesized lanthipeptides. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4336. [PMID: 38773100 PMCID: PMC11109155 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48726-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a major class of natural products with diverse chemical structures and potent biological activities. A vast majority of RiPP gene clusters remain unexplored in microbial genomes, which is partially due to the lack of rapid and efficient heterologous expression systems for RiPP characterization and biosynthesis. Here, we report a unified biocatalysis (UniBioCat) system based on cell-free gene expression for rapid biosynthesis and engineering of RiPPs. We demonstrate UniBioCat by reconstituting a full biosynthetic pathway for de novo biosynthesis of salivaricin B, a lanthipeptide RiPP. Next, we delete several protease/peptidase genes from the source strain to enhance the performance of UniBioCat, which then can synthesize and screen salivaricin B variants with enhanced antimicrobial activity. Finally, we show that UniBioCat is generalizable by synthesizing and evaluating the bioactivity of ten uncharacterized lanthipeptides. We expect UniBioCat to accelerate the discovery, characterization, and synthesis of RiPPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Qiu Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiangyang Ji
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fang Ba
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yufei Zhang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huiling Xu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuhui Huang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Zheng
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, China.
| | - Shengjie Ling
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, China.
| | - Michael C Jewett
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, US.
| | - Jian Li
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, China.
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4
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Van Zyl WF, Van Staden AD, Dicks LMT, Trindade M. Use of the mCherry fluorescent protein to optimize the expression of class I lanthipeptides in Escherichia coli. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:149. [PMID: 37559122 PMCID: PMC10413542 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02162-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lanthipeptides are a rapidly expanding family of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified natural compounds with diverse biological functions. Lanthipeptide structural and biosynthetic genes can readily be identified in genomic datasets, which provides a substantial repository for unique peptides with a wide range of potentially novel bioactivities. To realize this potential efficiently optimized heterologous production systems are required. However, only a few class I lanthipeptides have been successfully expressed using Escherichia coli as heterologous producer. This may be attributed to difficulties experienced in the co-expression of structural genes and multiple processing genes as well as complex optimization experiments. RESULTS Here, an optimized modular plasmid system is presented for the complete biosynthesis for each of the class I lanthipeptides nisin and clausin, in E. coli. Genes encoding precursor lanthipeptides were fused to the gene encoding the mCherry red fluorescent protein and co-expressed along with the required synthetases from the respective operons. Antimicrobially active nisin and clausin were proteolytically liberated from the expressed mCherry fusions. The mCherry-NisA expression system combined with in vivo fluorescence monitoring was used to elucidate the effect of culture media composition, promoter arrangement, and culture conditions including choice of growth media and inducer agents on the heterologous expression of the class I lanthipeptides. To evaluate the promiscuity of the clausin biosynthetic enzymes, the optimized clausin expression system was used for the heterologous expression of epidermin. CONCLUSION We succeeded in developing novel mCherry-fusion based plug and play heterologous expression systems to produce two different subgroups of class I lanthipeptides. Fully modified Pre-NisA, Pre-ClausA and Pre-EpiA fused to the mCherry fluorescence gene was purified from the Gram-negative host E. coli BL21 (DE3). Our study demonstrates the potential of using in vivo fluorescence as a platform to evaluate the expression of mCherry-fused lanthipeptides in E. coli. This allowed a substantial reduction in optimization time, since expression could be monitored in real-time, without the need for extensive and laborious purification steps or the use of in vitro activity assays. The optimized heterologous expression systems developed in this study may be employed in future studies for the scalable expression of novel NisA derivatives, or novel genome mined derivatives of ClausA and other class I lanthipeptides in E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Winschau F Van Zyl
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
- Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
| | - Anton D Van Staden
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Leon M T Dicks
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Marla Trindade
- Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
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5
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Class II two-peptide lanthipeptide proteases: exploring LicTP for biotechnological applications. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:1687-1696. [PMID: 36763118 PMCID: PMC10006061 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12388-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
The enzymatic machinery involved in the biosynthesis of lantibiotic is an untapped source of proteases with different specificities. Lanthipeptide biosynthesis requires proteolysis of specific target sequences by known proteases, which are encoded by contiguous genes. Herein, the activity of lichenicidin A2 (LicA2) trimming proteases (LicP and LicT) was investigated in vivo. Firstly, the impact of some residues and the size of the peptide were evaluated. Then followed trials in which LicA2 leader was evaluated as a tag to direct production and secretion of other relevant peptides. Our results show that a negatively charged residue (preferably Glu) at cleavage site is important for LicP efficacy. Some mutations of the lichenicidin hexapeptide such as Val-4Ala, Asp-5Ala, Asn-6Ser, and the alteration of GG-motif to GA resulted in higher processing rates, indicating the possibility of improved lichenicidin production in Escherichia coli. More importantly, insulin A, amylin (non-lanthipeptides), and epidermin were produced and secreted to E. coli supernatant, when fused to the LicA2 leader peptide. This work aids in clarifying the activity of lantibiotic-related transporters and proteases and to evaluate their possible application in industrial processes of relevant compounds, taking advantage of the potential of microorganisms as biofactories. KEY POINTS: • LicM2 correct activity implies a negatively charged residue at position -1. • Hexapeptide mutations can increase the amount of fully processed Bliβ. • LicA2 leader peptide directs LicTP cleavage and secretion of other peptides.
