1
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Chen W, Li Z, Liu T, Lyu Q, Liu W. Discovery and Characterization of CcrSult1: A Novel Flavonoid Sulfotransferase from the Red Alga Chondrus crispus. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2025. [PMID: 40405366 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5c02656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2025]
Abstract
Sulfated flavonoids, prevalent in various plants, possess enhanced bioavailability due to the introduction of sulfonate groups, a process catalyzed by flavonoid sulfotransferases (SULTs). These enzymes serve as invaluable tools for exploring the structure-function relationships of sulfated flavonoids and for the preparation of biologically active derivatives. Despite their significance, flavonoid SULTs remain largely unexplored especially for those from marine environment. In this study, we report the discovery of CcrSULT1, the first flavonoid SULT from the red algaChondrus crispus. Substrate specificity tests revealed that CcrSULT1 exhibits a pronounced chemical selectivity preference for phenolic compounds, particularly flavonoids. More importantly, we discovered that CcrSULT1 may have unique regional selectivity toward mono phenolic hydroxyl groups (e.g., the 4'-OH of kaempferol, a flavonoid aglycone widely distributed in algae and various plants) in substrates, potentially leading to the specific production of monosulfated products. This hypothesis is further supported by the construction of a complex structural model. This study paves the way for the discovery of unknown algal sulfotransferases and provides a biological basis for understanding algal sulfation metabolism and biomass conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wencui Chen
- Fang Zongxi Center, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Zhijian Li
- Fang Zongxi Center, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science and College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Qianqian Lyu
- Fang Zongxi Center, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Weizhi Liu
- Fang Zongxi Center, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China
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2
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Tang Y, Ju X, Chen X, Li L. Advances in the biological production of sugar alcohols from biomass-derived xylose. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2025; 41:110. [PMID: 40148723 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-025-04316-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2025] [Accepted: 02/28/2025] [Indexed: 03/29/2025]
Abstract
Sugar alcohols are a common class of low-calorie sweeteners. The advancement of technologies utilizing renewable resources has heightened interest in synthesizing sugar alcohols from biomass-derived xylose for cost down of process and sustainability. This review focuses on the potential of biomass-derived xylose and its effective conversion into sugar alcohols, underscoring the significance of this process in sustainable industrial applications. The two main approaches for producing sugar alcohols which include enzyme catalysis and microbial fermentation are thoroughly discussed. The microbial fermentation pathway relies on genetically engineered strains, which are modified to efficiently convert xylose into target sugar alcohols. Enzyme catalysis, on the other hand, directly converts xylose to sugar alcohols through specific reactions. In addition, strategies to improve product selectivity and reduce by-products are discussed in the paper, which are crucial for improving the economic viability and environmental sustainability of sugar alcohol production. Overall, utilizing xylose from biomass to produce sugar alcohols manifests environmental and economic benefits, indicating its substantial potential in the shift towards a low-carbon economy. Future studies may further explore cutting edge technologies to maximize the utilization of biomass-derived xylose and the sustainable production of sugar alcohols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Tang
- School of Chemistry and Life Science, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, P.R. China
| | - Xin Ju
- School of Chemistry and Life Science, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, P.R. China
| | - Xiaobao Chen
- School of Chemistry and Life Science, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, P.R. China
| | - Liangzhi Li
- School of Chemistry and Life Science, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, P.R. China.
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3
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Jones BS, Ross CM, Foley G, Pozhydaieva N, Sharratt JW, Kress N, Seibt LS, Thomson RES, Gumulya Y, Hayes MA, Gillam EMJ, Flitsch SL. Engineering Biocatalysts for the C-H Activation of Fatty Acids by Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202314869. [PMID: 38163289 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202314869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Selective, one-step C-H activation of fatty acids from biomass is an attractive concept in sustainable chemistry. Biocatalysis has shown promise for generating high-value hydroxy acids, but to date enzyme discovery has relied on laborious screening and produced limited hits, which predominantly oxidise the subterminal positions of fatty acids. Herein we show that ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) is an effective tool to explore the sequence-activity landscape of a family of multidomain, self-sufficient P450 monooxygenases. We resurrected 11 catalytically active CYP116B ancestors, each with a unique regioselectivity fingerprint that varied from subterminal in the older ancestors to mid-chain in the lineage leading to the extant, P450-TT. In lineages leading to extant enzymes in thermophiles, thermostability increased from ancestral to extant forms, as expected if thermophily had arisen de novo. Our studies show that ASR can be applied to multidomain enzymes to develop active, self-sufficient monooxygenases as regioselective biocatalysts for fatty acid hydroxylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethan S Jones
- School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Connie M Ross
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Gabriel Foley
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Nadiia Pozhydaieva
- School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Joseph W Sharratt
- School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Nico Kress
- School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Lisa S Seibt
- School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Raine E S Thomson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Yosephine Gumulya
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Martin A Hayes
- Compound Synthesis and Management, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, SE
| | - Elizabeth M J Gillam
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Sabine L Flitsch
- School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
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4
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Marshall LR, Bhattacharya S, Korendovych IV. Fishing for Catalysis: Experimental Approaches to Narrowing Search Space in Directed Evolution of Enzymes. JACS AU 2023; 3:2402-2412. [PMID: 37772192 PMCID: PMC10523367 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00315] [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: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Directed evolution has transformed protein engineering offering a path to rapid improvement of protein properties. Yet, in practice it is limited by the hyper-astronomic protein sequence search space, and approaches to identify mutagenic hot spots, i.e., locations where mutations are most likely to have a productive impact, are needed. In this perspective, we categorize and discuss recent progress in the experimental approaches (broadly defined as structural, bioinformatic, and dynamic) to hot spot identification. Recent successes in harnessing protein dynamics and machine learning approaches provide new opportunities for the field and will undoubtedly help directed evolution reach its full potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam R. Marshall
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse
University, 111 College Place, Syracuse, New York 13224, United States
| | - Sagar Bhattacharya
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse
University, 111 College Place, Syracuse, New York 13224, United States
| | - Ivan V. Korendovych
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse
University, 111 College Place, Syracuse, New York 13224, United States
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5
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Lei L, Zhao L, Hou Y, Yue C, Liu P, Zheng Y, Peng W, Yang J. An Inferred Ancestral CotA Laccase with Improved Expression and Kinetic Efficiency. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10901. [PMID: 37446078 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Laccases are widely used in industrial production due to their broad substrate availability and environmentally friendly nature. However, the pursuit of laccases with superior stability and increased heterogeneous expression to meet industry demands appears to be an ongoing challenge. To address this challenge, we resurrected five ancestral sequences of laccase BsCotA and their homologues. All five variants were successfully expressed in soluble and functional forms with improved expression levels in Escherichia coli. Among the five variants, three exhibited higher catalytic rates, thermal stabilities, and acidic stabilities. Notably, AncCotA2, the best-performing variant, displayed a kcat/KM of 7.5 × 105 M-1·s-1, 5.2-fold higher than that of the wild-type BsCotA, an improved thermo- and acidic stability, and better dye decolorization ability. This study provides a laccase variant with high application potential and presents a new starting point for future enzyme engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Lei
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Lijun Zhao
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Yiqia Hou
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Chen Yue
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Pulin Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Yanli Zheng
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Wenfang Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, College of Life Science, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Jiangke Yang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
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6
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Structural Factors That Determine the Activity of the Xenobiotic Reductase B Enzyme from Pseudomonas putida on Nitroaromatic Compounds. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010400. [PMID: 36613844 PMCID: PMC9820340 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Xenobiotic reductase B (XenB) catalyzes the reduction of the aromatic ring or nitro groups of nitroaromatic compounds with methyl, amino or hydroxyl radicals. This reaction is of biotechnological interest for bioremediation, the reuse of industrial waste or the activation of prodrugs. However, the structural factors that explain the binding of XenB to different substrates are unknown. Molecular dynamics simulations and quantum mechanical calculations were performed to identify the residues involved in the formation and stabilization of the enzyme/substrate complex and to explain the use of different substrates by this enzyme. Our results show that Tyr65 and Tyr335 residues stabilize the ligands through hydrophobic interactions mediated by the aromatic rings of these aminoacids. The higher XenB activity determined with the substrates 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene is consistent with the lower energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital (LUMO) orbitals and a lower energy of the homo orbital (LUMO), which favors electrophile and nucleophilic activity, respectively. The electrostatic potential maps of these compounds suggest that the bonding requires a large hydrophobic region in the aromatic ring, which is promoted by substituents in ortho and para positions. These results are consistent with experimental data and could be used to propose point mutations that allow this enzyme to process new molecules of biotechnological interest.
