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Nguyen N, Forstater JH, McIntosh JA. Decarboxylation in Natural Products Biosynthesis. JACS AU 2024; 4:2715-2745. [PMID: 39211618 PMCID: PMC11350588 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Decarboxylation reactions are frequently found in the biosynthesis of primary and secondary metabolites. Decarboxylase enzymes responsible for these transformations operate via diverse mechanisms and act on a large variety of substrates, making them appealing in terms of biotechnological applications. This Perspective focuses on the occurrence of decarboxylation reactions in natural product biosynthesis and provides a perspective on their applications in biocatalysis for fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
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2
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Wang M, Wu M, Han M, Niu X, Fan A, Zhu S, Tong Y. Mining the Biosynthetic Landscape of Lactic Acid Bacteria Unearths a New Family of RiPPs Assembled by a Novel Type of ThiF-like Adenylyltransferases. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:30891-30903. [PMID: 39035879 PMCID: PMC11256085 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c03760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 06/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are chemically diverse natural products of ribosomal origin. These peptides, which frequently act as signals or antimicrobials, are biosynthesized by conserved enzymatic machinery, making genome mining a powerful strategy for unearthing previously uncharacterized members of their class. Herein, we investigate the untapped biosynthetic potential of Lactobacillales (i.e., lactic acid bacteria), an order of Gram-positive bacteria closely associated with human life, including pathogenic species and industrially relevant fermenters of dairy products. Through genome mining methods, we systematically explored the distribution and diversity of ThiF-like adenylyltransferase-utilizing RiPP systems in lactic acid bacteria and identified a number of unprecedented biosynthetic gene clusters. In one of these clusters, we found a previously undescribed group of macrocyclic imide biosynthetic pathways containing multiple transporters that may be involved in a potential quorum sensing (QS) system. Through in vitro assays, we determined that one such adenylyltransferase specifically catalyzes the intracyclization of its precursor peptide through macrocyclic imide formation. Incubating the enzyme with various primary amines revealed that it could effectively amidate the C-terminus of the precursor peptide. This new transformation adds to the growing list of Nature's peptide macrocyclization strategies and expands the impressive catalytic repertoire of the adenylyltransferase family. The diverse RiPP systems identified herein represent a vast, unexploited landscape for the discovery of a novel class of natural products and QS systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjiao Wang
- College
of Life Science and Technology, Beijing
University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mengyue Wu
- State
Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100191, People’s
Republic of China
| | - Meng Han
- MOE
Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaogang Niu
- Beijing
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular
Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China
| | - Aili Fan
- State
Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100191, People’s
Republic of China
| | - Shaozhou Zhu
- National
Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102629, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yigang Tong
- College
of Life Science and Technology, Beijing
University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People’s Republic of China
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3
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Frazier CL, Deb D, Weeks AM. Engineered reactivity of a bacterial E1-like enzyme enables ATP-driven modification of protein C termini. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.13.593989. [PMID: 38798401 PMCID: PMC11118369 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.13.593989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
In biological systems, ATP provides an energetic driving force for peptide bond formation, but protein chemists lack tools that emulate this strategy. Inspired by the eukaryotic ubiquitination cascade, we developed an ATP-driven platform for C-terminal activation and peptide ligation based on E. coli MccB, a bacterial ancestor of ubiquitin-activating (E1) enzymes that natively catalyzes C-terminal phosphoramidate bond formation. We show that MccB can act on non-native substrates to generate an O-AMPylated electrophile that can react with exogenous nucleophiles to form diverse C-terminal functional groups including thioesters, a versatile class of biological intermediates that have been exploited for protein semisynthesis. To direct this activity towards specific proteins of interest, we developed the Thioesterification C-terminal Handle (TeCH)-tag, a sequence that enables high-yield, ATP-driven protein bioconjugation via a thioester intermediate. By mining the natural diversity of the MccB family, we developed two additional MccB/TeCH-tag pairs that are mutually orthogonal to each other and to the E. coli system, facilitating the synthesis of more complex bioconjugates. Our method mimics the chemical logic of peptide bond synthesis that is widespread in biology for high-yield in vitro manipulation of protein structure with molecular precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara L. Frazier
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI, USA 53706
| | - Debashrito Deb
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI, USA 53706
| | - Amy M. Weeks
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI, USA 53706
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
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4
