Characterization of an 'orthogonal' suppressor tRNA derived from E. coli tRNA2(Gln)

Genetic Code Expansion History and Modern Innovations

The genetic code is the foundation for all life. With few exceptions, the translation of nucleic acid messages into proteins follows conserved rules, which are defined by codons that specify each of the 20 proteinogenic amino acids. For decades, leading research groups have developed a catalogue of innovative approaches to extend nature's amino acid repertoire to include one or more noncanonical building blocks in a single protein. In this review, we summarize advances in the history of in vitro and in vivo genetic code expansion, and highlight recent innovations that increase the scope of biochemically accessible monomers and codons. We further summarize state-of-the-art knowledge in engineered cellular translation, as well as alterations to regulatory mechanisms that improve overall genetic code expansion. Finally, we distill existing limitations of these technologies into must-have improvements for the next generation of technologies, and speculate on future strategies that may be capable of overcoming current gaps in knowledge.

Cracking the Code: Reprogramming the Genetic Script in Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes to Harness the Power of Noncanonical Amino Acids

Over 500 natural and synthetic amino acids have been genetically encoded in the last two decades. Incorporating these noncanonical amino acids into proteins enables many powerful applications, ranging from basic research to biotechnology, materials science, and medicine. However, major challenges remain to unleash the full potential of genetic code expansion across disciplines. Here, we provide an overview of diverse genetic code expansion methodologies and systems and their final applications in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, represented by Escherichia coli and mammalian cells as the main workhorse model systems. We highlight the power of how new technologies can be first established in simple and then transferred to more complex systems. For example, whole-genome engineering provides an excellent platform in bacteria for enabling transcript-specific genetic code expansion without off-targets in the transcriptome. In contrast, the complexity of a eukaryotic cell poses challenges that require entirely new approaches, such as striving toward establishing novel base pairs or generating orthogonally translating organelles within living cells. We connect the milestones in expanding the genetic code of living cells for encoding novel chemical functionalities to the most recent scientific discoveries, from optimizing the physicochemical properties of noncanonical amino acids to the technological advancements for their in vivo incorporation. This journey offers a glimpse into the promising developments in the years to come.

tRNA engineering strategies for genetic code expansion

The advancement of genetic code expansion (GCE) technology is attributed to the establishment of specific aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs. While earlier improvements mainly focused on aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, recent studies have highlighted the importance of optimizing tRNA sequences to enhance both unnatural amino acid incorporation efficiency and orthogonality. Given the crucial role of tRNAs in the translation process and their substantial impact on overall GCE efficiency, ongoing efforts are dedicated to the development of tRNA engineering techniques. This review explores diverse tRNA engineering approaches and provides illustrative examples in the context of GCE, offering insights into the user-friendly implementation of GCE technology.

Genetic Code Expansion Facilitates Position-Selective Modification of Nucleic Acids and Proteins

Transcription and translation obey to the genetic code of four nucleobases and 21 amino acids evolved over billions of years. Both these processes have been engineered to facilitate the use of non-natural building blocks in both nucleic acids and proteins, enabling researchers with a decent toolbox for structural and functional analyses. Here, we review the most common approaches for how labeling of both nucleic acids as well as proteins in a site-selective fashion with either modifiable building blocks or spectroscopic probes can be facilitated by genetic code expansion. We emphasize methodological approaches and how these can be adapted for specific modifications, both during as well as after biomolecule synthesis. These modifications can facilitate, for example, a number of different spectroscopic analysis techniques and can under specific circumstances even be used in combination.

Evolution, ecology and the engineered organism: lessons for synthetic biology

An understanding of evolution and ecology will be critical to the success of synthetic biology.

As the scope and complexity of synthetic biology grows, an understanding of evolution and ecology will be critical to its success.