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Poosarla VG, Shivshetty N, Nagarajan S, Rajagopalan G. Development of recombinant lantibiotics and their potent uses. LANTIBIOTICS AS ALTERNATIVE THERAPEUTICS 2023:65-83. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-99141-4.00021-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2025]
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7
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Lima LF, Sousa MGDC, Rodrigues GR, de Oliveira KBS, Pereira AM, da Costa A, Machado R, Franco OL, Dias SC. Elastin-like Polypeptides in Development of Nanomaterials for Application in the Medical Field. FRONTIERS IN NANOTECHNOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fnano.2022.874790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are biopolymers formed by amino acid sequences derived from tropoelastin. These biomolecules can be soluble below critical temperatures, forming aggregates at higher temperatures, which makes them an interesting source for the design of different nanobiomaterials. These nanobiomaterials can be obtained from heterologous expression in several organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and plants. Thanks to the many advantages of ELPs, they have been used in the biomedical field to develop nanoparticles, nanofibers, and nanocomposites. These nanostructures can be used in multiple applications such as drug delivery systems, treatments of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, tissue repair, and cancer therapy. Thus, this review aims to shed some light on the main advances in elastin-like-based nanomaterials, their possible expression forms, and importance to the medical field.
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Wu Z, Li Y, Xu Y, Zhang Y, Tao G, Zhang L, Shi G. Transcriptome Analysis of Bacillus licheniformis for Improving Bacitracin Production. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:1325-1335. [PMID: 35175736 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This study aims to find the targets that may influence the production of bacitracin based on RNA sequencing in Bacillus licheniformis. Transcriptional profiling revealed that (i) the expression of the bacT gene, encoding a type II thioesterase (TEIIbac), was positively correlated with bacitracin production and (ii) the oxygen uptake exhibited significant influence on precursor synthesis. The verified experiments showed that the overexpression of TEIIbac with an endogenous promoter increased the bacitracin A titer by 37.50%. Furthermore, the increase of oxygen availability through Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) expression increased the bacitracin A titer by 126.67% under oxygen-restricted conditions. From the transcriptome perspective, the results of this paper demonstrate that TEIIbac and oxygen supply are crucial to bacitracin production. This study also provides insights into the construction of chassis cells for the industrial production of secondary metabolites with a preference for aerobic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
- Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
| | - Youran Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
- Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
| | - Yinbiao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
- Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
| | - Yupeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
- Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
| | - Guanjun Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Synergetic Innovation Center of Food Safety and Nutrition, Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P.R. China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
- Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
| | - Guiyang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
- Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R. China
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Assessing the potential of the two-peptide lantibiotic lichenicidin as a new generation antimicrobial. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 38:18. [PMID: 34977979 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-021-03196-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Lantibiotics are a promising class of natural antimicrobial peptides. Lichenicidin is a two-peptide lantibiotic in which two mature peptides act synergistically to exhibit full bioactivity. Considering the two-peptide lantibiotics described so far, only cytolysin has been deeply characterized in terms of toxicity towards eukaryotic cells and it was found to be hemolytic and cytotoxic. This work aimed to improve the production of lichenicidin in vivo and characterize its antibacterial activity and toxicity against human cells. Peptides were purified and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined against several strains; a time-kill assay was performed with Staphylococcus aureus. The hemolytic effect of lichenicidin was evaluated on blood samples from healthy donors and its toxicity towards human fibroblasts. The quantity of purified peptides was 1 mg/l Bliα and 0.4 mg/l Bliβ. MIC for methicillin-sensitive and resistant S. aureus (MSSA and MRSA) strains were 16-32 µg/ml and 64-128 µg/ml, respectively. At the MIC, lichenicidin took less than 3 h to eliminate MSSA, indicating a strong bactericidal effect. It induces cell lysis at the highest concentration, an effect that might be potentiated by Bliβ. Lichenicidin was not cytotoxic to human erythrocytes and fibroblasts. In this work, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of lichenicidin as a possible antimicrobial alternative.