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Bartram E, Asai M, Gabant P, Wigneshweraraj S. Enhancing the antibacterial function of probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle: when less is more. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0097523. [PMID: 37930328 PMCID: PMC10686094 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00975-23] [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: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Probiotic bacteria confer multiple health benefits, including preventing the growth, colonization, or carriage of harmful bacteria in the gut. Bacteriocins are antibacterial peptides produced by diverse bacteria, and their production is tightly regulated and coordinated at the transcriptional level. A popular strategy for enhancing the antibacterial properties of probiotic bacteria is to retrofit them with the ability to overproduce heterologous bacteriocins. This is often achieved from non-native constitutive promoters or in response to host or pathogen signal from synthetic promoters. How the dysregulated overproduction of heterologous bacteriocins affects the fitness and antibacterial efficacy of the retrofitted probiotic bacteria is often overlooked. We have conferred the prototypical probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle (EcN) the ability to produce microcin C (McC) from the wild-type promoter and two mutant promoters that allow, relative to the wild-type promoter, high and low amounts of McC production. This was done by introducing specific changes to the sequence of the wild-type promoter driving transcription of the McC operon while ensuring that the modified promoters respond to native regulation. By studying the transcriptomic responses and antibacterial efficacy of the retrofitted EcN bacteria in a Galleria mellonella infection model of enterohemorrhagic E. coli, we show that EcN bacteria that produce the lowest amount of McC display the highest antibacterial efficacy with little-to-none undesired collateral impact on their fitness. The results highlight considerations researchers may take into account when retrofitting probiotic bacteria with heterogenous gene products for therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic applications. Bacteria that resist killing by antibiotics are a major risk to modern medicine. The use of beneficial "probiotic" bacteria to make antibiotic-like compounds at the site of infection in the body is emerging as a popular alternative to the use of conventional antibiotics. A potential drawback of engineering probiotic bacteria in this way is that producing antibiotic-like compounds could impart undesired side effects on the performance of such bacteria, thereby compromising their intended use. This study highlights considerations researchers may take into account when engineering probiotic bacteria for therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Bartram
- Section of Molecular Microbiology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Masanori Asai
- Section of Molecular Microbiology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sivaramesh Wigneshweraraj
- Section of Molecular Microbiology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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5
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Abstract
Covering: from 2000 up to the very early part of 2023S-Adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) is a naturally occurring trialkyl sulfonium molecule that is typically associated with biological methyltransfer reactions. However, SAM is also known to donate methylene, aminocarboxypropyl, adenosyl and amino moieties during natural product biosynthetic reactions. The reaction scope is further expanded as SAM itself can be modified prior to the group transfer such that a SAM-derived carboxymethyl or aminopropyl moiety can also be transferred. Moreover, the sulfonium cation in SAM has itself been found to be critical for several other enzymatic transformations. Thus, while many SAM-dependent enzymes are characterized by a methyltransferase fold, not all of them are necessarily methyltransferases. Furthermore, other SAM-dependent enzymes do not possess such a structural feature suggesting diversification along different evolutionary lineages. Despite the biological versatility of SAM, it nevertheless parallels the chemistry of sulfonium compounds used in organic synthesis. The question thus becomes how enzymes catalyze distinct transformations via subtle differences in their active sites. This review summarizes recent advances in the discovery of novel SAM utilizing enzymes that rely on Lewis acid/base chemistry as opposed to radical mechanisms of catalysis. The examples are categorized based on the presence of a methyltransferase fold and the role played by SAM within the context of known sulfonium chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Hsuan Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Daan Ren
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Byungsun Jeon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Hung-Wen Liu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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6
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Ongpipattanakul C, Desormeaux EK, DiCaprio A, van der Donk WA, Mitchell DA, Nair SK. Mechanism of Action of Ribosomally Synthesized and Post-Translationally Modified Peptides. Chem Rev 2022; 122:14722-14814. [PMID: 36049139 PMCID: PMC9897510 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a natural product class that has undergone significant expansion due to the rapid growth in genome sequencing data and recognition that they are made by biosynthetic pathways that share many characteristic features. Their mode of actions cover a wide range of biological processes and include binding to membranes, receptors, enzymes, lipids, RNA, and metals as well as use as cofactors and signaling molecules. This review covers the currently known modes of action (MOA) of RiPPs. In turn, the mechanisms by which these molecules interact with their natural targets provide a rich set of molecular paradigms that can be used for the design or evolution of new or improved activities given the relative ease of engineering RiPPs. In this review, coverage is limited to RiPPs originating from bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chayanid Ongpipattanakul
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Emily K. Desormeaux