Fluorescent labeling of cell-free synthesized proteins with fluorophore-conjugated methionylated tRNA derived from in vitro transcribed tRNA

A simple and practical method for preparing fluorophore-conjugated methionylated tRNA necessary for tRNA-mediated fluorescent labeling of cell-free synthesized proteins was developed. Without complicated chromatographic purification and subsequent concentration, fluorophore-conjugated methionylated tRNA with higher purity and fluorescence concentration could be synthesized from in vitro transcribed tRNA instead of from a total tRNA mixture, which has been routinely used as a tRNA source. Although fluorophore-conjugated methionylated tRNA derived from in vitro transcribed tRNA was purified by simple phenol extraction following alcohol precipitation, it worked well in tRNA-mediated fluorescent labeling, yielding an improved signal-to-noise ratio and higher fluorescence intensity compared to the conventional total tRNA-based method. Based on its simplicity in the preparation of labeling agent with higher purity and fluorescence concentration, the developed method will accelerate the prevalence of fluorescence-based detection of cell-free synthesized proteins.

Improved amber and opal suppressor tRNAs for incorporation of unnatural amino acids in vivo. Part 1: minimizing misacylation

The incorporation of unnatural amino acids site-specifically is a valuable technique for structure-function studies, incorporation of biophysical probes, and determining protein-protein interactions. THG73 is an amber suppressor tRNA used extensively for the incorporation of >100 different residues in over 20 proteins, but under certain conditions THG73 is aminoacylated in vivo by endogenous aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase. Similar aminoacylation is seen with the Escherichia coli Asn amber suppressor tRNA, which has also been used to incorporate UAAs in many studies. We now find that the natural amino acid placed on THG73 is Gln. Since the E. coli GlnRS recognizes positions in the acceptor stem, we made several acceptor stem mutations in the second to fourth positions on THG73. All mutations reduce aminoacylation in vivo and allow for the selection of highly orthogonal tRNAs. To show the generality of these mutations, we created opal suppressor tRNAs that show less aminoacylation in Xenopus oocytes relative to THG73. We have created a library of Tetrahymena thermophila Gln amber suppressor tRNAs that will be useful for determining optimal suppressor tRNAs for use in other eukaryotic cells.

Natural history and experimental evolution of the genetic code

The standard genetic code is a set of rules that relates the 20 canonical amino acids in proteins to groups of three bases in the mRNA. It evolved from a more primitive form and the attempts to reconstruct its natural history are based on its present-day features. Genetic code engineering as a new research field was developed independently in a few laboratories during the last 15 years. The main intention is to re-program protein synthesis by expanding the coding capacities of the genetic code via re-assignment of specific codons to un-natural amino acids. This article focuses on the question as to which extent hypothetical scenarios that led to codon re-assignments during the evolution of the genetic code are relevant for its further evolution in the laboratory. Current attempts to engineer the genetic code are reviewed with reference to theoretical works on its natural history. Integration of the theoretical considerations into experimental concepts will bring us closer to designer cells with target-engineered genetic codes that should open not only tremendous possibilities for the biotechnology of the twenty-first century but will also provide a basis for the design of novel life forms.

Expanding the genetic code

Recently, a general method was developed that makes it possible to genetically encode unnatural amino acids with diverse physical, chemical, or biological properties in Escherichia coli, yeast, and mammalian cells. More than 30 unnatural amino acids have been incorporated into proteins with high fidelity and efficiency by means of a unique codon and corresponding tRNA/aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pair. These include fluorescent, glycosylated, metal-ion-binding, and redox-active amino acids, as well as amino acids with unique chemical and photochemical reactivity. This methodology provides a powerful tool both for exploring protein structure and function in vitro and in vivo and for generating proteins with new or enhanced properties.