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Wu Z, Li Y, Zhang L, Ding Z, Shi G. Microbial production of small peptide: pathway engineering and synthetic biology. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:2257-2278. [PMID: 33459516 PMCID: PMC8601181 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Small peptides are a group of natural products with low molecular weights and complex structures. The diverse structures of small peptides endow them with broad bioactivities and suggest their potential therapeutic use in the medical field. The remaining challenge is methods to address the main limitations, namely (i) the low amount of available small peptides from natural sources, and (ii) complex processes required for traditional chemical synthesis. Therefore, harnessing microbial cells as workhorse appears to be a promising approach to synthesize these bioactive peptides. As an emerging engineering technology, synthetic biology aims to create standard, well-characterized and controllable synthetic systems for the biosynthesis of natural products. In this review, we describe the recent developments in the microbial production of small peptides. More importantly, synthetic biology approaches are considered for the production of small peptides, with an emphasis on chassis cells, the evolution of biosynthetic pathways, strain improvements and fermentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial BiotechnologyMinistry of EducationSchool of BiotechnologyJiangnan UniversityWuxiJiangsu Province214122China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation TechnologyJiangnan University1800 Lihu AvenueWuxiJiangsu Province214122China
- Jiangsu Provisional Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing TechnologyJiangnan University1800 Lihu AvenueWuxiJiangsu Province214122China
| | - Youran Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial BiotechnologyMinistry of EducationSchool of BiotechnologyJiangnan UniversityWuxiJiangsu Province214122China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation TechnologyJiangnan University1800 Lihu AvenueWuxiJiangsu Province214122China
- Jiangsu Provisional Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing TechnologyJiangnan University1800 Lihu AvenueWuxiJiangsu Province214122China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial BiotechnologyMinistry of EducationSchool of BiotechnologyJiangnan UniversityWuxiJiangsu Province214122China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation TechnologyJiangnan University1800 Lihu AvenueWuxiJiangsu Province214122China
- Jiangsu Provisional Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing TechnologyJiangnan University1800 Lihu AvenueWuxiJiangsu Province214122China
| | - Zhongyang Ding
- Key Laboratory of Industrial BiotechnologyMinistry of EducationSchool of BiotechnologyJiangnan UniversityWuxiJiangsu Province214122China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation TechnologyJiangnan University1800 Lihu AvenueWuxiJiangsu Province214122China
- Jiangsu Provisional Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing TechnologyJiangnan University1800 Lihu AvenueWuxiJiangsu Province214122China
| | - Guiyang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Industrial BiotechnologyMinistry of EducationSchool of BiotechnologyJiangnan UniversityWuxiJiangsu Province214122China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation TechnologyJiangnan University1800 Lihu AvenueWuxiJiangsu Province214122China
- Jiangsu Provisional Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing TechnologyJiangnan University1800 Lihu AvenueWuxiJiangsu Province214122China
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11
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van Staden ADP, van Zyl WF, Trindade M, Dicks LMT, Smith C. Therapeutic Application of Lantibiotics and Other Lanthipeptides: Old and New Findings. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0018621. [PMID: 33962984 PMCID: PMC8231447 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00186-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Lanthipeptides are ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides, with modifications that are incorporated during biosynthesis by dedicated enzymes. Various modifications of the peptides are possible, resulting in a highly diverse group of bioactive peptides that offer a potential reservoir for use in the fight against a plethora of diseases. Their activities range from the antimicrobial properties of lantibiotics, especially against antibiotic-resistant strains, to antiviral activity, immunomodulatory properties, antiallodynic effects, and the potential to alleviate cystic fibrosis symptoms. Lanthipeptide biosynthetic genes are widespread within bacterial genomes, providing a substantial repository for novel bioactive peptides. Using genome mining tools, novel bioactive lanthipeptides can be identified, and coupled with rapid screening and heterologous expression technologies, the lanthipeptide drug discovery pipeline can be significantly sped up. Lanthipeptides represent a group of bioactive peptides that hold great potential as biotherapeutics, especially at a time when novel and more effective therapies are required. With this review, we provide insight into the latest developments made toward the therapeutic applications and production of lanthipeptides, specifically looking at heterologous expression systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Du Preez van Staden
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department Medicine, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Winschau F. van Zyl
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Marla Trindade
- Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Leon M. T. Dicks
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Carine Smith
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department Medicine, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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12
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Bhattarai K, Bastola R, Baral B. Antibiotic drug discovery: Challenges and perspectives in the light of emerging antibiotic resistance. ADVANCES IN GENETICS 2020; 105:229-292. [PMID: 32560788 DOI: 10.1016/bs.adgen.2019.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Amid a rising threat of antimicrobial resistance in a global scenario, our huge investments and high-throughput technologies injected for rejuvenating the key therapeutic scaffolds to suppress these rising superbugs has been diminishing severely. This has grasped world-wide attention, with increased consideration being given to the discovery of new chemical entities. Research has now proven that the relatively tiny and simpler microbes possess enhanced capability of generating novel and diverse chemical constituents with huge therapeutic leads. The usage of these beneficial organisms could help in producing new chemical scaffolds that govern the power to suppress the spread of obnoxious superbugs. Here in this review, we have explicitly focused on several appealing strategies employed for the generation of new chemical scaffolds. Also, efforts on providing novel insights on some of the unresolved questions in the production of metabolites, metabolic profiling and also the serendipity of getting "hit molecules" have been rigorously discussed. However, we are highly aware that biosynthetic pathway of different classes of secondary metabolites and their biosynthetic route is a vast topic, thus we have avoided discussion on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keshab Bhattarai
- University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Center for Natural and Applied Sciences (CENAS), Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Rina Bastola
- Spinal Cord Injury Association-Nepal (SCIAN), Pokhara, Nepal
| | - Bikash Baral
- Spinal Cord Injury Association-Nepal (SCIAN), Pokhara, Nepal.