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Adam DiCaprio
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Wilfred A. van der Donk
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Department of Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Departments of Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Corresponding authors Wilfred A. van der Donk, , 217-244-5360, Douglas A. Mitchell, , 217-333-1345, Satish K. Nair, , 217-333-0641
| | - Douglas A. Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Departments of Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Corresponding authors Wilfred A. van der Donk, , 217-244-5360, Douglas A. Mitchell, , 217-333-1345, Satish K. Nair, , 217-333-0641
| | - Satish K. Nair
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Departments of Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Corresponding authors Wilfred A. van der Donk, , 217-244-5360, Douglas A. Mitchell, , 217-333-1345, Satish K. Nair, , 217-333-0641
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7
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S51 Family Peptidases Provide Resistance to Peptidyl-Nucleotide Antibiotic McC. mBio 2022; 13:e0080522. [PMID: 35467414 PMCID: PMC9239234 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00805-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Microcin C (McC)-like compounds are natural Trojan horse peptide-nucleotide antibiotics produced by diverse bacteria. The ribosomally synthesized peptide parts of these antibiotics are responsible for their facilitated transport into susceptible cells. Once inside the cell, the peptide part is degraded, releasing the toxic payload, an isoaspartyl-nucleotide that inhibits aspartyl-tRNA synthetase, an enzyme essential for protein synthesis. Bacteria that produce microcin C-like compounds have evolved multiple ways to avoid self-intoxication. Here, we describe a new strategy through the action of S51 family peptidases, which we name MccG. MccG cleaves the toxic isoaspartyl-nucleotide, rendering it inactive. While some MccG homologs are encoded by gene clusters responsible for biosynthesis of McC-like compounds, most are encoded by standalone genes whose products may provide a basal level of resistance to peptide-nucleotide antibiotics in phylogenetically distant bacteria.
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8
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Travin DY, Severinov K, Dubiley S. Natural Trojan horse inhibitors of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:468-485. [PMID: 34382000 PMCID: PMC8323819 DOI: 10.1039/d0cb00208a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
For most antimicrobial compounds with intracellular targets, getting inside the cell is the major obstacle limiting their activity. To pass this barrier some antibiotics mimic the compounds of specific interest for the microbe (siderophores, peptides, carbohydrates, etc.) and hijack the transport systems involved in their active uptake followed by the release of a toxic warhead inside the cell. In this review, we summarize the information about the structures, biosynthesis, and transport of natural inhibitors of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (albomycin, microcin C-related compounds, and agrocin 84) that rely on such "Trojan horse" strategy to enter the cell. In addition, we provide new data on the composition and distribution of biosynthetic gene clusters reminiscent of those coding for known Trojan horse aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases inhibitors. The products of these clusters are likely new antimicrobials that warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitrii Y Travin
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology Moscow Russia
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow Russia
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology Moscow Russia
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow Russia
- Waksman Institute for Microbiology, Rutgers, Piscataway New Jersey USA
| | - Svetlana Dubiley
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology Moscow Russia
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow Russia
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9
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Li B, Deng X, Kim SH, Buhrow L, Tomchick DR, Phillips MA, Michael AJ. Alternative pathways utilize or circumvent putrescine for biosynthesis of putrescine-containing rhizoferrin. J Biol Chem 2020; 296:100146. [PMID: 33277357 PMCID: PMC7857480 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.016738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The siderophore rhizoferrin (N1,N4-dicitrylputrescine) is produced in fungi and bacteria to scavenge iron. Putrescine-producing bacterium Ralstonia pickettii synthesizes rhizoferrin and encodes a single nonribosomal peptide synthetase-independent siderophore (NIS) synthetase. From biosynthetic logic, we hypothesized that this single enzyme is sufficient for rhizoferrin biosynthesis. We confirmed this by expression of R. pickettii NIS synthetase in Escherichia coli, resulting in rhizoferrin production. This was further confirmed in vitro using the recombinant NIS synthetase, synthesizing rhizoferrin from putrescine and citrate. Heterologous expression of homologous lbtA from Legionella pneumophila, required for rhizoferrin biosynthesis in that species, produced siderophore activity in E. coli. Rhizoferrin is also synthesized by Francisella tularensis and Francisella novicida, but unlike R. pickettii or L. pneumophila, Francisella species lack putrescine biosynthetic pathways because of genomic decay. Francisella encodes a NIS synthetase FslA/FigA and an ornithine decarboxylase homolog FslC/FigC, required for rhizoferrin biosynthesis. Ornithine decarboxylase produces putrescine from ornithine, but we show here in vitro that FigA synthesizes N-citrylornithine, and FigC is an N-citrylornithine decarboxylase that together synthesize rhizoferrin without using putrescine. We co-expressed F. novicida figA and figC in E. coli and produced rhizoferrin. A 2.1 Å X-ray crystal structure of the FigC N-citrylornithine decarboxylase reveals how the larger substrate is accommodated and how active site residues have changed to recognize N-citrylornithine. FigC belongs to a new subfamily of alanine racemase-fold PLP-dependent decarboxylases that are not involved in polyamine biosynthesis. These data reveal a natural product biosynthetic workaround that evolved to bypass a missing precursor and re-establish it in the final structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Li