Expanding the Genetic Code

Although chemists can synthesize virtually any small organic molecule, our ability to rationally manipulate the structures of proteins is quite limited, despite their involvement in virtually every life process. For most proteins, modifications are largely restricted to substitutions among the common 20 amino acids. Herein we describe recent advances that make it possible to add new building blocks to the genetic codes of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Over 30 novel amino acids have been genetically encoded in response to unique triplet and quadruplet codons including fluorescent, photoreactive, and redox-active amino acids, glycosylated amino acids, and amino acids with keto, azido, acetylenic, and heavy-atom-containing side chains. By removing the limitations imposed by the existing 20 amino acid code, it should be possible to generate proteins and perhaps entire organisms with new or enhanced properties.

Prolegomena to Future Experimental Efforts on Genetic Code Engineering by Expanding Its Amino Acid Repertoire

Protein synthesis and its relation to the genetic code was for a long time a central issue in biology. Rapid experimental progress throughout the past decade, crowned with the recently elucidated ribosomal structures, provided an almost complete description of this process. In addition important experiments provided solid evidence that the natural protein translation machinery can be reprogrammed to encode genetically a vast number of non-coded (i.e. noncanonical) amino acids. Indeed, in the set of 20 canonical amino acids as prescribed by the universal genetic code, many desirable functionalities, such as halogeno, keto, cyano, azido, nitroso, nitro, and silyl groups, as well as C=C or C[triple bond]C bonds, are absent. The ability to encode genetically such chemical diversity will enable us to reprogram living cells, such as bacteria, to express tailor-made proteins exhibiting functional diversity. Accordingly, genetic code engineering has developed into an exciting emerging research field at the interface of biology, chemistry, and physics.

An efficient system for the evolution of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase specificity

A variety of strategies to incorporate unnatural amino acids into proteins have been pursued, but all have limitations with respect to technical accessibility, scalability, applicability to in vivo studies, or site specificity of amino acid incorporation. The ability to selectively introduce unnatural functional groups into specific sites within proteins, in vivo, provides a potentially powerful approach to the study of protein function and to large-scale production of novel proteins. Here we describe a combined genetic selection and screen that allows the rapid evolution of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase substrate specificity. Our strategy involves the use of an "orthogonal" aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase and tRNA pair that cannot interact with any of the endogenous synthetase-tRNA pairs in Escherichia coli. A chloramphenicol-resistance (Cm(r)) reporter is used to select highly active synthetase variants, and an amplifiable fluorescence reporter is used together with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) to screen for variants with the desired change in amino acid specificity. Both reporters are contained within a single genetic construct, eliminating the need for plasmid shuttling and allowing the evolution to be completed in a matter of days. Following evolution, the amplifiable fluorescence reporter allows visual and fluorimetric evaluation of synthetase activity and selectivity. Using this system to explore the evolvability of an amino acid binding pocket of a tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase, we identified three new variants that allow the selective incorporation of amino-, isopropyl-, and allyl-containing tyrosine analogs into a desired protein. The new enzymes can be used to produce milligram-per-liter quantities of unnatural amino acid-containing protein in E. coli.

An in vivo selection system for homing endonuclease activity

Homing endonucleases are enzymes that catalyze the highly sequence-specific cleavage of DNA. We have developed an in vivo selection in Escherichia coli that links cell survival with homing endonuclease-mediated DNA cleavage activity and sequence specificity. Using this selection, wild-type and mutant variants of three homing endonucleases were characterized without requiring protein purification and in vitro analysis. This selection system may facilitate the study of sequence-specific DNA cleaving enzymes, and selections based on this work may enable the evolution of homing endonucleases with novel activities or specificities.

Manipulation of tRNA properties by structure-based and combinatorial in vitro approaches

