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Evangelista JL, Kay MS. BracketMaker: Visualization and optimization of chemical protein synthesis. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e5174. [PMID: 39276022 PMCID: PMC11401056 DOI: 10.1002/pro.5174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/16/2024]
Abstract
Chemical protein synthesis (CPS), in which custom peptide segments of ~20-60 aa are produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis and then stitched together through sequential ligation reactions, is an increasingly popular technique. The workflow of CPS is often depicted with a "bracket" style diagram detailing the starting segments and the order of all ligation, desulfurization, and/or deprotection steps to obtain the product protein. Brackets are invaluable tools for comparing multiple possible synthetic approaches and serve as blueprints throughout a synthesis. Drawing CPS brackets by hand or in standard graphics software, however, is a painstaking and error-prone process. Furthermore, the CPS field lacks a standard bracket format, making side-by-side comparisons difficult. To address these problems, we developed BracketMaker, an open-source Python program with built-in graphic user interface (GUI) for the rapid creation and analysis of CPS brackets. BracketMaker contains a custom graphics engine which converts a text string (a protein sequence annotated with reaction steps, introduced herein as a standardized format for brackets) into a high-quality vector or PNG image. To aid with new syntheses, BracketMaker's "AutoBracket" tool automatically performs retrosynthetic analysis on a set of segments to draft and rank all possible ligation orders using standard native chemical ligation, protection, and desulfurization techniques. AutoBracket, in conjunction with an improved version of our previously reported Automated Ligator (Aligator) program, provides a pipeline to rapidly develop synthesis plans for a given protein sequence. We demonstrate the application of both programs to develop a blueprint for 65 proteins of the minimal Escherichia coli ribosome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael S Kay
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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2
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Lin X, Mandal S, Nithun RV, Kolla R, Bouri B, Lashuel HA, Jbara M. A Versatile Method for Site-Specific Chemical Installation of Aromatic Posttranslational Modification Analogs into Proteins. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:25788-25798. [PMID: 39224092 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c08416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of proteins play central roles in regulating the protein structure, interactome, and functions. A notable modification site is the aromatic side chain of Tyr, which undergoes modifications such as phosphorylation and nitration. Despite the biological and physiological importance of Tyr-PTMs, our current understanding of the mechanisms by which these modifications contribute to human health and disease remains incomplete. This knowledge gap arises from the absence of natural amino acids that can mimic these PTMs and the lack of synthetic tools for the site-specific introduction of aromatic PTMs into proteins. Herein, we describe a facile method for the site-specific chemical installation of aromatic PTMs into proteins through palladium-mediated S-C(sp2) bond formation under ambient conditions. We demonstrate the incorporation of novel PTMs such as Tyr-nitration and phosphorylation analogs to synthetic and recombinantly expressed Cys-containing peptides and proteins within minutes and in good yields. To demonstrate the versatility of our approach, we employed it to prepare 10 site-specifically modified proteins, including nitrated and phosphorylated analogs of Myc and Max proteins. Furthermore, we prepared a focused library of site-specifically nitrated and phosphorylated α-synuclein (α-Syn) protein, which enabled, for the first time, deciphering the role of these competing modifications in regulating α-Syn conformation aggregation in vitro. Our strategy offers advantages over synthetic or semisynthetic approaches, as it enables rapid and selective transfer of rarely explored aromatic PTMs into recombinant proteins, thus facilitating the generation of novel libraries of homogeneous posttranslationally modified proteins for biomarker discovery, mechanistic studies, and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxi Lin
- School of Chemistry, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Shaswati Mandal
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Raj V Nithun
- School of Chemistry, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Rajasekhar Kolla
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Bouchra Bouri
- Protein Production and Structure core facility, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Muhammad Jbara
- School of Chemistry, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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3
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Kambanis L, Ayoub A, Bedding MJ, Egelund PHG, Maxwell JWC, Franck C, Lambrechts L, Hawkins PME, Chisholm TS, Mackay JP, Sierecki E, Gambin Y, Kulkarni SS, Payne RJ. Expressed Protein Ligation in Flow. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:22027-22035. [PMID: 39052634 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c07462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
The development of a flow chemistry platform for the generation of modified protein targets via expressed protein ligation (EPL) is described. The flow EPL platform enables efficient ligation reactions with high recoveries of target protein products and superior reaction rates compared to corresponding batch processes. The utility of the flow EPL technology was first demonstrated through the semisynthesis of the tick-derived chemokine-binding protein ACA-01 containing two tyrosine sulfate modifications. Full-length, sulfated ACA-01 could be efficiently assembled by ligating a recombinantly expressed C-terminal protein fragment and a synthetic sulfopeptide thioester in flow. Following folding, the semisynthetic sulfoprotein was shown to exhibit potent binding to a variety of pro-inflammatory chemokines. In a second modified protein target, we employed an in-line flow EPL-photodesulfurization strategy to generate both unmodified and phosphorylated forms of human β-synuclein by fusing a recombinant protein thioester, generated through cleavage of an intein fusion protein, and a synthetic (phospho)peptide. The semisynthetic proteins were assembled in 90 min in flow, a significant improvement over corresponding batch protein assembly, and enabled access to tens of milligrams of high purity material. Flow EPL has the potential to serve as a robust technology to streamline access to homogeneously modified proteins for a variety of applications in both academia, as well as in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Kambanis