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Xiaoyi Deng
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Sok Ho Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Leann Buhrow
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Diana R Tomchick
- Department of Biophysics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Margaret A Phillips
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Anthony J Michael
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
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10
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Abstract
The Escherichia coli microcin C (McC) and related compounds are potent Trojan horse peptide-nucleotide antibiotics. The peptide part facilitates transport into sensitive cells. Inside the cell, the peptide part is degraded by nonspecific peptidases releasing an aspartamide-adenylate containing a phosphoramide bond. This nonhydrolyzable compound inhibits aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. In addition to the efficient export of McC outside the producing cells, special mechanisms have evolved to avoid self-toxicity caused by the degradation of the peptide part inside the producers. Here, we report that histidine-triad (HIT) hydrolases encoded in biosynthetic clusters of some McC homologs or by standalone genes confer resistance to McC-like compounds by hydrolyzing the phosphoramide bond in toxic aspartamide-adenosine, rendering them inactive.IMPORTANCE Uncovering the mechanisms of resistance is a required step for countering the looming antibiotic resistance crisis. In this communication, we show how universally conserved histidine-triad hydrolases provide resistance to microcin C, a potent inhibitor of bacterial protein synthesis.
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11
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Travin DY, Bikmetov D, Severinov K. Translation-Targeting RiPPs and Where to Find Them. Front Genet 2020; 11:226. [PMID: 32296456 PMCID: PMC7136475 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Prokaryotic translation is among the major targets of diverse natural products with antibacterial activity including several classes of clinically relevant antibiotics. In this review, we summarize the information about the structure, biosynthesis, and modes of action of translation inhibiting ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). Azol(in)e-containing RiPPs are known to target translation, and several new compounds inhibiting the ribosome have been characterized recently. We performed a systematic search for biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) of azol(in)e-containing RiPPs. This search uncovered several groups of clusters that likely direct the synthesis of novel compounds, some of which may be targeting the ribosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitrii Y Travin
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia.,Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry Bikmetov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia.,Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Waksman Institute for Microbiology, Rutgers, Piscataway, NJ, United States
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12
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Reiterative Synthesis by the Ribosome and Recognition of the N-Terminal Formyl Group by Biosynthetic Machinery Contribute to Evolutionary Conservation of the Length of Antibiotic Microcin C Peptide Precursor. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.00768-19. [PMID: 31040244 PMCID: PMC6495379 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00768-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli microcin C (McC) is a representative member of peptide-nucleotide antibiotics produced by diverse microorganisms. The vast majority of biosynthetic gene clusters responsible for McC-like compound production encode 7-amino-acid-long precursor peptides, which are C-terminally modified by dedicated biosynthetic enzymes with a nucleotide moiety to produce a bioactive compound. In contrast, the sequences of McC-like compound precursor peptides are not conserved. Here, we studied the consequences of E. coli McC precursor peptide length increase on antibiotic production and activity. We show that increasing the precursor peptide length strongly decreases McC production by affecting multiple biosynthetic steps, suggesting that the McC biosynthesis system has evolved under significant functional constraints to maintain the precursor peptide length. Microcin C (McC) is a peptide adenylate antibiotic produced by Escherichiacoli cells bearing a plasmid-borne mcc gene cluster. Most MccA precursors, encoded by validated mcc operons from diverse bacteria, are 7 amino acids long, but the significance of this precursor length conservation has remained unclear. Here, we created derivatives of E. colimcc operons encoding longer precursors and studied their synthesis and bioactivities. We found that increasing the precursor length to 11 amino acids and beyond strongly decreased antibiotic production. We found this decrease to depend on several parameters. First, reiterative synthesis of the MccA peptide by the ribosome was decreased at longer mccA open reading frames, leading to less efficient competition with other messenger RNAs. Second, the presence of a formyl group at the N-terminal methionine of the heptameric peptide had a strong stimulatory effect on adenylation by the MccB enzyme. No such formyl group stimulation was observed for longer peptides. Finally, the presence of the N-terminal formyl on the heptapeptide adenylate stimulated bioactivity, most likely at the uptake stage. Together, these factors should contribute to optimal activity of McC-like compounds as 7-amino-acid peptide moieties and suggest convergent evolution of several steps of the antibiotic biosynthesis pathway and their adjustment to sensitive cell uptake machinery to create a potent drug.