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13
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Huo L, Zhao X, Acedo JZ, Estrada P, Nair SK, van der Donk WA. Characterization of a Dehydratase and Methyltransferase in the Biosynthesis of Ribosomally Synthesized and Post-translationally Modified Peptides in Lachnospiraceae. Chembiochem 2020; 21:190-199. [PMID: 31532570 PMCID: PMC6980331 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201900483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
As a result of the exponential increase in genomic data, discovery of novel ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide natural products (RiPPs) has progressed rapidly in the past decade. The lanthipeptides are a major subset of RiPPs. Through genome mining we identified a novel lanthipeptide biosynthetic gene cluster (lah) from Lachnospiraceae bacterium C6A11, an anaerobic bacterium that is a member of the human microbiota and which is implicated in the development of host disease states such as type 2 diabetes and resistance to Clostridium difficile colonization. The lah cluster encodes at least seven putative precursor peptides and multiple post-translational modification (PTM) enzymes. Two unusual class II lanthipeptide synthetases LahM1/M2 and a substrate-tolerant S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferase LahSB are biochemically characterized in this study. We also present the crystal structure of LahSB in complex with product S-adenosylhomocysteine. This study sets the stage for further exploration of the final products of the lah pathway as well as their potential physiological functions in human/animal gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liujie Huo
- Department of Chemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- State Key Laboratory for Microbial Technology (SKLMT), Institute of Microbial Technology, Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-Infectives, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China
| | - Xiling Zhao
- Department of Chemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Jeella Z Acedo
- Department of Chemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Paola Estrada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Satish K Nair
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Wilfred A van der Donk
- Department of Chemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
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14
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Barbosa J, Caetano T, Mösker E, Süssmuth R, Mendo S. Lichenicidin rational site-directed mutagenesis library: A tool to generate bioengineered lantibiotics. Biotechnol Bioeng 2019; 116:3053-3062. [PMID: 31350903 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Lantibiotics are ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified antimicrobial peptides that arise as an alternative to the traditional antibiotics. Lichenicidin is active against clinically relevant bacteria and it was the first lantibiotic to be fully produced in vivo in the Gram-negative host Escherichia coli. Here, we present the results of a library of lichenicidin mutants, in which the mutations were generated based on the extensive bibliographical search available for other lantibiotics. The antibacterial activity of two-peptide lantibiotics, as is lichenicidin, requires the synergistic activity of two peptides. We established a method that allows screening for bioactivity which does not require the purification of the complementary peptide. It is an inexpensive, fast and user-friendly method that can be scaled up to screen large libraries of bioengineered two-peptide lantibiotics. The applied system is reliable and robust because, in general, the results obtained corroborate structure-activity relationship studies carried out for other lantibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Barbosa
- Department of Biology & Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Tânia Caetano
- Department of Biology & Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Eva Mösker
- Institut für Chemie, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Roderich Süssmuth
- Institut für Chemie, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sónia Mendo
- Department of Biology & Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
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15
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Identification, Recombinant Expression, and Characterization of LHG2, a Novel Antimicrobial Peptide of Lactobacillus casei HZ1. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23092246. [PMID: 30177656 PMCID: PMC6225214 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23092246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
L. casei HZ1 was identified from Chinese traditional fermented milk, and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory peptide was separated from its culture in our previous work. Here, LGH2 was a novel AMP, identified from the genome of L. casei HZ1. Altogether, roughly 52.76% of LGH2 was α-helical, with the remainder in β-strand and random coil in 50% TFE solution tested by CD. The peptide was also an amphipathic and cationic molecule, which was composed of 20 amino acid residues. The similarity of the amino acid sequence between LGH2 and Temporin-RN3 was highest. Then, the peptide successfully expressed in E. coli Rossetta (DE3) pLysS using the SUMO fusion expression system and purified by chromatography technologies. The molecular weight of the peptide was 2448 Da determined by MALDI-TOF MS. Antimicrobial tests showed that the peptide has strong activities against G+ bacteria, special for S. aureus (MIC = 4 μM). The toxicity assay showed that the peptide exhibits a low hemolytic activity against sheep red blood cells. The antimicrobial mechanisms of LGH2 against pathogens were further investigated by dye leakage, CLSM, SEM, and FCM assays. We found that LGH2 can bind to the cell membrane, and destroy its integrity. These significant results indicate that LGH2 has great potential to treat the infections caused by pathogenic bacteria such as S. aureus, and it provides a new template to improve antimicrobial peptides targeting antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria.