The wide knowledge accumulated over the years on the structure and function of transfer RNAs (tRNAs) has allowed molecular biologists to decipher the rules underlying the function and the architecture of these molecules. These rules will be discussed and the implications for manipulating tRNA properties by structure-based and combinatorial in vitro approaches reviewed. Since most of the signals conferring function to tRNAs are located on the two distal extremities of their three-dimensional L shape, this implies that the structure of the RNA domain connecting these two extremities can be of different architecture and/or can be modified without disturbing individual functions. This concept is first supported by the existence in nature of RNAs of peculiar structures having tRNA properties, as well as by engineering experiments on natural tRNAs. The concept is further illustrated by examples of RNAs designed by combinatorial methods. The different procedures used to select RNAs or tRNA-mimics interacting with aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases or with elongation factors and to select tRNA-mimics aminoacylated by synthetases are presented, as well as the functional and structural characteristics of the selected molecules. Production and characteristics of aptameric RNAs fulfilling aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase functions and of RNAs selected to have affinities for amino acids are also described. Finally, properties of RNAs obtained by either the structure-based or the combinatorial methods are discussed in the light of the origin and evolution of the translation machinery, but also with a view to obtain new inhibitors targeting specific steps in translation.

A general approach for the generation of orthogonal tRNAs

BACKGROUND

The addition of new amino acids to the genetic code of Escherichia coli requires an orthogonal suppressor tRNA that is uniquely acylated with a desired unnatural amino acid by an orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase. A tRNA(Tyr)(CUA)-tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase pair imported from Methanococcus jannaschii can be used to generate such a pair. In vivo selections have been developed for selecting mutant suppressor tRNAs with enhanced orthogonality, which can be used to site-specifically incorporate unnatural amino acids into proteins in E. coli.

RESULTS

A library of amber suppressor tRNAs derived from M. jannaschii tRNA(Tyr) was generated. tRNA(Tyr)(CUA)s that are substrates for endogenous E. coli aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases were deleted from the pool by a negative selection based on suppression of amber nonsense mutations in the barnase gene. The remaining tRNA(Tyr)(CUA)s were then selected for their ability to suppress amber nonsense codons in the beta-lactamase gene in the presence of the cognate M. jannaschii tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS). Four mutant suppressor tRNAs were selected that are poorer substrates for E. coli synthetases than M. jannaschii tRNA(Tyr)(CUA), but still can be charged efficiently by M. jannaschii TyrRS.

CONCLUSIONS

The mutant suppressor tRNA(Tyr)(CUA) together with the M. jannaschii TyrRS is an excellent orthogonal tRNA-synthetase pair for the in vivo incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins. This general approach may be expanded to generate additional orthogonal tRNA-synthetase pairs as well as probe the interactions between tRNAs and their cognate synthetases.

Selection and characterization of Escherichia coli variants capable of growth on an otherwise toxic tryptophan analogue

Escherichia coli isolates that were tolerant of incorporation of high proportions of 4-fluorotryptophan were evolved by serial growth. The resultant strain still preferred tryptophan for growth but showed improved growth relative to the parental strain on other tryptophan analogues. Evolved clones fully substituted fluorotryptophan for tryptophan in their proteomes within the limits of mass spectral and amino acid analyses. Of the genes sequenced, many genes were found to be unaltered in the evolved strain; however, three genes encoding enzymes involved in tryptophan uptake and utilization were altered: the aromatic amino acid permease (aroP) and tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (trpS) contained several amino acid substitutions, and the tyrosine repressor (tyrR) had a nonsense mutation. While kinetic analysis of the tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase suggests discrimination against 4-fluorotryptophan, an analysis of the incorporation and growth patterns of the evolved bacteria suggest that other mutations also aid in the adaptation to the tryptophan analogue. These results suggest that the incorporation of unnatural amino acids into organismal proteomes may be possible but that extensive evolution may be required to reoptimize proteins and metabolism to accommodate such analogues.

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases: a new image for a classical family

The aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are a family of enzymes well known for their role in protein synthesis. More recent investigations have discovered that this classic family of enzymes is actually capable of a broad repertoire of functions which not only impact protein synthesis, but extend to a number of other critical cellular activities. Specific aaRSs play roles in cellular fidelity, tRNA processing, RNA splicing, RNA trafficking, apoptosis, transcriptional and translational regulation. A recent EMBO workshop entitled 'Structure and Function of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases' (Mittelwihr, France, October 10-15, 1998), highlighted the diversity of the aaRSs' role within the cell. These novel activities as well as significant advances in delineating mechanisms of substrate specificity and the aminoacylation reaction affirm the family of aaRSs as pharmaceutical targets.