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13
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Petkowski JJ, Bains W, Seager S. Natural Products Containing 'Rare' Organophosphorus Functional Groups. Molecules 2019; 24:E866. [PMID: 30823503 PMCID: PMC6429109 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24050866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphorous-containing molecules are essential constituents of all living cells. While the phosphate functional group is very common in small molecule natural products, nucleic acids, and as chemical modification in protein and peptides, phosphorous can form P⁻N (phosphoramidate), P⁻S (phosphorothioate), and P⁻C (e.g., phosphonate and phosphinate) linkages. While rare, these moieties play critical roles in many processes and in all forms of life. In this review we thoroughly categorize P⁻N, P⁻S, and P⁻C natural organophosphorus compounds. Information on biological source, biological activity, and biosynthesis is included, if known. This review also summarizes the role of phosphorylation on unusual amino acids in proteins (N- and S-phosphorylation) and reviews the natural phosphorothioate (P⁻S) and phosphoramidate (P⁻N) modifications of DNA and nucleotides with an emphasis on their role in the metabolism of the cell. We challenge the commonly held notion that nonphosphate organophosphorus functional groups are an oddity of biochemistry, with no central role in the metabolism of the cell. We postulate that the extent of utilization of some phosphorus groups by life, especially those containing P⁻N bonds, is likely severely underestimated and has been largely overlooked, mainly due to the technological limitations in their detection and analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janusz J Petkowski
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - William Bains
- Rufus Scientific, 37 The Moor, Melbourn, Royston, Herts SG8 6ED, UK.
| | - Sara Seager
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
- Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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14
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Sekowska A, Ashida H, Danchin A. Revisiting the methionine salvage pathway and its paralogues. Microb Biotechnol 2019; 12:77-97. [PMID: 30306718 PMCID: PMC6302742 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Methionine is essential for life. Its chemistry makes it fragile in the presence of oxygen. Aerobic living organisms have selected a salvage pathway (the MSP) that uses dioxygen to regenerate methionine, associated to a ratchet-like step that prevents methionine back degradation. Here, we describe the variation on this theme, developed across the tree of life. Oxygen appeared long after life had developed on Earth. The canonical MSP evolved from ancestors that used both predecessors of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase (RuBisCO) and methanethiol in intermediate steps. We document how these likely promiscuous pathways were also used to metabolize the omnipresent by-products of S-adenosylmethionine radical enzymes as well as the aromatic and isoprene skeleton of quinone electron acceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Sekowska
- Institute of Cardiometabolism and NutritionHôpital de la Pitié‐SalpêtrièreParisFrance
| | - Hiroki Ashida
- Graduate School of Human Development and EnvironmentKobe UniversityKobeJapan
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Institute of Cardiometabolism and NutritionHôpital de la Pitié‐SalpêtrièreParisFrance
- Institute of Synthetic BiologyShenzhen Institutes of Advanced StudiesShenzhenChina
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15
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Du YL, Ryan KS. Pyridoxal phosphate-dependent reactions in the biosynthesis of natural products. Nat Prod Rep 2019; 36:430-457. [DOI: 10.1039/c8np00049b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
We review reactions catalyzed by pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzymes, highlighting enzymes reported in the recent natural product biosynthetic literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ling Du
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
- Zhejiang University School of Medicine
- Hangzhou
- China
| | - Katherine S. Ryan
- Department of Chemistry
- University of British Columbia
- Vancouver
- Canada
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16
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Dong SH, Kulikovsky A, Zukher I, Estrada P, Dubiley S, Severinov K, Nair SK. Biosynthesis of the RiPP trojan horse nucleotide antibiotic microcin C is directed by the N-formyl of the peptide precursor. Chem Sci 2018; 10:2391-2395. [PMID: 30881667 PMCID: PMC6385645 DOI: 10.1039/c8sc03173h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The N-formyl moiety of the peptide precursor directs the biosynthesis of the RiPP trojan horse nucleotide antibiotic McC.