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16
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Zhang Y, Chen M, Bruner SD, Ding Y. Heterologous Production of Microbial Ribosomally Synthesized and Post-translationally Modified Peptides. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1801. [PMID: 30135682 PMCID: PMC6092494 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides, or RiPPs, which have mainly isolated from microbes as well as plants and animals, are an ever-expanding group of peptidic natural products with diverse chemical structures and biological activities. They have emerged as a major category of secondary metabolites partly due to a myriad of microbial genome sequencing endeavors and the availability of genome mining software in the past two decades. Heterologous expression of RiPP gene clusters mined from microbial genomes, which are often silent in native producers, in surrogate hosts such as Escherichia coli and Streptomyces strains can be an effective way to elucidate encoded peptides and produce novel derivatives. Emerging strategies have been developed to facilitate the success of the heterologous expression by targeting multiple synthetic biology levels, including individual proteins, pathways, metabolic flux and hosts. This review describes recent advances in heterologous production of RiPPs, mainly from microbes, with a focus on E. coli and Streptomyces strains as the surrogate hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Manyun Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Steven D Bruner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Yousong Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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17
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Mesa-Pereira B, Rea MC, Cotter PD, Hill C, Ross RP. Heterologous Expression of Biopreservative Bacteriocins With a View to Low Cost Production. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1654. [PMID: 30093889 PMCID: PMC6070625 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriocins, a heterogenous group of antibacterial ribosomally synthesized peptides, have potential as bio-preservatives in in a wide range of foods and as future therapeutics for the inhibition of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. While many bacteriocins have been characterized, several factors limit their production in large quantities, a requirement to make them commercially viable for food or pharma applications. The identification of new bacteriocins by database mining has been promising, but their potential is difficult to evaluate in the absence of suitable expression systems. E. coli has been used as a heterologous host to produce recombinant proteins for decades and has an extensive set of expression vectors and strains available. Here, we review the different expression systems for bacteriocin production using this host and identify the most important features to guarantee successful production of a range of bacteriocins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Mesa-Pereira
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Teagasc Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland.,APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Mary C Rea
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Teagasc Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland.,APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Paul D Cotter
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Teagasc Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland.,APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Colin Hill
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - R Paul Ross
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Teagasc Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland.,APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,College of Science Engineering and Food Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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18
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Ongey EL, Giessmann RT, Fons M, Rappsilber J, Adrian L, Neubauer P. Heterologous Biosynthesis, Modifications and Structural Characterization of Ruminococcin-A, a Lanthipeptide From the Gut Bacterium Ruminococcus gnavus E1, in Escherichia coli. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1688. [PMID: 30093894 PMCID: PMC6071512 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ruminococcin A (RumA) is a lanthipeptide with high activity against pathogenic clostridia and is naturally produced by the strict anaerobic bacterium Ruminococcus gnavus E1, isolated from human intestine. Cultivating R. gnavus E1 is challenging, limiting high-quality production, further biotechnological development and therapeutic exploitation of RumA. To supply an alternative production system, the gene encoding RumA-modifying enzyme (RumM) and the gene encoding the unmodified precursor peptide (preRumA) were amplified from the chromosome of R. gnavus E1 and coexpressed in Escherichia coli. Our results show that the ruminococcin-A lanthionine synthetase RumM catalyzed dehydration of threonine and serine residues and subsequently installed thioether bridges into the core structure of a mutant version of preRumA (preRumA∗). These modifications were achieved when the peptide was expressed as a fusion protein together with green fluorescence protein (GFP), demonstrating that a larger attachment to the N-terminus of the leader peptide does not obstruct in vivo processivity of RumM in modifying the core peptide. The leader peptide serves as a docking sequence which the modifying enzyme recognizes and interacts with, enabling its catalytic role. We further investigated RumM catalysis in conjunction with the formation of complexes observed between RumM and the chimeric GFP fusion protein. Results obtained suggested some insights into the catalytic mechanisms of class II lanthipeptide synthetases. Our data further indicated the presence of three thioether bridges, contradicting a previous report whose findings ruled out the possibility of forming a third ring in RumA. Modified preRumA∗ was activated in vitro by removing the leader peptide using trypsin and biological activity was achieved against Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633. A production yield of 6 mg of pure modified preRumA∗ per liter of E. coli culture was attained and considering the size ratio of the leader-to-core segments of preRumA∗, this amount would generate a final yield of approximately 1-2 mg of active RumA when the leader peptide is removed. The yield of our system exceeds that attainable in the natural producer by several 1000-fold. The system developed herein supplies useful tools for product optimization and for performing in vivo peptide engineering to generate new analogs with superior anti-infective properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvis L Ongey
- Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert T Giessmann
- Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michel Fons
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, BIP UMR 7281, Marseille, France
| | - Juri Rappsilber
- Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lorenz Adrian
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.,Chair of Geobiotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Neubauer
- Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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19
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Abstract
The need for new drugs for the treatment of various diseases is enormous. From the previous century until the present, numerous peptide and peptide-derived natural products have been isolated from bacteria and fungi. Hence, microorganisms play a pivotal role as sources for novel drugs with an emphasis on anti-infective agents. Various disciplines from biology, chemistry, and medicine are involved in early stages of the search for peptide natural products including taxonomy, microbiology, bioanalytics, bioinformatics, and medicinal chemistry. Under biochemical aspects, small peptide drugs are basically either ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified (RiPPs) or synthesized by multimodular nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). Within the context of current developments on bioactive peptide natural products, this Account predominantly highlights recent discoveries, approaches, and research from our laboratory on RiPPs and NRPSs from bacteria and fungi. In our search for peptides showing bioactivities of interest, different approaches were applied: classical screening, in silico prediction, in vitro reconstitution, site-directed mutagenesis, chemoenzymatics, heterologous expression, and total synthesis including structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies in the research on the labyrinthopeptins, albicidin, and the cyclodepsipeptides (CDPs). The ribosomally synthesized labyrinthopeptins, class III lanthipeptides, which have been discovered in a classical screening campaign, display highly attractive antiallodynic (against neuropathic pain caused by dysfunction of the nervous system) and antiviral activities. Therefore, the biosynthetic assembly was investigated by extensive enzymatic studies of the modifying enzymes, and site-directed mutagenesis was performed for the generation of analogs. By genome mining, other class III lanthipeptides have been uncovered, while synthetic access proved to be an unmet challenge for the labyrinthopeptins. In contrast, for the gyrase inhibitor albicidin, the establishment of a chemical synthesis followed by medicinal chemistry studies was the only viable option to gain access to derivatives. Albicidin, which has been discovered investigating plant host-pathogen interactions, has a strong activity against Gram-negative bacteria, for example, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and a future synthetic derivative may become a lead structure for development of an anti-Gram-negative drug. The compound class of the cyclodepsipeptides contributes already two marketed drugs, enniatin (fusafungine) and emodepside. Cyclodepsipeptides show general antibacterial and antifungal effects, whereas specific insecticidal and anthelmintic activities provide lead structures for drug development. Hence, exploiting the chances of reprogramming NRPSs, the generation of chimeric or otherwise designed synthetases could render a new untapped structural space and thus novel bioactivities. While current developments in the fields of genomics, bioinformatics, and molecular biology facilitate the search for new natural products and the design of new peptide structures, the next decade will show which compounds have been carried on further applications and whether current developments have led to an increase in drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tam Dang
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie, Fachgebiet Biologische
Chemie, Strasse des 17.
Juni 124, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Roderich D. Süssmuth
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie, Fachgebiet Biologische
Chemie, Strasse des 17.
Juni 124, 10623 Berlin, Germany
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20
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION The effectiveness of lantibiotics against MDR pathogens and the progression of agents MU1140, NAI-107, NVB302 and duramycin into pre-clinical and clinical trials have highlighted their potential in the fight against bacterial resistance. The number of known lantibiotics and knowledge of their biosynthetic pathways has increased in recent years due to higher quality genomic data being delivered by next generation sequencing technologies combined with the development of specific genome mining tools, enabling the prediction of lantibiotic clusters. Areas covered: In this review, the author describes how the increase of high quality genomic data has increased the discovery of novel lantibiotics. Expert opinion: Novel apparatus such as the iChip enabling the isolation of uncultable bacteria will undoubtedly increase the identification rate of novel antimicrobial peptides including lantibiotics. The ability to then assess the lantibiotic clusters via recombinant production or synthesis using a high throughput method is one of the next challenges for developing these agents into the clinical environment.
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21
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Repka LM, Chekan JR, Nair SK, van der Donk WA. Mechanistic Understanding of Lanthipeptide Biosynthetic Enzymes. Chem Rev 2017; 117:5457-5520. [PMID: 28135077 PMCID: PMC5408752 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 373] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Lanthipeptides
are ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally
modified peptides (RiPPs) that display a wide variety of biological
activities, from antimicrobial to antiallodynic. Lanthipeptides that
display antimicrobial activity are called lantibiotics. The post-translational
modification reactions of lanthipeptides include dehydration of Ser
and Thr residues to dehydroalanine and dehydrobutyrine, a transformation
that is carried out in three unique ways in different classes of lanthipeptides.