Progress toward the evolution of an organism with an expanded genetic code

Several significant steps have been completed toward a general method for the site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins in vivo. An "orthogonal" suppressor tRNA was derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae tRNA2Gln. This yeast orthogonal tRNA is not a substrate in vitro or in vivo for any Escherichia coli aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, including E. coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS), yet functions with the E. coli translational machinery. Importantly, S. cerevisiae GlnRS aminoacylates the yeast orthogonal tRNA in vitro and in E. coli, but does not charge E. coli tRNAGln. This yeast-derived suppressor tRNA together with yeast GlnRS thus represents a completely orthogonal tRNA/synthetase pair in E. coli suitable for the delivery of unnatural amino acids into proteins in vivo. A general method was developed to select for mutant aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases capable of charging any ribosomally accepted molecule onto an orthogonal suppressor tRNA. Finally, a rapid nonradioactive screen for unnatural amino acid uptake was developed and applied to a collection of 138 amino acids. The majority of glutamine and glutamic acid analogs under examination were found to be uptaken by E. coli. Implications of these results are discussed.

Universal rules and idiosyncratic features in tRNA identity

Correct expression of the genetic code at translation is directly correlated with tRNA identity. This survey describes the molecular signals in tRNAs that trigger specific aminoacylations. For most tRNAs, determinants are located at the two distal extremities: the anticodon loop and the amino acid accepting stem. In a few tRNAs, however, major identity signals are found in the core of the molecule. Identity elements have different strengths, often depend more on k cat effects than on K m effects and exhibit additive, cooperative or anti-cooperative interplay. Most determinants are in direct contact with cognate synthetases, and chemical groups on bases or ribose moieties that make functional interactions have been identified in several systems. Major determinants are conserved in evolution; however, the mechanisms by which they are expressed are species dependent. Recent studies show that alternate identity sets can be recognized by a single synthetase, and emphasize the importance of tRNA architecture and anti-determinants preventing false recognition. Identity rules apply to tRNA-like molecules and to minimalist tRNAs. Knowledge of these rules allows the manipulation of identity elements and engineering of tRNAs with switched, altered or multiple specificities.

A molecular gate which controls unnatural ATP analogue recognition by the tyrosine kinase v-Src

Engineered proteins with specificity for unnatural substrates or ligands are useful tools for studying or manipulating complex biological systems. We have engineered the prototypical tyrosine kinase v-Src to accept an unnatural ATP analogue N6-(benzyl) ATP in order to identify v-Src's direct cellular substrates. Here we have used molecular modeling to analyze the binding mode of N6-(benzyl) ATP. Based on this modeling we proposed that a new ATP analogue (N6-(2-phenethyl) ATP might be a better substrate than N6-(benzyl) ATP for the I338G mutant of v-Src. In fact the newly proposed analogue (N6-(2-phenethyl) ATP is a somewhat improved substrate for the engineered kinase (kcat = 0.6 min-1, KM = 8 microM). We also synthesized and screened three analogues of N6-(benzyl) ATP: N6-(2-methylbenzyl), ATP N6-(3-methylbenzyl), and ATP N6-(4-methylbenzyl) ATP to further probe the dimensions and shape of the introduced pocket. Results from screening newly synthesized ATP analogues agreed well with our modeling predictions. We conclude that rather than engineering a 'new' pocket by mutation of Ile 338 in v-Src to the smaller Ala or Gly residues, the I338G and I338A mutants possess a 'path' for the N6 substituent on ATP to gain access to an existing pocket in the ATP binding site. We expect to be able to extend the engineering of v-Src's ATP specificity to other kinase families based on our understanding of the binding modes of ATP analogues to engineered kinases.