Microcin C7 (McC) is a peptide antibiotic modified by a linkage of the terminal isoAsn amide to AMP via a phosphoramidate bond. Post-translational modification on this ribosomally produced heptapeptide precursor is carried out by MccB, which consumes two equivalents of ATP to generate the N–P linkage. We demonstrate that MccB only efficiently processes the precursor heptapeptide that retains the N-formylated initiator Met (fMet). Binding studies and kinetic measurements evidence the role of the N-formyl moiety. Structural data show that the N-formyl peptide binding results in an ordering of residues in the MccB “crossover loop”, which dictates specificity in homologous ubiquitin activating enzymes. The N-formyl peptide exhibits substrate inhibition, and cannot be displaced from MccB by the desformyl counterpart. Such substrate inhibition may be a strategy to avert unwanted McC buildup and avert toxicity in the cytoplasm of producing organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Hui Dong
- Department of Biochemistry , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Illinois , USA . .,Carl Woese Institute for Genomic Biology , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Illinois , USA
| | - Alexey Kulikovsky
- Department of Biochemistry , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Illinois , USA . .,Institute of Gene Biology , Russian Academy of Science , 34/5 Vavilo str. , 11934 Moscow , Russia.,Center for Life Sciences , Skolkov Institute of Science and Technology , 3 Nobel str. , 143026 Moscow , Russia
| | - Inna Zukher
- Institute of Gene Biology , Russian Academy of Science , 34/5 Vavilo str. , 11934 Moscow , Russia
| | - Paola Estrada
- Department of Biochemistry , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Illinois , USA .
| | - Svetlana Dubiley
- Institute of Gene Biology , Russian Academy of Science , 34/5 Vavilo str. , 11934 Moscow , Russia.,Center for Life Sciences , Skolkov Institute of Science and Technology , 3 Nobel str. , 143026 Moscow , Russia
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Institute of Gene Biology , Russian Academy of Science , 34/5 Vavilo str. , 11934 Moscow , Russia.,Center for Life Sciences , Skolkov Institute of Science and Technology , 3 Nobel str. , 143026 Moscow , Russia.,Waksman Institute for Microbiology , 190 Frelinghuysen Road , Piscataway , New Jersey , USA .
| | - Satish K Nair
- Department of Biochemistry , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Illinois , USA . .,Carl Woese Institute for Genomic Biology , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Illinois , USA.,Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Illinois , USA
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17
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Ongpipattanakul C, Nair SK. Molecular Basis for Autocatalytic Backbone N-Methylation in RiPP Natural Product Biosynthesis. ACS Chem Biol 2018; 13:2989-2999. [PMID: 30204409 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
N-methylation of nucleic acids, proteins, and peptides is a chemical modification with significant impact on biological regulation. Despite the simplicity of the structural change, N-methylation can influence diverse functions including epigenetics, protein complex formation, and microtubule stability. While there are limited examples of N-methylation of the α-amino group of bacterial and eukaryotic proteins, there are no examples of catalysts that carry out post-translation methylation of backbone amides in proteins or peptides. Recent studies have identified enzymes that catalyze backbone N-methylation on a peptide substrate, a reaction with little biochemical precedent, in a family of ribosomally synthesized natural products produced in basidiomycetes. Here, we describe the crystal structures of Dendrothele bispora dbOphMA, a methyltransferase that catalyzes multiple N-methylations on the peptide backbone. We further carry out biochemical studies of this catalyst to determine the molecular details that promote this unusual chemical transformation. The structural and biochemical framework described here could facilitate biotechnological applications of catalysts for the rapid production of backbone N-methylated peptides.