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Anthony Ayoub
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Max J Bedding
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Peter H G Egelund
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Novo Nordisk A/S, CMC API Development, DK-2880 Bagsværd, Denmark
| | - Joshua W C Maxwell
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Charlotte Franck
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Lucien Lambrechts
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Paige M E Hawkins
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Timothy S Chisholm
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Joel P Mackay
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Emma Sierecki
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Yann Gambin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Sameer S Kulkarni
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Richard J Payne
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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4
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Xuan GR, Chen XK, Liu MC, Zhou YB, Wu HY. Deselenylative Acylation and Nitration of Monoselenides. Org Lett 2024. [PMID: 38814147 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.4c01537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
A deselenylative protocol that enables the construction of the C-C and C-N bonds has been disclosed. By using acyl chloride/AgOTf as an efficient acylation reagent, diarylselenides smoothly undergo deselenylative acylation to produce a series of aroyl compounds. In addition, deselenylative nitration can be enabled by a mild nitration reagent consisting of TsCl and AgNO3, furnishing a diverse array of nitroaromatic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Rong Xuan
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Xin-Kai Chen
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Miao-Chang Liu
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Yun-Bing Zhou
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
- Key Lab of Biohealth Materials and Chemistry of Wenzhou, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Hua-Yue Wu
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
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5
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Nithun RV, Yao YM, Lin X, Habiballah S, Afek A, Jbara M. Deciphering the Role of the Ser-Phosphorylation Pattern on the DNA-Binding Activity of Max Transcription Factor Using Chemical Protein Synthesis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202310913. [PMID: 37642402 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202310913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The chemical synthesis of site-specifically modified transcription factors (TFs) is a powerful method to investigate how post-translational modifications (PTMs) influence TF-DNA interactions and impact gene expression. Among these TFs, Max plays a pivotal role in controlling the expression of 15 % of the genome. The activity of Max is regulated by PTMs; Ser-phosphorylation at the N-terminus is considered one of the key regulatory mechanisms. In this study, we developed a practical synthetic strategy to prepare homogeneous full-length Max for the first time, to explore the impact of Max phosphorylation. We prepared a focused library of eight Max variants, with distinct modification patterns, including mono-phosphorylated, and doubly phosphorylated analogues at Ser2/Ser11 as well as fluorescently labeled variants through native chemical ligation. Through comprehensive DNA binding analyses, we discovered that the phosphorylation position plays a crucial role in the DNA-binding activity of Max. Furthermore, in vitro high-throughput analysis using DNA microarrays revealed that the N-terminus phosphorylation pattern does not interfere with the DNA sequence specificity of Max. Our work provides insights into the regulatory role of Max's phosphorylation on the DNA interactions and sequence specificity, shedding light on how PTMs influence TF function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raj V Nithun
- School of Chemistry, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Yumi Minyi Yao
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Xiaoxi Lin
- School of Chemistry, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Shaimaa Habiballah
- School of Chemistry, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Ariel Afek
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Muhammad Jbara
- School of Chemistry, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
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6
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Mhate M, Mahanta CS, Dhaked DK, Ravichandiran V, Swain SP. Metal-free synthesis of selenoesters directly from carboxylic acids using bifunctional selenoureas under batch and continuous-flow conditions. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:10920-10923. [PMID: 37581358 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc02872k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
A new metal-free method for the synthesis of selenoesters directly from carboxylic acids in a flow reactor is reported. The carboxylic acids, Michael acceptors, and bifunctional selenoureas (source of selenium and nucleophile, activator of carbonyl group) were reacted to obtain selenoesters (up to 70% yield). An evidence-backed plausible mechanism is also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mouzma Mhate
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Centre for Marine Therapeutics (CMT), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research-Kolkata, 168, Maniktala Main Road, Kolkata 700054, India.