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7
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Pedersen LC, Yi M, Pedersen LG, Kaminski AM. From Steroid and Drug Metabolism to Glycobiology, Using Sulfotransferase Structures to Understand and Tailor Function. Drug Metab Dispos 2022; 50:1027-1041. [PMID: 35197313 PMCID: PMC10753775 DOI: 10.1124/dmd.121.000478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Sulfotransferases are ubiquitous enzymes that transfer a sulfo group from the universal cofactor donor 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate to a broad range of acceptor substrates. In humans, the cytosolic sulfotransferases are involved in the sulfation of endogenous compounds such as steroids, neurotransmitters, hormones, and bile acids as well as xenobiotics including drugs, toxins, and environmental chemicals. The Golgi associated membrane-bound sulfotransferases are involved in post-translational modification of macromolecules from glycosaminoglycans to proteins. The sulfation of small molecules can have profound biologic effects on the functionality of the acceptor, including activation, deactivation, or enhanced metabolism and elimination. Sulfation of macromolecules has been shown to regulate a number of physiologic and pathophysiological pathways by enhancing binding affinity to regulatory proteins or binding partners. Over the last 25 years, crystal structures of these enzymes have provided a wealth of information on the mechanisms of this process and the specificity of these enzymes. This review will focus on the general commonalities of the sulfotransferases, from enzyme structure to catalytic mechanism as well as providing examples into how structural information is being used to either design drugs that inhibit sulfotransferases or to modify the enzymes to improve drug synthesis. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This manuscript honors Dr. Masahiko Negishi's contribution to the understanding of sulfotransferase mechanism, specificity, and roles in biology by analyzing the crystal structures that have been solved over the last 25 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars C Pedersen
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory (L.C.P., L.G.P., A.M.K.) and Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory (M.Y.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (L.G.P.)
| | - MyeongJin Yi
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory (L.C.P., L.G.P., A.M.K.) and Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory (M.Y.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (L.G.P.)
| | - Lee G Pedersen
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory (L.C.P., L.G.P., A.M.K.) and Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory (M.Y.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (L.G.P.)
| | - Andrea M Kaminski
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory (L.C.P., L.G.P., A.M.K.) and Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory (M.Y.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (L.G.P.)
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8
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Jackson C, Toth-Petroczy A, Kolodny R, Hollfelder F, Fuxreiter M, Caroline Lynn Kamerlin S, Tokuriki N. Adventures on the routes of protein evolution — in memoriam Dan Salah Tawfik (1955 - 2021). J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167462. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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9
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Ahsan T, Shoily SS, Fatema K, Sajib AA. Impacts of 119 missense variants at functionally important sites of drug-metabolizing human cytosolic sulfotransferase SULT1A1: An in silico study. INFORMATICS IN MEDICINE UNLOCKED 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imu.2021.100836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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10
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Galanie S, Entwistle D, Lalonde J. Engineering biosynthetic enzymes for industrial natural product synthesis. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 37:1122-1143. [PMID: 32364202 DOI: 10.1039/c9np00071b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Covering: 2000 to 2020 Natural products and their derivatives are commercially important medicines, agrochemicals, flavors, fragrances, and food ingredients. Industrial strategies to produce these structurally complex molecules encompass varied combinations of chemical synthesis, biocatalysis, and extraction from natural sources. Interest in engineering natural product biosynthesis began with the advent of genetic tools for pathway discovery. Genes and strains can now readily be synthesized, mutated, recombined, and sequenced. Enzyme engineering has succeeded commercially due to the development of genetic methods, analytical technologies, and machine learning algorithms. Today, engineered biosynthetic enzymes from organisms spanning the tree of life are used industrially to produce diverse molecules. These biocatalytic processes include single enzymatic steps, multienzyme cascades, and engineered native and heterologous microbial strains. This review will describe how biosynthetic enzymes have been engineered to enable commercial and near-commercial syntheses of natural products and their analogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Galanie
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA.
| | - David Entwistle
- Process Chemistry, Codexis, Inc., Redwood City, California, USA
| | - James Lalonde
- Microbial Digital Genome Engineering, Inscripta, Inc., Pleasanton, California, USA
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11
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Motoyama T, Hiramatsu N, Asano Y, Nakano S, Ito S. Protein Sequence Selection Method That Enables Full Consensus Design of Artificial l-Threonine 3-Dehydrogenases with Unique Enzymatic Properties. Biochemistry 2020; 59:3823-3833. [PMID: 32945652 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Exponentially increasing protein sequence data enables artificial enzyme design using sequence-based protein design methods, including full-consensus protein design (FCD). The success of artificial enzyme design is strongly dependent on the nature of the sequences used. Hence, sequences must be selected from databases and curated libraries prepared to enable a successful design by FCD. In this study, we proposed a selection approach regarding several key residues as sequence motifs. We used l-threonine 3-dehydrogenase (TDH) as a model to test the validity of this approach. In the classification, four residues (143, 174, 188, and 214) were used as key residues. We classified thousands of TDH homologous sequences into five groups containing hundreds of sequences. Utilizing sequences in the libraries, we designed five artificial TDHs by FCD. Among the five, we successfully expressed four in soluble form. Biochemical analysis of artificial TDHs indicated that their enzymatic properties vary; half of the maximum measured enzyme activity (t1/2) and activation energies were distributed from 53 to 65 °C and from 38 to 125 kJ/mol, respectively. The artificial TDHs had unique kinetic parameters, distinct from one another. Structural analysis indicates that consensus mutations are mainly introduced in the secondary or outer shell. The functional diversity of the artificial TDHs is due to the accumulation of mutations that affect their physicochemical properties. Taken together, our findings indicate that our proposed approach can help generate artificial enzymes with unique enzymatic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoharu Motoyama
- Graduate School of Integrated Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - Nozomi Hiramatsu
- Graduate School of Integrated Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - Yasuhisa Asano
- Biotechnology Research Center and Department of Biotechnology, Toyama Prefectural University, 5180 Kurokawa, Imizu, Toyama 939-0398, Japan
| | - Shogo Nakano
- Graduate School of Integrated Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - Sohei Ito
- Graduate School of Integrated Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
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12
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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: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [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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13
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Directed aryl sulfotransferase evolution toward improved sulfation stoichiometry on the example of catechols. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 103:3761-3771. [PMID: 30830250 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-09688-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Sulfation is an important way for detoxifying xenobiotics and endobiotics including catechols. Enzymatic sulfation occurs usually with high chemo- and/or regioselectivity under mild reaction conditions. In this study, a two-step p-NPS-4-AAP screening system for laboratory evolution of aryl sulfotransferase B (ASTB) was developed in 96-well microtiter plates to improve the sulfate transfer efficiency toward catechols. Increased transfer efficiency and improved sulfation stoichiometry are achieved through the two-step screening procedure in a one-pot reaction. In the first step, the p-NPS assay is used (detection of the colorimetric by-product, p-nitrophenol) to determine the apparent ASTB activity. The sulfated product, 3-chlorocatechol-1-monosulfate, is quantified by the 4-aminoantipyrine (4-AAP) assay in the second step. Comparison of product formation to p-NPS consumption ensures successful directed evolution campaigns of ASTB. Optimization yielded a coefficient of variation below 15% for the two-step screening system (p-NPS-4-AAP). In total, 1760 clones from an ASTB-SeSaM library were screened toward the improved sulfation activity of 3-chlorocatechol. The turnover number (kcat = 41 ± 2 s-1) and catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM = 0.41 μM-1 s-1) of the final variant ASTB-M5 were improved 2.4- and 2.3-fold compared with ASTB-WT. HPLC analysis confirmed the improved sulfate stoichiometry of ASTB-M5 with a conversion of 58% (ASTB-WT 29%; two-fold improvement). Mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) confirmed the chemo- and regioselectivity, which yielded exclusively 3-chlorocatechol-1-monosulfate. For all five additionally investigated catechols, the variant ASTB-M5 achieved an improved kcat value of up to 4.5-fold and sulfate transfer efficiency was also increased (up to 2.3-fold).