In a cyclization process, Cys residues then attack the dehydrated
residues to generate the lanthionine and methyllanthionine thioether
cross-linked amino acids from which lanthipeptides derive their name.
The resulting polycyclic peptides have constrained conformations that
confer their biological activities. After installation of the characteristic
thioether cross-links, tailoring enzymes introduce additional post-translational
modifications that are unique to each lanthipeptide and that fine-tune
their activities and/or stability. This review focuses on studies
published over the past decade that have provided much insight into
the mechanisms of the enzymes that carry out the post-translational
modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay M Repka
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Chemistry, ‡Department of Biochemistry, and §Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jonathan R Chekan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Chemistry, ‡Department of Biochemistry, and §Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Satish K Nair
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Chemistry, ‡Department of Biochemistry, and §Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Wilfred A van der Donk
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Chemistry, ‡Department of Biochemistry, and §Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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22
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Wang J, Ge X, Zhang L, Teng K, Zhong J. One-pot synthesis of class II lanthipeptide bovicin HJ50 via an engineered lanthipeptide synthetase. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38630. [PMID: 27924934 PMCID: PMC5141572 DOI: 10.1038/srep38630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Lanthipeptides are a large class of bacteria-produced, ribosomally-synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides. They are recognized as peptide antibiotics because most of them exhibit potent antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive bacteria especially those that are phylogenetically related to producers. Maturation of class II lanthipeptide like bovicin HJ50 undergoes precursor modification by LanM and a subsequent leader peptide cleavage by LanT. Herein, via co-expression of precursor gene bovA, modification gene bovM and transporter gene bovT in Escherichia coli C43 (DE3), bioactive bovicin HJ50 was successfully produced and secreted. To further achieve in vitro one-pot synthesis of bovicin HJ50, an engineered bovicin HJ50 synthetase BovT150M was obtained by fusing the peptidase domain of BovT (BovT150) to the N-terminus of BovM. BovT150M exhibited dual functions of precursor modification and leader peptide cleavage to release mature bovicin HJ50. Under the guidance of BovA leader peptide, BovT150M exhibited substrate tolerance to modify non-native substrates including suicin and lacticin 481. This work exemplifies the feasibility of enzyme chimera of peptidase domain (LanT150) and modification enzyme (LanM) as a one-pot lanthipeptide synthetase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoxuan Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, P. R. China
| | - Li Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, P. R. China
| | - Kunling Teng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, P. R. China
| | - Jin Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, P. R. China
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23
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Ortega MA, van der Donk WA. New Insights into the Biosynthetic Logic of Ribosomally Synthesized and Post-translationally Modified Peptide Natural Products. Cell Chem Biol 2016; 23:31-44. [PMID: 26933734 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2015.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2015] [Revised: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a large group of structurally diverse natural products. Their biological activities and unique biosynthetic pathways have sparked a growing interest in RiPPs. Furthermore, the relatively low genetic complexity associated with RiPP biosynthesis makes them excellent candidates for synthetic biology applications. This Review highlights recent developments in the understanding of the biosynthesis of several bacterial RiPP family members, the use of the RiPP biosynthetic machinery for generating novel macrocyclic peptides, and the implementation of tools designed to guide the discovery and characterization of novel RiPPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel A Ortega
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Wilfred A van der Donk
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Department of Chemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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24
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Towards Biocontained Cell Factories: An Evolutionarily Adapted Escherichia coli Strain Produces a New-to-nature Bioactive Lantibiotic Containing Thienopyrrole-Alanine. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33447. [PMID: 27634138 PMCID: PMC5025777 DOI: 10.1038/srep33447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic code engineering that enables reassignment of genetic codons to non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) is a powerful strategy for enhancing ribosomally synthesized peptides and proteins with functions not commonly found in Nature. Here we report the expression of a ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP), the 32-mer lantibiotic lichenicidin with a canonical tryptophan (Trp) residue replaced by the ncAA L-β-(thieno[3,2-b]pyrrolyl)alanine ([3,2]Tpa) which does not sustain cell growth in the culture. We have demonstrated that cellular toxicity of [3,2]Tpa for the production of the new-to-nature bioactive congener of lichenicidin in the host Escherichia coli can be alleviated by using an evolutionarily adapted host strain MT21 which not only tolerates [3,2]Tpa but also uses it as a proteome-wide synthetic building block. This work underscores the feasibility of the biocontainment concept and establishes a general framework for design and large scale production of RiPPs with evolutionarily adapted host strains.