| | - Chandra Sekhara Mahanta
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Centre for Marine Therapeutics (CMT), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research-Kolkata, 168, Maniktala Main Road, Kolkata 700054, India.
| | - Devendra K Dhaked
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research-Kolkata, 168, Maniktala Main Road, Kolkata 700054, India
| | - Velyutham Ravichandiran
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Centre for Marine Therapeutics (CMT), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research-Kolkata, 168, Maniktala Main Road, Kolkata 700054, India.
| | - Sharada Prasanna Swain
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Centre for Marine Therapeutics (CMT), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research-Kolkata, 168, Maniktala Main Road, Kolkata 700054, India.
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7
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Harel O, Jbara M. Chemical Synthesis of Bioactive Proteins. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202217716. [PMID: 36661212 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202217716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Nature has developed a plethora of protein machinery to operate and maintain nearly every task of cellular life. These processes are tightly regulated via post-expression modifications-transformations that modulate intracellular protein synthesis, folding, and activation. Methods to prepare homogeneously and precisely modified proteins are essential to probe their function and design new bioactive modalities. Synthetic chemistry has contributed remarkably to protein science by allowing the preparation of novel biomacromolecules that are often challenging or impractical to prepare via common biological means. The ability to chemically build and precisely modify proteins has enabled the production of new molecules with novel physicochemical properties and programmed activity for biomedical research, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications. This minireview summarizes recent developments in chemical protein synthesis to produce bioactive proteins, with emphasis on novel analogs with promising in vitro and in vivo activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Harel
- School of Chemistry, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Muhammad Jbara
- School of Chemistry, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
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8
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Griffiths RC, Smith FR, Li D, Wyatt J, Rogers DM, Long JE, Cusin LML, Tighe PJ, Layfield R, Hirst JD, Müller MM, Mitchell NJ. Cysteine-Selective Modification of Peptides and Proteins via Desulfurative C-C Bond Formation. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202202503. [PMID: 36534955 PMCID: PMC10946470 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202202503] [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: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The site-selective modification of peptides and proteins facilitates the preparation of targeted therapeutic agents and tools to interrogate biochemical pathways. Among the numerous bioconjugation techniques developed to install groups of interest, those that generate C(sp3 )-C(sp3 ) bonds are significantly underrepresented despite affording proteolytically stable, biogenic linkages. Herein, a visible-light-mediated reaction is described that enables the site-selective modification of peptides and proteins via desulfurative C(sp3 )-C(sp3 ) bond formation. The reaction is rapid and high yielding in peptide systems, with comparable translation to proteins. Using this chemistry, a range of moieties is installed into model systems and an effective PTM-mimic is successfully integrated into a recombinantly expressed histone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhys C. Griffiths
- School of ChemistryUniversity of NottinghamUniversity ParkNottinghamNG7 2RDUK
| | - Frances R. Smith
- School of ChemistryUniversity of NottinghamUniversity ParkNottinghamNG7 2RDUK
| | - Diyuan Li
- School of ChemistryUniversity of NottinghamUniversity ParkNottinghamNG7 2RDUK
| | - Jasmine Wyatt
- Department of ChemistryKing's College LondonLondonSE1 1DB
| | - David M. Rogers
- School of ChemistryUniversity of NottinghamUniversity ParkNottinghamNG7 2RDUK
| | - Jed E. Long
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of Nottingham Medical SchoolNottinghamNG7 2UHUK
| | - Lola M. L. Cusin
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of NottinghamUniversity ParkNottinghamNG7 2RDUK
| | - Patrick J. Tighe
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of NottinghamUniversity ParkNottinghamNG7 2RDUK
| | - Robert Layfield
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of Nottingham Medical SchoolNottinghamNG7 2UHUK
| | - Jonathan D. Hirst
- School of ChemistryUniversity of NottinghamUniversity ParkNottinghamNG7 2RDUK