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14
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Straub K, Linde M, Kropp C, Blanquart S, Babinger P, Merkl R. Sequence selection by FitSS4ASR alleviates ancestral sequence reconstruction as exemplified for geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate synthase. Biol Chem 2019; 400:367-381. [PMID: 30763032 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2018-0344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
For evolutionary studies, but also for protein engineering, ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) has become an indispensable tool. The first step of every ASR protocol is the preparation of a representative sequence set containing at most a few hundred recent homologs whose composition determines decisively the outcome of a reconstruction. A common approach for sequence selection consists of several rounds of manual recompilation that is driven by embedded phylogenetic analyses of the varied sequence sets. For ASR of a geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate synthase, we additionally utilized FitSS4ASR, which replaces this time-consuming protocol with an efficient and more rational approach. FitSS4ASR applies orthogonal filters to a set of homologs to eliminate outlier sequences and those bearing only a weak phylogenetic signal. To demonstrate the usefulness of FitSS4ASR, we determined experimentally the oligomerization state of eight predecessors, which is a delicate and taxon-specific property. Corresponding ancestors deduced in a manual approach and by means of FitSS4ASR had the same dimeric or hexameric conformation; this concordance testifies to the efficiency of FitSS4ASR for sequence selection. FitSS4ASR-based results of two other ASR experiments were added to the Supporting Information. Program and documentation are available at https://gitlab.bioinf.ur.de/hek61586/FitSS4ASR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Straub
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Mona Linde
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Cosimo Kropp
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Samuel Blanquart
- University of Rennes, Inria, CNRS, IRISA, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Patrick Babinger
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Rainer Merkl
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany
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15
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16
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Abstract
Directed evolution is a powerful technique for generating tailor-made enzymes for a wide range of biocatalytic applications. Following the principles of natural evolution, iterative cycles of mutagenesis and screening or selection are applied to modify protein properties, enhance catalytic activities, or develop completely new protein catalysts for non-natural chemical transformations. This review briefly surveys the experimental methods used to generate genetic diversity and screen or select for improved enzyme variants. Emphasis is placed on a key challenge, namely how to generate novel catalytic activities that expand the scope of natural reactions. Two particularly effective strategies, exploiting catalytic promiscuity and rational design, are illustrated by representative examples of successfully evolved enzymes. Opportunities for extending these approaches to more complex biocatalytic systems are also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathleen Zeymer
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland;,
| | - Donald Hilvert
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland;,
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17
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Gertman O, Omer D, Hendler A, Stein D, Onn L, Khukhin Y, Portillo M, Zarivach R, Cohen HY, Toiber D, Aharoni A. Directed evolution of SIRT6 for improved deacylation and glucose homeostasis maintenance. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3538. [PMID: 29476161 PMCID: PMC5824787 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21887-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian SIRT6 is a well-studied histone deacetylase that was recently shown to exhibit high protein deacylation activity enabling the removal of long chain fatty acyl groups from proteins. SIRT6 was shown to play key roles in cellular homeostasis by regulating a variety of cellular processes including DNA repair and glucose metabolism. However, the link between SIRT6 enzymatic activities and its cellular functions is not clear. Here, we utilized a directed enzyme evolution approach to generate SIRT6 mutants with improved deacylation activity. We found that while two mutants show increased deacylation activity at high substrate concentration and improved glucose metabolism they exhibit no improvement and even abolished deacetylation activity on H3K9Ac and H3K56Ac in cells. Our results demonstrate the separation of function between SIRT6 catalytic activities and suggest that SIRT6 deacylation activity in cells is important for glucose metabolism and can be mediated by still unknown acylated cellular proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Or Gertman
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Dotan Omer
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, 84105, Israel.,Smartzyme Innovation LTD, Ilan Ramon, Science Park-Ness Ziona, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Adi Hendler
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Daniel Stein
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Lior Onn
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Yana Khukhin
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Miguel Portillo
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Raz Zarivach
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Haim Y Cohen
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Debra Toiber
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Amir Aharoni
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, 84105, Israel. .,The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, 84105, Israel.
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18
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Islam S, Mate DM, Martínez R, Jakob F, Schwaneberg U. A robust protocol for directed aryl sulfotransferase evolution toward the carbohydrate building block GlcNAc. Biotechnol Bioeng 2018; 115:1106-1115. [PMID: 29288579 DOI: 10.1002/bit.26535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial aryl sulfotransferases (AST) utilize p-nitrophenylsulfate (pNPS) as a phenolic donor to sulfurylate typically a phenolic acceptor. Interest in aryl sulfotransferases is growing because of their broad variety of acceptors and cost-effective sulfuryl-donors. For instance, aryl sulfotransferase A (ASTA) from Desulfitobacterium hafniense was recently reported to sulfurylate d-glucose. In this study, a directed evolution protocol was developed and validated for aryl sulfotransferase B (ASTB). Thereby the well-known pNPS quantification system was advanced to operate efficiently as a continuous screening system in 96-well MTP format with a true coefficient of variation of 14.3%. A random mutagenesis library (SeSaM library) of ASTB was screened (1,760 clones) to improve sulfurylation of the carbohydrate building block N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). The beneficial variant ASTB-V1 (Val579Asp) showed an up to 3.4-fold increased specific activity toward GlcNAc when compared to ASTB-WT. HPLC- and MS-analysis confirmed ASTB-V1's increased GlcNAc monosulfurylation (2.4-fold increased product formation) representing the validation of the first successful directed evolution round of an AST for a saccharide substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shohana Islam
- DWI-Leibniz-Institut für Interaktive Materialien e.V., Aachen, Germany
| | - Diana M Mate
- DWI-Leibniz-Institut für Interaktive Materialien e.V., Aachen, Germany
| | - Ronny Martínez
- Lehrstuhl für Biotechnologie, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Felix Jakob
- DWI-Leibniz-Institut für Interaktive Materialien e.V., Aachen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Schwaneberg
- DWI-Leibniz-Institut für Interaktive Materialien e.V., Aachen, Germany.,Lehrstuhl für Biotechnologie, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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19
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Jacquet P, Hiblot J, Daudé D, Bergonzi C, Gotthard G, Armstrong N, Chabrière E, Elias M. Rational engineering of a native hyperthermostable lactonase into a broad spectrum phosphotriesterase. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16745. [PMID: 29196634 PMCID: PMC5711954 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16841-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The redesign of enzyme active sites to alter their function or specificity is a difficult yet appealing challenge. Here we used a structure-based design approach to engineer the lactonase SsoPox from Sulfolobus solfataricus into a phosphotriesterase. The five best variants were characterized and their structure was solved. The most active variant, αsD6 (V27A-Y97W-L228M-W263M) demonstrates a large increase in catalytic efficiencies over the wild-type enzyme, with increases of 2,210-fold, 163-fold, 58-fold, 16-fold against methyl-parathion, malathion, ethyl-paraoxon, and methyl-paraoxon, respectively. Interestingly, the best mutants are also capable of degrading fensulfothion, which is reported to be an inhibitor for the wild-type enzyme, as well as others that are not substrates of the starting template or previously reported W263 mutants. The broad specificity of these engineered variants makes them promising candidates for the bioremediation of organophosphorus compounds. Analysis of their structures reveals that the increase in activity mainly occurs through the destabilization of the active site loop involved in substrate binding, and it has been observed that the level of disorder correlates with the width of the enzyme specificity spectrum. This finding supports the idea that active site conformational flexibility is essential to the acquisition of broader substrate specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Jacquet
- CNRS UMR 7278, IRD198, INSERM U1095, APHM, Institut Hospitalier Universitaire Méditerranée-Infection, Aix-Marseille Université, 19-21 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005, Marseille, France
| | - Julien Hiblot
- CNRS UMR 7278, IRD198, INSERM U1095, APHM, Institut Hospitalier Universitaire Méditerranée-Infection, Aix-Marseille Université, 19-21 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005, Marseille, France
- MPI for Medical Research, Chemical Biology department (EPFL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - David Daudé
- Gene&GreenTK, IHU Méditerranée Infection, 19-21 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005, Marseille, France
| | - Céline Bergonzi
- CNRS UMR 7278, IRD198, INSERM U1095, APHM, Institut Hospitalier Universitaire Méditerranée-Infection, Aix-Marseille Université, 19-21 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005, Marseille, France
- University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics & Biotechnology Institute, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Guillaume Gotthard
- CNRS UMR 7278, IRD198, INSERM U1095, APHM, Institut Hospitalier Universitaire Méditerranée-Infection, Aix-Marseille Université, 19-21 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005, Marseille, France
| | - Nicholas Armstrong
- CNRS UMR 7278, IRD198, INSERM U1095, APHM, Institut Hospitalier Universitaire Méditerranée-Infection, Aix-Marseille Université, 19-21 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005, Marseille, France
| | - Eric Chabrière
- CNRS UMR 7278, IRD198, INSERM U1095, APHM, Institut Hospitalier Universitaire Méditerranée-Infection, Aix-Marseille Université, 19-21 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005, Marseille, France.
| | - Mikael Elias
- University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics & Biotechnology Institute, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA.