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25
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Montalbán-López M, van Heel AJ, Kuipers OP. Employing the promiscuity of lantibiotic biosynthetic machineries to produce novel antimicrobials. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2016; 41:5-18. [PMID: 27591436 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuw034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
As the number of new antibiotics that reach the market is decreasing and the demand for them is rising, alternative sources of novel antimicrobials are needed. Lantibiotics are potent peptide antimicrobials that are ribosomally synthesized and stabilized by post-translationally introduced lanthionine rings. Their ribosomal synthesis and enzymatic modifications provide excellent opportunities to design and engineer a large variety of novel antimicrobial compounds. The research conducted in this area demonstrates that the modularity present in both the peptidic rings as well as in the combination of promiscuous modification enzymes can be exploited to further increase the diversity of lantibiotics. Various approaches, where the modifying enzymes and corresponding leader peptides are decoupled from their natural core peptide and integrated in designed plug-and-play production systems, enable the production of modified peptides that are either derived from vast genomic data or designed using functional parts from a wide diversity of core peptides. These approaches constitute a powerful discovery platform to develop novel antimicrobials with high therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Montalbán-López
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Auke J van Heel
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Oscar P Kuipers
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747AG Groningen, the Netherlands
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26
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Ongey EL, Neubauer P. Lanthipeptides: chemical synthesis versus in vivo biosynthesis as tools for pharmaceutical production. Microb Cell Fact 2016; 15:97. [PMID: 27267232 PMCID: PMC4897893 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-016-0502-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Lanthipeptides (also called lantibiotics for those with antibacterial activities) are ribosomally synthesized post-translationally modified peptides having thioether cross-linked amino acids, lanthionines, as a structural element. Lanthipeptides have conceivable potentials to be used as therapeutics, however, the lack of stable, high-yield, well-characterized processes for their sustainable production limit their availability for clinical studies and further pharmaceutical commercialization. Though many reviews have discussed the various techniques that are currently employed to produce lanthipeptides, a direct comparison between these methods to assess industrial applicability has not yet been described. In this review we provide a synoptic comparison of research efforts on total synthesis and in vivo biosynthesis aimed at fostering lanthipeptides production. We further examine current applications and propose measures to enhance product yields. Owing to their elaborate chemical structures, chemical synthesis of these biomolecules is economically less feasible for large-scale applications, and hence biological production seems to be the only realistic alternative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvis Legala Ongey
- Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Ackerstraße 76, ACK24, 13355, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Peter Neubauer
- Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Ackerstraße 76, ACK24, 13355, Berlin, Germany
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Structure and tRNA Specificity of MibB, a Lantibiotic Dehydratase from Actinobacteria Involved in NAI-107 Biosynthesis. Cell Chem Biol 2016; 23:370-380. [PMID: 26877024 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2015.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Class I lantibiotic dehydratases dehydrate selected Ser/Thr residues of a precursor peptide. Recent studies demonstrated the requirement of glutamyl-tRNA(Glu) for Ser/Thr activation by one of these enzymes (NisB) from the Firmicute Lactococcus lactis. However, the generality of glutamyl-tRNA(Glu) usage and the tRNA specificity of lantibiotic dehydratases have not been established. Here we report the 2.7-Å resolution crystal structure, along with the glutamyl-tRNA(Glu) utilization of MibB, a lantibiotic dehydratase from the Actinobacterium Microbispora sp. 107891 involved in the biosynthesis of the clinical candidate NAI-107. Biochemical assays revealed nucleotides A73 and U72 within the tRNA(Glu) acceptor stem to be important for MibB glutamyl-tRNA(Glu) usage. Using this knowledge, an expression system for the production of NAI-107 analogs in Escherichia coli was developed, overcoming the inability of MibB to utilize E. coli tRNA(Glu). Our work provides evidence for a common tRNA(Glu)-dependent dehydration mechanism, paving the way for the characterization of lantibiotics from various phyla.
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Field D, Cotter PD, Hill C, Ross RP. Bioengineering Lantibiotics for Therapeutic Success. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:1363. [PMID: 26640466 PMCID: PMC4662063 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Several examples of highly modified antimicrobial peptides have been described. While many such peptides are non-ribosomally synthesized, ribosomally synthesized equivalents are being discovered with increased frequency. Of the latter group, the lantibiotics continue to attract most attention. In the present review, we discuss the implementation of in vivo and in vitro engineering systems to alter, and even enhance, the antimicrobial activity, antibacterial spectrum and physico-chemical properties, including heat stability, solubility, diffusion and protease resistance, of these compounds. Additionally, we discuss the potential applications of these lantibiotics for use as therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Des Field
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Paul D. Cotter
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Fermoy, Ireland
- APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Colin Hill
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - R. P. Ross
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Fermoy, Ireland
- APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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