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18
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Tsibulskaya D, Mokina O, Kulikovsky A, Piskunova J, Severinov K, Serebryakova M, Dubiley S. The Product of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis mcc Operon Is a Peptide-Cytidine Antibiotic Activated Inside Producing Cells by the TldD/E Protease. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:16178-16187. [PMID: 29045133 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b07118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Microcin C is a heptapeptide-adenylate antibiotic produced by some strains of Escherichia coli. Its peptide part is responsible for facilitated transport inside sensitive cells where it is proteolyzed with release of a toxic warhead-a nonhydrolyzable aspartamidyl-adenylate, which inhibits aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. Recently, a microcin C homologue from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens containing a longer peptide part modified with carboxymethyl-cytosine instead of adenosine was described, but no biological activity of this compound was revealed. Here, we characterize modified peptide-cytidylate from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. As reported for B. amyloliquefaciens homologue, the initially synthesized compound contains a long peptide that is biologically inactive. This compound is subjected to endoproteolytic processing inside producing cells by the evolutionary conserved TldD/E protease. As a result, an 11-amino acid long peptide with C-terminal modified cytosine residue is produced. This compound is exported outside the producing cell and is bioactive, inhibiting sensitive cells in the same way as E. coli microcin C. Proteolytic processing inside producing cells is a novel strategy of peptide-nucleotide antibiotics biosynthesis that may help control production levels and avoid toxicity to the producer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darya Tsibulskaya
- Institute of Gene Biology , Russian Academy of Science, 34/5 Vavilov str., 119334 Moscow, Russia.,Center for Data-Intensive Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology , 3 Nobel str., 143026 Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga Mokina
- Institute of Gene Biology , Russian Academy of Science, 34/5 Vavilov str., 119334 Moscow, Russia.,Center for Data-Intensive Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology , 3 Nobel str., 143026 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey Kulikovsky
- Institute of Gene Biology , Russian Academy of Science, 34/5 Vavilov str., 119334 Moscow, Russia.,Center for Data-Intensive Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology , 3 Nobel str., 143026 Moscow, Russia.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 600 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Julia Piskunova
- Institute of Gene Biology , Russian Academy of Science, 34/5 Vavilov str., 119334 Moscow, Russia.,Center for Data-Intensive Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology , 3 Nobel str., 143026 Moscow, Russia
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Institute of Gene Biology , Russian Academy of Science, 34/5 Vavilov str., 119334 Moscow, Russia.,Center for Data-Intensive Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology , 3 Nobel str., 143026 Moscow, Russia.,Waksman Institute for Microbiology , 190 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-8020, United States
| | - Marina Serebryakova
- Institute of Gene Biology , Russian Academy of Science, 34/5 Vavilov str., 119334 Moscow, Russia.,A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University , Leninskie Gory 1, Bldg. 40, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Svetlana Dubiley
- Institute of Gene Biology , Russian Academy of Science, 34/5 Vavilov str., 119334 Moscow, Russia.,Center for Data-Intensive Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology , 3 Nobel str., 143026 Moscow, Russia
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19
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Ran R, Zeng H, Zhao D, Liu R, Xu X. The Novel Property of Heptapeptide of Microcin C7 in Affecting the Cell Growth of Escherichia coli. Molecules 2017; 22:E432. [PMID: 28282893 PMCID: PMC6155343 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22030432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Microcin C7 (McC), widely distributed in enterobacteria, is a promising antibiotic against antibiotic resistance [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Rensen Ran
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Huan Zeng
- College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Dong Zhao
- College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Ruiyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Xia Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
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20
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Serebryakova M, Tsibulskaya D, Mokina O, Kulikovsky A, Nautiyal M, Van Aerschot A, Severinov K, Dubiley S. A Trojan-Horse Peptide-Carboxymethyl-Cytidine Antibiotic from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:15690-15698. [PMID: 27934031 PMCID: PMC5152938 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b09853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Microcin
C and related antibiotics are Trojan-horse peptide-adenylates.
The peptide part is responsible for facilitated transport inside the
sensitive cell, where it gets processed to release a toxic warhead—a
nonhydrolyzable aspartyl-adenylate, which inhibits aspartyl-tRNA synthetase.