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20
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Exploring the past and the future of protein evolution with ancestral sequence reconstruction: the 'retro' approach to protein engineering. Biochem J 2017; 474:1-19. [PMID: 28008088 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20160507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Revised: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
A central goal in molecular evolution is to understand the ways in which genes and proteins evolve in response to changing environments. In the absence of intact DNA from fossils, ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) can be used to infer the evolutionary precursors of extant proteins. To date, ancestral proteins belonging to eubacteria, archaea, yeast and vertebrates have been inferred that have been hypothesized to date from between several million to over 3 billion years ago. ASR has yielded insights into the early history of life on Earth and the evolution of proteins and macromolecular complexes. Recently, however, ASR has developed from a tool for testing hypotheses about protein evolution to a useful means for designing novel proteins. The strength of this approach lies in the ability to infer ancestral sequences encoding proteins that have desirable properties compared with contemporary forms, particularly thermostability and broad substrate range, making them good starting points for laboratory evolution. Developments in technologies for DNA sequencing and synthesis and computational phylogenetic analysis have led to an escalation in the number of ancient proteins resurrected in the last decade and greatly facilitated the use of ASR in the burgeoning field of synthetic biology. However, the primary challenge of ASR remains in accurately inferring ancestral states, despite the uncertainty arising from evolutionary models, incomplete sequences and limited phylogenetic trees. This review will focus, firstly, on the use of ASR to uncover links between sequence and phenotype and, secondly, on the practical application of ASR in protein engineering.
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21
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the long-anticipated possibility of putting sequence alignment on the same footing as statistical phylogenetics, theorists have struggled to develop time-dependent evolutionary models for indels that are as tractable as the analogous models for substitution events. MAIN TEXT This paper discusses progress in the area of insertion-deletion models, in view of recent work by Ezawa (BMC Bioinformatics 17:304, 2016); (BMC Bioinformatics 17:397, 2016); (BMC Bioinformatics 17:457, 2016) on the calculation of time-dependent gap length distributions in pairwise alignments, and current approaches for extending these approaches from ancestor-descendant pairs to phylogenetic trees. CONCLUSIONS While approximations that use finite-state machines (Pair HMMs and transducers) currently represent the most practical approach to problems such as sequence alignment and phylogeny, more rigorous approaches that work directly with the matrix exponential of the underlying continuous-time Markov chain also show promise, especially in view of recent advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian H. Holmes
- 0000 0001 2181 7878grid.47840.3fDept of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, 94720 USA
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22
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Poirier L, Jacquet P, Elias M, Daudé D, Chabrière E. [Decontamination of organophosphorus compounds: Towards new alternatives]. ANNALES PHARMACEUTIQUES FRANÇAISES 2017; 75:209-226. [PMID: 28267954 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharma.2017.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Organophosphorus coumpounds (OP) are toxic chemicals mainly used for agricultural purpose such as insecticides and were also developed and used as warfare nerve agents. OP are inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase, a key enzyme involved in the regulation of the central nervous system. Chemical, physical and biological approaches have been considered to decontaminate OP. This review summarizes the current and emerging strategies that are investigated to tackle this issue with a special emphasis on enzymatic remediation methods. During the last decade, many studies have been dedicated to the development of biocatalysts for OP removal. Among these, recent reports have pointed out the promising enzyme SsoPox isolated from the archaea Sulfolobus solfataricus. Considering both its intrinsic stability and activity, this hyperthermostable enzyme is highly appealing for the decontamination of OP.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Poirier
- Inserm, CNRS, IRD, URMITE, Aix Marseille université, Marseille, France
| | - P Jacquet
- Inserm, CNRS, IRD, URMITE, Aix Marseille université, Marseille, France
| | - M Elias
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics & Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, États-Unis
| | - D Daudé
- Gene&GreenTK, faculté de médecine, 27, boulevard Jean-Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France.
| | - E Chabrière
- Inserm, CNRS, IRD, URMITE, Aix Marseille université, Marseille, France; Gene&GreenTK, faculté de médecine, 27, boulevard Jean-Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France.
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23
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Jacquet P, Daudé D, Bzdrenga J, Masson P, Elias M, Chabrière E. Current and emerging strategies for organophosphate decontamination: special focus on hyperstable enzymes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:8200-18. [PMID: 26832878 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-6143-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Organophosphorus chemicals are highly toxic molecules mainly used as pesticides. Some of them are banned warfare nerve agents. These compounds are covalent inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase, a key enzyme in central and peripheral nervous systems. Numerous approaches, including chemical, physical, and biological decontamination, have been considered for developing decontamination methods against organophosphates (OPs). This work is an overview of both validated and emerging strategies for the protection against OP pollution with special attention to the use of decontaminating enzymes. Considerable efforts have been dedicated during the past decades to the development of efficient OP degrading biocatalysts. Among these, the promising biocatalyst SsoPox isolated from the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus is emphasized in the light of recently published results. This hyperthermostable enzyme appears to be particularly attractive for external decontamination purposes with regard to both its catalytic and stability properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Jacquet
- Aix Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM 1095, Marseille, France
| | - David Daudé
- Gene&GreenTK, Faculté de Médecine, 27 boulevard Jean Moulin, Cedex 5, Marseille, 13385, France
| | - Janek Bzdrenga
- Aix Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM 1095, Marseille, France
| | - Patrick Masson
- Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, 420008, Russia
| | - Mikael Elias
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics & Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Eric Chabrière
- Aix Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM 1095, Marseille, France.
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25
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Ihssen J, Haas J, Kowarik M, Wiesli L, Wacker M, Schwede T, Thöny-Meyer L. Increased efficiency of Campylobacter jejuni N-oligosaccharyltransferase PglB by structure-guided engineering. Open Biol 2016; 5:140227. [PMID: 25833378 PMCID: PMC4422122 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.140227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Conjugate vaccines belong to the most efficient preventive measures against life-threatening bacterial infections. Functional expression of N-oligosaccharyltransferase (N-OST) PglB of Campylobacter jejuni in Escherichia coli enables a simplified production of glycoconjugate vaccines in prokaryotic cells. Polysaccharide antigens of pathogenic bacteria can be covalently coupled to immunogenic acceptor proteins bearing engineered glycosylation sites. Transfer efficiency of PglBCj is low for certain heterologous polysaccharide substrates. In this study, we increased glycosylation rates for Salmonella enterica sv. Typhimurium LT2 O antigen (which lacks N-acetyl sugars) and Staphylococcus aureus CP5 polysaccharides by structure-guided engineering of PglB. A three-dimensional homology model of membrane-associated PglBCj, docked to the natural C. jejuni N-glycan attached to the acceptor peptide, was used to identify potential sugar-interacting residues as targets for mutagenesis. Saturation mutagenesis of an active site residue yielded the enhancing mutation N311V, which facilitated fivefold to 11-fold increased in vivo glycosylation rates as determined by glycoprotein-specific ELISA. Further rounds of in vitro evolution led to a triple mutant S80R-Q287P-N311V enabling a yield improvement of S. enterica LT2 glycoconjugates by a factor of 16. Our results demonstrate that bacterial N-OST can be tailored to specific polysaccharide substrates by structure-guided protein engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Ihssen
- Laboratory for Biointerfaces, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, St Gallen 9014, Switzerland
| | - Jürgen Haas
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, Basel 4056, Switzerland SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, Basel 4056, Switzerland
| | | | - Luzia Wiesli
- Laboratory for Biointerfaces, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, St Gallen 9014, Switzerland
| | | | - Torsten Schwede
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, Basel 4056, Switzerland SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, Basel 4056, Switzerland
| | - Linda Thöny-Meyer
- Laboratory for Biointerfaces, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, St Gallen 9014, Switzerland
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26