Adenylation of peptide precursors is carried out by MccB THIF-type
NAD/FAD adenylyltransferases. Here, we describe a novel microcin C-like
compound from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The B. amyloliquefaciens MccB demonstrates an unprecedented
ability to attach a terminal cytidine monophosphate to cognate precursor
peptide in cellular and cell free systems. The cytosine moiety undergoes
an additional modification—carboxymethylation—that is
carried out by the C-terminal domain of MccB and the MccS enzyme that
produces carboxy-SAM, which serves as a donor of the carboxymethyl
group. We show that microcin C-like compounds carrying terminal cytosines
are biologically active and target aspartyl-tRNA synthetase, and that
the carboxymethyl group prevents resistance that can occur due to
modification of the warhead. The results expand the repertoire of
known enzymatic modifications of peptides that can be used to obtain
new biological activities while avoiding or limiting bacterial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Serebryakova
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Science , 34/5 Vavilov str., 119334 Moscow, Russia.,A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University , Leninskie Gory 1, Bldg. 40, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Darya Tsibulskaya
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Science , 34/5 Vavilov str., 119334 Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga Mokina
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Science , 34/5 Vavilov str., 119334 Moscow, Russia.,Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology , 3 Nobel str., 143026 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey Kulikovsky
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Science , 34/5 Vavilov str., 119334 Moscow, Russia.,Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology , 3 Nobel str., 143026 Moscow, Russia
| | - Manesh Nautiyal
- KU Leuven , O&N Rega, Medicinal Chemistry, Herestraat 49 10, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Arthur Van Aerschot
- KU Leuven , O&N Rega, Medicinal Chemistry, Herestraat 49 10, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Science , 34/5 Vavilov str., 119334 Moscow, Russia.,Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology , 3 Nobel str., 143026 Moscow, Russia.,Waksman Institute for Microbiology , 190 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-8020, United States
| | - Svetlana Dubiley
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Science , 34/5 Vavilov str., 119334 Moscow, Russia.,Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology , 3 Nobel str., 143026 Moscow, Russia
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21
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He Q, Li X, Liu C, Su L, Xia Z, Li X, Li Y, Li L, Yan T, Feng Q, Xiao L. Dysbiosis of the fecal microbiota in the TNBS-induced Crohn’s disease mouse model. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2016; 100:4485-94. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-015-7205-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/28/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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22
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Cochrane RVK, Norquay AK, Vederas JC. Natural products and their derivatives as tRNA synthetase inhibitors and antimicrobial agents. MEDCHEMCOMM 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6md00274a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The tRNA synthetase enzymes are promising targets for development of therapeutic agents against infections by parasitic protozoans (e.g. malaria), fungi and yeast, as well as bacteria resistant to current antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A. K. Norquay
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Alberta
- Edmonton
- T6G 2G2 Canada
| | - J. C. Vederas
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Alberta
- Edmonton
- T6G 2G2 Canada
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23
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Enzymatic Synthesis and Functional Characterization of Bioactive Microcin C-Like Compounds with Altered Peptide Sequence and Length. J Bacteriol 2015. [PMID: 26195597 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00271-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Escherichia coli microcin C (McC) consists of a ribosomally synthesized heptapeptide attached to a modified adenosine. McC is actively taken up by sensitive Escherichia coli strains through the YejABEF transporter. Inside the cell, McC is processed by aminopeptidases, which release nonhydrolyzable aminoacyl adenylate, an inhibitor of aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. McC is synthesized by the MccB enzyme, which terminally adenylates the MccA heptapeptide precursor MRTGNAN. Earlier, McC analogs with shortened peptide lengths were prepared by total chemical synthesis and were shown to have strongly reduced biological activity due to decreased uptake. Variants with longer peptides were difficult to synthesize, however. Here, we used recombinant MccB to prepare and characterize McC-like molecules with altered peptide moieties, including extended peptide lengths. We find that N-terminal extensions of E. coli MccA heptapeptide do not affect MccB-catalyzed adenylation and that some extended-peptide-length McC analogs show improved biological activity. When the peptide length reaches 20 amino acids, both YejABEF and SbmA can perform facilitated transport of toxic peptide adenylates inside the cell. A C-terminal fusion of the carrier maltose-binding protein (MBP) with the MccA peptide is also recognized by MccB in vivo and in vitro, allowing highly specific adenylation and/or radioactive labeling of cellular proteins. IMPORTANCE Enzymatic adenylation of chemically synthesized peptides allowed us to generate biologically active derivatives of the peptide-nucleotide antibiotic microcin C with improved bioactivity and altered entry routes into target cells, opening the way for development of various McC-based antibacterial compounds not found in nature.
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