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Santiago-Ortiz J, Ojala DS, Westesson O, Weinstein JR, Wong SY, Steinsapir A, Kumar S, Holmes I, Schaffer DV. AAV ancestral reconstruction library enables selection of broadly infectious viral variants. Gene Ther 2015; 22:934-46. [PMID: 26186661 PMCID: PMC4509550 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2015.74] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2015] [Revised: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have achieved clinical efficacy in treating several diseases. However, enhanced vectors are required to extend these landmark successes to other indications and protein engineering approaches may provide the necessary vector improvements to address such unmet medical needs. To generate new capsid variants with potentially enhanced infectious properties and to gain insights into AAV's evolutionary history, we computationally designed and experimentally constructed a putative ancestral AAV library. Combinatorial variations at 32 amino acid sites were introduced to account for uncertainty in their identities. We then analyzed the evolutionary flexibility of these residues, the majority of which have not been previously studied, by subjecting the library to iterative selection on a representative cell line panel. The resulting variants exhibited transduction efficiencies comparable to the most efficient extant serotypes and, in general, ancestral libraries were broadly infectious across the cell line panel, indicating that they favored promiscuity over specificity. Interestingly, putative ancestral AAVs were more thermostable than modern serotypes and did not use sialic acids, galactose or heparan sulfate proteoglycans for cellular entry. Finally, variants mediated 19- to 31-fold higher gene expression in the muscle compared with AAV1, a clinically used serotype for muscle delivery, highlighting their promise for gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Santiago-Ortiz
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - D S Ojala
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - O Westesson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - J R Weinstein
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - S Y Wong
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - A Steinsapir
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - S Kumar
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - I Holmes
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - D V Schaffer
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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27
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Bar-Rogovsky H, Stern A, Penn O, Kobl I, Pupko T, Tawfik DS. Assessing the prediction fidelity of ancestral reconstruction by a library approach. Protein Eng Des Sel 2015; 28:507-18. [DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzv038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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28
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Currin A, Swainston N, Day PJ, Kell DB. Synthetic biology for the directed evolution of protein biocatalysts: navigating sequence space intelligently. Chem Soc Rev 2015; 44:1172-239. [PMID: 25503938 PMCID: PMC4349129 DOI: 10.1039/c4cs00351a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 258] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The amino acid sequence of a protein affects both its structure and its function. Thus, the ability to modify the sequence, and hence the structure and activity, of individual proteins in a systematic way, opens up many opportunities, both scientifically and (as we focus on here) for exploitation in biocatalysis. Modern methods of synthetic biology, whereby increasingly large sequences of DNA can be synthesised de novo, allow an unprecedented ability to engineer proteins with novel functions. However, the number of possible proteins is far too large to test individually, so we need means for navigating the 'search space' of possible protein sequences efficiently and reliably in order to find desirable activities and other properties. Enzymologists distinguish binding (Kd) and catalytic (kcat) steps. In a similar way, judicious strategies have blended design (for binding, specificity and active site modelling) with the more empirical methods of classical directed evolution (DE) for improving kcat (where natural evolution rarely seeks the highest values), especially with regard to residues distant from the active site and where the functional linkages underpinning enzyme dynamics are both unknown and hard to predict. Epistasis (where the 'best' amino acid at one site depends on that or those at others) is a notable feature of directed evolution. The aim of this review is to highlight some of the approaches that are being developed to allow us to use directed evolution to improve enzyme properties, often dramatically. We note that directed evolution differs in a number of ways from natural evolution, including in particular the available mechanisms and the likely selection pressures. Thus, we stress the opportunities afforded by techniques that enable one to map sequence to (structure and) activity in silico, as an effective means of modelling and exploring protein landscapes. Because known landscapes may be assessed and reasoned about as a whole, simultaneously, this offers opportunities for protein improvement not readily available to natural evolution on rapid timescales. Intelligent landscape navigation, informed by sequence-activity relationships and coupled to the emerging methods of synthetic biology, offers scope for the development of novel biocatalysts that are both highly active and robust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Currin
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology , The University of Manchester , 131, Princess St , Manchester M1 7DN , UK . ; http://dbkgroup.org/; @dbkell ; Tel: +44 (0)161 306 4492
- School of Chemistry , The University of Manchester , Manchester M13 9PL , UK
- Centre for Synthetic Biology of Fine and Speciality Chemicals (SYNBIOCHEM) , The University of Manchester , 131, Princess St , Manchester M1 7DN , UK
| | - Neil Swainston
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology , The University of Manchester , 131, Princess St , Manchester M1 7DN , UK . ; http://dbkgroup.org/; @dbkell ; Tel: +44 (0)161 306 4492
- Centre for Synthetic Biology of Fine and Speciality Chemicals (SYNBIOCHEM) , The University of Manchester , 131, Princess St , Manchester M1 7DN , UK
- School of Computer Science , The University of Manchester , Manchester M13 9PL , UK
| | - Philip J. Day
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology , The University of Manchester , 131, Princess St , Manchester M1 7DN , UK . ; http://dbkgroup.org/; @dbkell ; Tel: +44 (0)161 306 4492
- Centre for Synthetic Biology of Fine and Speciality Chemicals (SYNBIOCHEM) , The University of Manchester , 131, Princess St , Manchester M1 7DN , UK
- Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences , The University of Manchester , Manchester M13 9PT , UK
| | - Douglas B. Kell
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology , The University of Manchester , 131, Princess St , Manchester M1 7DN , UK . ; http://dbkgroup.org/; @dbkell ; Tel: +44 (0)161 306 4492
- School of Chemistry , The University of Manchester , Manchester M13 9PL , UK
- Centre for Synthetic Biology of Fine and Speciality Chemicals (SYNBIOCHEM) , The University of Manchester , 131, Princess St , Manchester M1 7DN , UK
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29
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Tibbs ZE, Rohn-Glowacki KJ, Crittenden F, Guidry AL, Falany CN. Structural plasticity in the human cytosolic sulfotransferase dimer and its role in substrate selectivity and catalysis. Drug Metab Pharmacokinet 2015; 30:3-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dmpk.2014.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Revised: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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30
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Engineering the ligninolytic enzyme consortium. Trends Biotechnol 2015; 33:155-62. [PMID: 25600621 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2014.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Revised: 12/06/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The ligninolytic enzyme consortium is one of the most-efficient oxidative systems found in nature, playing a pivotal role during wood decay and coal formation. Typically formed by high redox-potential oxidoreductases, this array of enzymes can be used within the emerging lignocellulose biorefineries in processes that range from the production of bioenergy to that of biomaterials. To ensure that these versatile enzymes meet industry standards and needs, they have been subjected to directed evolution and hybrid approaches that surpass the limits imposed by nature. This Opinion article analyzes recent achievements in this field, including the incipient groundbreaking research into the evolution of resurrected enzymes, and the engineering of ligninolytic secretomes to create consolidated bioprocessing microbes with synthetic biology applications.
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31
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Rosini E, Piubelli L, Molla G, Frattini L, Valentino M, Varriale A, D'Auria S, Pollegioni L. Novel biosensors based on optimized glycine oxidase. FEBS J 2014; 281:3460-72. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.12873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Revised: 05/27/2014] [Accepted: 06/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Rosini
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita; Università degli studi dell'Insubria; Varese Italy
- The Protein Factory; Centro Interuniversitario di Biotecnologie Proteiche; Politecnico di Milano; ICRM CNR Milano; Università degli studi dell'Insubria; Milano Italy
| | - Luciano Piubelli
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita; Università degli studi dell'Insubria; Varese Italy
- The Protein Factory; Centro Interuniversitario di Biotecnologie Proteiche; Politecnico di Milano; ICRM CNR Milano; Università degli studi dell'Insubria; Milano Italy
| | - Gianluca Molla
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita; Università degli studi dell'Insubria; Varese Italy
- The Protein Factory; Centro Interuniversitario di Biotecnologie Proteiche; Politecnico di Milano; ICRM CNR Milano; Università degli studi dell'Insubria; Milano Italy
| | - Luca Frattini
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita; Università degli studi dell'Insubria; Varese Italy
| | - Mattia Valentino
- The Protein Factory; Centro Interuniversitario di Biotecnologie Proteiche; Politecnico di Milano; ICRM CNR Milano; Università degli studi dell'Insubria; Milano Italy
- CNR - Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare; Sezione Adolfo Quilico; Milano Italy
| | | | - Sabato D'Auria
- CNR - Istituto di Biochimica delle Proteine; Napoli Italy
| | - Loredano Pollegioni
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita; Università degli studi dell'Insubria; Varese Italy
- The Protein Factory; Centro Interuniversitario di Biotecnologie Proteiche; Politecnico di Milano; ICRM CNR Milano; Università degli studi dell'Insubria; Milano Italy
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Sharma V, Colson P, Giorgi R, Pontarotti P, Raoult D. DNA-dependent RNA polymerase detects hidden giant viruses in published databanks. Genome Biol Evol 2014; 6:1603-10. [PMID: 24929085 PMCID: PMC4122926 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evu128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental metagenomic studies show that there is a “dark matter,” composed of sequences not linked to any known organism, as determined mainly using ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences, which therefore ignore giant viruses. DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RNAP) genes are universal in microbes and conserved in giant viruses and may replace rDNA for identifying microbes. We found while reconstructing RNAP subunit 2 (RNAP2) phylogeny that a giant virus sequenced together with the genome of a large eukaryote, Hydra magnipapillata, has been overlooked. To explore the dark matter, we used viral RNAP2 and reconstructed putative ancestral RNAP2, which were significantly superior in detecting distant clades than current sequences, and we revealed two additional unknown mimiviruses, misclassified as an euryarchaeote and an oomycete plant pathogen, and detected unknown putative viral clades. We suggest using RNAP systematically to decipher the black matter and identify giant viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikas Sharma
- Aix-Marseille Univ., Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE) UM63 CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Marseille, FranceAix-Marseille Univ., I2M UMR-CNRS 7373, Evolution Biologique et Modélisation, Marseille, France
| | - Philippe Colson
- Aix-Marseille Univ., Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE) UM63 CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Marseille, FranceFondation Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Clinique et Biologique, Fédération de Bactériologie-Hygiène-Virologie, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Timone, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Roch Giorgi
- Aix-Marseille Université, UMR S 912 (SESSTIM), INSERM, IRD, Marseille, FranceAssistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, hôpital Timone, Service Biostatistique et Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication, Marseille, France
| | - Pierre Pontarotti
- Aix-Marseille Univ., I2M UMR-CNRS 7373, Evolution Biologique et Modélisation, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix-Marseille Univ., Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE) UM63 CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Marseille, FranceFondation Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Clinique et Biologique, Fédération de Bactériologie-Hygiène-Virologie, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Timone, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France
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33
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Conti G, Pollegioni L, Molla G, Rosini E. Strategic manipulation of an industrial biocatalyst--evolution of a cephalosporin C acylase. FEBS J 2014; 281:2443-55. [PMID: 24684708 DOI: 10.1111/febs.12798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2013] [Revised: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Semi-synthetic cephalosporins are synthesized from the 7-amino cephalosporanic acid (7-ACA) nucleus produced from the antibiotic cephalosporin C (CephC). In recent years, a single-step enzymatic process in which CephC is directly converted into 7-ACA by a cephalosporin C acylase (CA) has attracted industrial interest because of the prospects of simplifying the process and reducing costs. CAs are members of the glutaryl acylase family that specifically use CephC as their substrate; however, known natural glutaryl acylases show very low activity on the antibiotic. We previously enhanced the catalytic efficiency on CephC of a glutaryl acylase from Pseudomonas N176 (named VAC) by a protein engineering approach, and solved the structures of the VAC, thus providing insight into the substrate binding and catalytic activity of CAs. However, the properties of such enzymes are not sufficient to encourage 7-ACA manufacturers to shift to single-step enzymatic conversion of CephC. Here, we combine structural knowledge, semi-rational design, computational approaches and evolution analysis to isolate VAC variants with altered substrate specificity (i.e. with a > 11,000-fold increase in specificity constant for CephC versus glutaryl-7-amino cephalosporanic acid, compared to wild-type) and with the highest kinetic efficiency so far obtained for a CA. Indeed, the H57βS-H70βS-L154βY VAC variant shows the highest conversion of CephC into 7-ACA under conditions resembling those used at industrial level because of its high kinetic efficiency and the absence of substrate or product inhibition effects, and may be suitable for industrial application of the mono-step process for CephC conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Conti
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita, Università degli studi dell'Insubria, Varese, Italy
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34
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Gonzalez-Perez D, Molina-Espeja P, Garcia-Ruiz E, Alcalde M. Mutagenic Organized Recombination Process by Homologous IN vivo Grouping (MORPHING) for directed enzyme evolution. PLoS One 2014; 9:e90919. [PMID: 24614282 PMCID: PMC3948698 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Approaches that depend on directed evolution require reliable methods to generate DNA diversity so that mutant libraries can focus on specific target regions. We took advantage of the high frequency of homologous DNA recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to develop a strategy for domain mutagenesis aimed at introducing and in vivo recombining random mutations in defined segments of DNA. Mutagenic Organized Recombination Process by Homologous IN vivo Grouping (MORPHING) is a one-pot random mutagenic method for short protein regions that harnesses the in vivo recombination apparatus of yeast. Using this approach, libraries can be prepared with different mutational loads in DNA segments of less than 30 amino acids so that they can be assembled into the remaining unaltered DNA regions in vivo with high fidelity. As a proof of concept, we present two eukaryotic-ligninolytic enzyme case studies: i) the enhancement of the oxidative stability of a H2O2-sensitive versatile peroxidase by independent evolution of three distinct protein segments (Leu28-Gly57, Leu149-Ala174 and Ile199-Leu268); and ii) the heterologous functional expression of an unspecific peroxygenase by exclusive evolution of its native 43-residue signal sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gonzalez-Perez
- Departmento de Biocatálisis, Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Molina-Espeja
- Departmento de Biocatálisis, Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Garcia-Ruiz
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Miguel Alcalde
- Departmento de Biocatálisis, Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
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35
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Sandler I, Zigdon N, Levy E, Aharoni A. The functional importance of co-evolving residues in proteins. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:673-82. [PMID: 23995987 PMCID: PMC11113390 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-013-1458-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2013] [Revised: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 08/13/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Computational approaches for detecting co-evolution in proteins allow for the identification of protein-protein interaction networks in different organisms and the assignment of function to under-explored proteins. The detection of co-variation of amino acids within or between proteins, moreover, allows for the discovery of residue-residue contacts and highlights functional residues that can affect the binding affinity, catalytic activity, or substrate specificity of a protein. To explore the functional impact of co-evolutionary changes in proteins, a combined experimental and computational approach must be recruited. Here, we review recent studies that apply computational and experimental tools to obtain novel insight into the structure, function, and evolution of proteins. Specifically, we describe the application of co-evolutionary analysis for predicting high-resolution three-dimensional structures of proteins. In addition, we describe computational approaches followed by experimental analysis for identifying specificity-determining residues in proteins. Finally, we discuss studies addressing the importance of such residues in terms of the functional divergence of proteins, allowing proteins to evolve new functions while avoiding crosstalk with existing cellular pathways or forming reproductive barriers and hence promoting speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Sandler
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Nitzan Zigdon
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Efrat Levy
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Amir Aharoni
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
- National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev (NIBN), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
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36
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Gonzalez D, Hiblot J, Darbinian N, Miller JC, Gotthard G, Amini S, Chabriere E, Elias M. Ancestral mutations as a tool for solubilizing proteins: The case of a hydrophobic phosphate-binding protein. FEBS Open Bio 2014; 4:121-7. [PMID: 24490136 PMCID: PMC3907688 DOI: 10.1016/j.fob.2013.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Revised: 12/21/2013] [Accepted: 12/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Stable and soluble proteins are ideal candidates for functional and structural studies. Unfortunately, some proteins or enzymes can be difficult to isolate, being sometimes poorly expressed in heterologous systems, insoluble and/or unstable. Numerous methods have been developed to address these issues, from the screening of various expression systems to the modification of the target protein itself. Here we use a hydrophobic, aggregation-prone, phosphate-binding protein (HPBP) as a case study. We describe a simple and fast method that selectively uses ancestral mutations to generate a soluble, stable and functional variant of the target protein, here named sHPBP. This variant is highly expressed in Escherichia coli, is easily purified and its structure was solved at much higher resolution than its wild-type progenitor (1.3 versus 1.9 Å, respectively).
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gonzalez
- URMITE UMR CNRS-IRD 6236, IFR48, Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France
| | - Julien Hiblot
- URMITE UMR CNRS-IRD 6236, IFR48, Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France
| | - Nune Darbinian
- Department of Neuroscience, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Jernelle C. Miller
- Department of Neuroscience, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Guillaume Gotthard
- URMITE UMR CNRS-IRD 6236, IFR48, Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France
| | - Shohreh Amini
- Department of Neuroscience, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Eric Chabriere
- URMITE UMR CNRS-IRD 6236, IFR48, Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France
| | - Mikael Elias
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Biological Chemistry, Rehovot, Israel
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37
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Rockah-Shmuel L, Tawfik DS, Goldsmith M. Generating targeted libraries by the combinatorial incorporation of synthetic oligonucleotides during gene shuffling (ISOR). Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1179:129-137. [PMID: 25055774 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1053-3_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Protein engineering by directed evolution relies on the use of libraries enriched with beneficial variants. Such libraries should explore large mutational diversities while avoiding high loads of deleterious mutations. Here we describe a simple protocol for incorporating synthetic oligonucleotides that encode designed, site-specific mutations by assembly PCR. This protocol enables a researcher to "hedge the bets," namely, to explore a large number of potentially beneficial mutations in a combinatorial manner such that individual library variants carry a limited number of mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liat Rockah-Shmuel
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzel st., Rehovot, 76100, Israel
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38
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Daudé D, Topham CM, Remaud-Siméon M, André I. Probing impact of active site residue mutations on stability and activity of Neisseria polysaccharea amylosucrase. Protein Sci 2013; 22:1754-65. [PMID: 24115119 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Accepted: 09/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The amylosucrase from Neisseria polysaccharea is a transglucosidase from the GH13 family of glycoside-hydrolases that naturally catalyzes the synthesis of α-glucans from the widely available donor sucrose. Interestingly, natural molecular evolution has modeled a dense hydrogen bond network at subsite -1 responsible for the specific recognition of sucrose and conversely, it has loosened interactions at the subsite +1 creating a highly promiscuous subsite +1. The residues forming these subsites are considered to be likely involved in the activity as well as the overall stability of the enzyme. To assess their role, a structure-based approach was followed to reshape the subsite -1. A strategy based on stability change predictions, using the FoldX algorithm, was considered to identify the best candidates for site-directed mutagenesis and guide the construction of a small targeted library. A miniaturized purification protocol was developed and both mutant stability and substrate promiscuity were explored. A range of 8 °C between extreme melting temperature values was observed and some variants were able to synthesize series of oligosaccharides with distributions differing from that of the parental enzyme. The crucial role of subsite -1 was thus highlighted and the biocatalysts generated can now be considered as starting points for further engineering purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Daudé
- Université de Toulouse; INSA, UPS,INP, LISBP, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, F-31077, Toulouse, France; CNRS, UMR5504, F-31400, Toulouse, France; INRA, UMR792, Ingénierie des Systèmes Biologiques et des Procédés, F-31400, Toulouse, France
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39
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Duarte F, Amrein BA, Kamerlin SCL. Modeling catalytic promiscuity in the alkaline phosphatase superfamily. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2013; 15:11160-77. [PMID: 23728154 PMCID: PMC3693508 DOI: 10.1039/c3cp51179k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Accepted: 05/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that promiscuity plays a key role in the evolution of new enzyme function. This finding has helped to elucidate fundamental aspects of molecular evolution. While there has been extensive experimental work on enzyme promiscuity, computational modeling of the chemical details of such promiscuity has traditionally fallen behind the advances in experimental studies, not least due to the nearly prohibitive computational cost involved in examining multiple substrates with multiple potential mechanisms and binding modes in atomic detail with a reasonable degree of accuracy. However, recent advances in both computational methodologies and power have allowed us to reach a stage in the field where we can start to overcome this problem, and molecular simulations can now provide accurate and efficient descriptions of complex biological systems with substantially less computational cost. This has led to significant advances in our understanding of enzyme function and evolution in a broader sense. Here, we will discuss currently available computational approaches that can allow us to probe the underlying molecular basis for enzyme specificity and selectivity, discussing the inherent strengths and weaknesses of each approach. As a case study, we will discuss recent computational work on different members of the alkaline phosphatase superfamily (AP) using a range of different approaches, showing the complementary insights they have provided. We have selected this particular superfamily, as it poses a number of significant challenges for theory, ranging from the complexity of the actual reaction mechanisms involved to the reliable modeling of the catalytic metal centers, as well as the very large system sizes. We will demonstrate that, through current advances in methodologies, computational tools can provide significant insight into the molecular basis for catalytic promiscuity, and, therefore, in turn, the mechanisms of protein functional evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Duarte
- Uppsala University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala, Sweden. ; ;
| | - Beat Anton Amrein
- Uppsala University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala, Sweden. ; ;
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40
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Nov Y. Fitness loss and library size determination in saturation mutagenesis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e68069. [PMID: 23844158 PMCID: PMC3700877 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2013] [Accepted: 05/24/2013] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Saturation mutagenesis is a widely used directed evolution technique, in which a large number of protein variants, each having random amino acids in certain predetermined positions, are screened in order to discover high-fitness variants among them. Several metrics for determining the library size (the number of variants screened) have been suggested in the literature, but none of them incorporates the actual fitness of the variants discovered in the experiment. We present the results of an extensive simulation study, which is based on probabilistic models for protein fitness landscape, and which investigates how the result of a saturation mutagenesis experiment – the fitness of the best variant discovered – varies as a function of the library size. In particular, we study the loss of fitness in the experiment: the difference between the fitness of the best variant discovered, and the fitness of the best variant in variant space. Our results are that the existing criteria for determining the library size are conservative, so smaller libraries are often satisfactory. Reducing the library size can save labor, time, and expenses in the laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuval Nov
- Department of Statistics, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
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41
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Bar-Rogovsky H, Hugenmatter A, Tawfik DS. The evolutionary origins of detoxifying enzymes: the mammalian serum paraoxonases (PONs) relate to bacterial homoserine lactonases. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:23914-27. [PMID: 23788644 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.427922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Serum paraoxonases (PONs) are detoxifying lactonases that were first identified in mammals. Three mammalian families are known, PON1, 2, and 3 that reside primarily in the liver. They catalyze essentially the same reaction, lactone hydrolysis, but differ in their substrate specificity. Although some members are highly specific, others have a broad specificity profile. The evolutionary origins and substrate specificities of PONs therefore remain poorly understood. Here, we report a newly identified family of bacterial PONs, and the reconstruction of the ancestor of the three families of mammalian PONs. Both the mammalian ancestor and the characterized bacterial PONX_OCCAL were found to efficiently hydrolyze N-acyl homoserine lactones that mediate quorum sensing in many bacteria, including pathogenic ones. The mammalian PONs may therefore relate to a newly identified family of bacterial, PON-like "quorum-quenching" lactonases. The appearance of PONs in metazoa is likely to relate to innate immunity rather than detoxification. Unlike the bacterial PON, the mammalian ancestor also hydrolyzes, with low efficiency, lactones other than homoserine lactones, thus preceding the detoxifying functions that diverged later in two of the three mammalian families. The bifunctionality of the mammalian ancestor and the trade-off between the quorum-quenching and detoxifying lactonase activities explain the broad and overlapping specificities of some mammalian PONs versus the singular specificity of others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagit Bar-Rogovsky
- From the Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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42
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Parravicini F, Natalello A, Papaleo E, De Gioia L, Doglia SM, Lotti M, Brocca S. Reciprocal influence of protein domains in the cold-adapted acyl aminoacyl peptidase from Sporosarcina psychrophila. PLoS One 2013; 8:e56254. [PMID: 23457536 PMCID: PMC3574126 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Acyl aminoacyl peptidases are two-domain proteins composed by a C-terminal catalytic α/β-hydrolase domain and by an N-terminal β-propeller domain connected through a structural element that is at the N-terminus in sequence but participates in the 3D structure of the C-domain. We investigated about the structural and functional interplay between the two domains and the bridge structure (in this case a single helix named α1-helix) in the cold-adapted enzyme from Sporosarcina psychrophila (SpAAP) using both protein variants in which entire domains were deleted and proteins carrying substitutions in the α1-helix. We found that in this enzyme the inter-domain connection dramatically affects the stability of both the whole enzyme and the β-propeller. The α1-helix is required for the stability of the intact protein, as in other enzymes of the same family; however in this psychrophilic enzyme only, it destabilizes the isolated β-propeller. A single charged residue (E10) in the α1-helix plays a major role for the stability of the whole structure. Overall, a strict interaction of the SpAAP domains seems to be mandatory for the preservation of their reciprocal structural integrity and may witness their co-evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Parravicini
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonino Natalello
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Papaleo
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca De Gioia
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Maria Doglia
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Marina Lotti
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- * E-mail: (SB); (ML)
| | - Stefania Brocca
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- * E-mail: (SB); (ML)
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Sun S, Zhang W, Mannervik B, Andersson DI. Evolution of broad spectrum β-lactam resistance in an engineered metallo-β-lactamase. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:2314-24. [PMID: 23209299 PMCID: PMC3554903 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.430199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2012] [Revised: 11/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The extensive use and misuse of antibiotics during the last seven decades has led to the evolution and global spread of a variety of resistance mechanisms in bacteria. Of high medical importance are β-lactamases, a group of enzymes inactivating β-lactam antibiotics. Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) are particularly problematic because of their ability to act on virtually all classes of β-lactam antibiotics. An engineered MBL (evMBL9) characterized by low level activity with several β-lactam antibiotics was constructed and employed as a parental MBL in an experiment to examine how an enzyme can evolve toward increased activity with a variety of β-lactam antibiotics. We designed and synthesized a mutant library in which the substrate activity profile was varied by randomizing six active site amino acid residues. The library was expressed in Salmonella typhimurium, clones with increased resistance against seven different β-lactam antibiotics (penicillin G, ampicillin, cephalothin, cefaclor, cefuroxime, cefoperazone, and cefotaxime) were isolated, and the MBL variants were characterized. For the majority of the mutants, bacterial resistance was significantly increased despite marked reductions in both mRNA and protein levels relative to those of parental evMBL9, indicating that the catalytic activities of these mutant MBLs were highly increased. Multivariate analysis showed that the majority of the mutant enzymes were generalists, conferring increased resistance against most of the examined β-lactams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Sun
- From the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Wei Zhang
- the Department of Chemistry-BMC, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden, and
| | - Bengt Mannervik
- the Department of Chemistry-BMC, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden, and
- the Department of Neurochemistry, Stockholm University SE-10961 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Dan I. Andersson
- From the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden
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Abstract
Phosphoryl transfer plays key roles in signaling, energy transduction, protein synthesis, and maintaining the integrity of the genetic material. On the surface, it would appear to be a simple nucleophile displacement reaction. However, this simplicity is deceptive, as, even in aqueous solution, the low-lying d-orbitals on the phosphorus atom allow for eight distinct mechanistic possibilities, before even introducing the complexities of the enzyme catalyzed reactions. To further complicate matters, while powerful, traditional experimental techniques such as the use of linear free-energy relationships (LFER) or measuring isotope effects cannot make unique distinctions between different potential mechanisms. A quarter of a century has passed since Westheimer wrote his seminal review, 'Why Nature Chose Phosphate' (Science 235 (1987), 1173), and a lot has changed in the field since then. The present review revisits this biologically crucial issue, exploring both relevant enzymatic systems as well as the corresponding chemistry in aqueous solution, and demonstrating that the only way key questions in this field are likely to be resolved is through careful theoretical studies (which of course should be able to reproduce all relevant experimental data). Finally, we demonstrate that the reason that nature really chose phosphate is due to interplay between two counteracting effects: on the one hand, phosphates are negatively charged and the resulting charge-charge repulsion with the attacking nucleophile contributes to the very high barrier for hydrolysis, making phosphate esters among the most inert compounds known. However, biology is not only about reducing the barrier to unfavorable chemical reactions. That is, the same charge-charge repulsion that makes phosphate ester hydrolysis so unfavorable also makes it possible to regulate, by exploiting the electrostatics. This means that phosphate ester hydrolysis can not only be turned on, but also be turned off, by fine tuning the electrostatic environment and the present review demonstrates numerous examples where this is the case. Without this capacity for regulation, it would be impossible to have for instance a signaling or metabolic cascade, where the action of each participant is determined by the fine-tuned activity of the previous piece in the production line. This makes phosphate esters the ideal compounds to facilitate life as we know it.
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Ito Y, Ikeuchi A, Imamura C. Advanced evolutionary molecular engineering to produce thermostable cellulase by using a small but efficient library. Protein Eng Des Sel 2012; 26:73-9. [PMID: 23091162 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzs072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
We aimed at constructing thermostable cellulase variants of cellobiohydrolase II, derived from the mesophilic fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium, by using an advanced evolutionary molecular engineering method. By aligning the amino acid sequences of the catalytic domains of five thermophilic fungal CBH2 and PcCBH2 proteins, we identified 45 positions where the PcCBH2 genes differ from the consensus sequence of two to five thermophilic fungal CBH2s. PcCBH2 variants with the consensus mutations were obtained by a cell-free translation system that was chosen for easy evaluation of thermostability. From the small library of consensus mutations, advantageous mutations for improving thermostability were found to occur with much higher frequency relative to a random library. To further improve thermostability, advantageous mutations were accumulated within the wild-type gene. Finally, we obtained the most thermostable variant Mall4, which contained all 15 advantageous mutations found in this study. This variant had the same specific cellulase activity as the wild type and retained sufficient activity at 50°C for >72 h, whereas wild-type PcCBH2 retained much less activity under the same conditions. The history of the accumulation process indicated that evolution of PcCBH2 toward improved thermostability was ideally and rapidly accomplished through the evolutionary process employed in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Ito
- Biotechnology Laboratory, Toyota Central R&D Laboratories, Inc., Yokomichi, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan
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Barrozo A, Borstnar R, Marloie G, Kamerlin SCL. Computational protein engineering: bridging the gap between rational design and laboratory evolution. Int J Mol Sci 2012. [PMID: 23202907 PMCID: PMC3497281 DOI: 10.3390/ijms131012428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Enzymes are tremendously proficient catalysts, which can be used as extracellular catalysts for a whole host of processes, from chemical synthesis to the generation of novel biofuels. For them to be more amenable to the needs of biotechnology, however, it is often necessary to be able to manipulate their physico-chemical properties in an efficient and streamlined manner, and, ideally, to be able to train them to catalyze completely new reactions. Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in different approaches to achieve this, both in the laboratory, and in silico. There remains, however, a gap between current approaches to computational enzyme design, which have primarily focused on the early stages of the design process, and laboratory evolution, which is an extremely powerful tool for enzyme redesign, but will always be limited by the vastness of sequence space combined with the low frequency for desirable mutations. This review discusses different approaches towards computational enzyme design and demonstrates how combining newly developed screening approaches that can rapidly predict potential mutation “hotspots” with approaches that can quantitatively and reliably dissect the catalytic step can bridge the gap that currently exists between computational enzyme design and laboratory evolution studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Barrozo
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala Biomedical Center (BMC), Uppsala University, Box 596, S-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden; E-Mails: (A.B.); (R.B.); (G.M.)
| | - Rok Borstnar
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala Biomedical Center (BMC), Uppsala University, Box 596, S-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden; E-Mails: (A.B.); (R.B.); (G.M.)
- Laboratory for Biocomputing and Bioinformatics, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gaël Marloie
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala Biomedical Center (BMC), Uppsala University, Box 596, S-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden; E-Mails: (A.B.); (R.B.); (G.M.)
| | - Shina Caroline Lynn Kamerlin
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala Biomedical Center (BMC), Uppsala University, Box 596, S-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden; E-Mails: (A.B.); (R.B.); (G.M.)
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +46-18-471-4423; Fax: +46-18-530-396
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Goldsmith M, Ashani Y, Simo Y, Ben-David M, Leader H, Silman I, Sussman JL, Tawfik DS. Evolved stereoselective hydrolases for broad-spectrum G-type nerve agent detoxification. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 19:456-66. [PMID: 22520752 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2012.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2011] [Revised: 01/16/2012] [Accepted: 01/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A preferred strategy for preventing nerve agents intoxication is catalytic scavenging by enzymes that hydrolyze them before they reach their targets. Using directed evolution, we simultaneously enhanced the activity of a previously described serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1) variant for hydrolysis of the toxic S(P) isomers of the most threatening G-type nerve agents. The evolved variants show ≤340-fold increased rates and catalytic efficiencies of 0.2-5 × 10(7) M(-1) min(-1). Our selection for prevention of acetylcholinesterase inhibition also resulted in the complete reversion of PON1's stereospecificity, from an enantiomeric ratio (E) < 6.3 × 10(-4) in favor of the R(P) isomer of a cyclosarin analog in wild-type PON1, to E > 2,500 for the S(P) isomer in an evolved variant. Given their ability to hydrolyze G-agents, these evolved variants may serve as broad-range G-agent prophylactics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moshe Goldsmith
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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Goldsmith M, Tawfik DS. Directed enzyme evolution: beyond the low-hanging fruit. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2012; 22:406-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2012.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2012] [Revised: 03/14/2012] [Accepted: 03/14/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Afriat-Jurnou L, Jackson CJ, Tawfik DS. Reconstructing a missing link in the evolution of a recently diverged phosphotriesterase by active-site loop remodeling. Biochemistry 2012; 51:6047-55. [PMID: 22809311 DOI: 10.1021/bi300694t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Only decades after the introduction of organophosphate pesticides, bacterial phosphotriesterases (PTEs) have evolved to catalyze their degradation with remarkable efficiency. Their closest known relatives, lactonases, with promiscuous phosphotriasterase activity, dubbed PTE-like lactonases (PLLs), share only 30% sequence identity and also differ in the configuration of their active-site loops. PTE was therefore presumed to have evolved from a yet unknown PLL whose primary activity was the hydrolysis of quorum sensing homoserine lactones (HSLs) (Afriat et al. (2006) Biochemistry 45, 13677-13686). However, how PTEs diverged from this presumed PLL remains a mystery. In this study we investigated loop remodeling as a means of reconstructing a homoserine lactonase ancestor that relates to PTE by few mutational steps. Although, in nature, loop remodeling is a common mechanism of divergence of enzymatic functions, reproducing this process in the laboratory is a challenge. Structural and phylogenetic analyses enabled us to remodel one of PTE's active-site loops into a PLL-like configuration. A deletion in loop 7, combined with an adjacent, highly epistatic, point mutation led to the emergence of an HSLase activity that is undetectable in PTE (k(cat)/K(M) values of up to 2 × 10(4)). The appearance of the HSLase activity was accompanied by only a minor decrease in PTE's paraoxonase activity. This specificity change demonstrates the potential role of bifunctional intermediates in the divergence of new enzymatic functions and highlights the critical contribution of loop remodeling to the rapid divergence of new enzyme functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livnat Afriat-Jurnou
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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