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Antonenko A, Singh AK, Mosna K, Krężel A. OaAEP1 Ligase-Assisted Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Full Cysteine-Rich Metal-Binding Cyanobacterial Metallothionein SmtA. Bioconjug Chem 2023. [PMID: 36921066 PMCID: PMC10119931 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Among all approaches used for the semisynthesis of natural or chemically modified products, enzyme-assisted ligation is among the most promising and dynamically developing approaches. Applying an efficient C247A mutant of Oldenlandia affinis plant ligase OaAEP1 and solid-phase peptide synthesis chemistry, we present the chemoenzymatic synthesis of a complete sequence of the cysteine-rich and metal-binding cyanobacterial metallothionein Synechococcus metallothionein A (SmtA). Zn(II) and Cd(II) binding to the newly synthesized SmtA showed identical properties to the protein expressed in Escherichia coli. The presented approach is the first example of the use of OaAEP1 mutant for total protein synthesis of metallothionein, which occurs in mild conditions preventing cysteine thiol oxidation. The recognition motif of the applied enzyme could naturally occur in the protein structure or be synthetically or genetically incorporated in some loops or secondary structure elements. Therefore, we envision that this strategy can be used for efficiently obtaining SmtA and for a wide range of proteins and their derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia Antonenko
- Department of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14a, Wrocław 50-383, Poland
| | - Avinash Kumar Singh
- Department of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14a, Wrocław 50-383, Poland
| | - Karolina Mosna
- Department of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14a, Wrocław 50-383, Poland
| | - Artur Krężel
- Department of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14a, Wrocław 50-383, Poland
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Total Chemical Synthesis of LC3A and LC3B Activity-Based Probes. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11030884. [PMID: 36979862 PMCID: PMC10045837 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a conserved cellular process involved in the degradation of intercellular materials. During this process, double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes engulf cytoplasmic components ready for degradation. A key component in the formation of autophagosomes are the autophagy-related (Atg) proteins, including microtubule-associated protein light chain 3A (LC3A) and 3B (LC3B). After the C-terminus of LC3 is conjugated to a phospholipid, it promotes the elongation of the phagosome and provides a docking station for the delivery of proteins ready for degradation. Since dysregulation of the autophagy pathway has been associated with a variety of human diseases, components of this process have been considered as potential therapeutic targets. However, the mechanistic details of LC3-specific ligases and deconjugation enzymes are far from unraveled and chemical tools for activity profiling could aid in affording more insights into this process. Herein, we describe a native chemical ligation approach for the synthesis of two LC3 activity-based probes (ABPs). Initial studies show that the probes covalently interact with the cysteine protease ATG4B, showcasing the potential of these probes to unravel mechanistic and structural details.
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Bilbrough T, Piemontese E, Seitz O. Dissecting the role of protein phosphorylation: a chemical biology toolbox. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:5691-5730. [PMID: 35726784 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00991e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Protein phosphorylation is a crucial regulator of protein and cellular function, yet, despite identifying an enormous number of phosphorylation sites, the role of most is still unclear. Each phosphoform, the particular combination of phosphorylations, of a protein has distinct and diverse biological consequences. Aberrant phosphorylation is implicated in the development of many diseases. To investigate their function, access to defined protein phosphoforms is essential. Materials obtained from cells often are complex mixtures. Recombinant methods can provide access to defined phosphoforms if site-specifically acting kinases are known, but the methods fail to provide homogenous material when several amino acid side chains compete for phosphorylation. Chemical and chemoenzymatic synthesis has provided an invaluable toolbox to enable access to previously unreachable phosphoforms of proteins. In this review, we selected important tools that enable access to homogeneously phosphorylated protein and discuss examples that demonstrate how they can be applied. Firstly, we discuss the synthesis of phosphopeptides and proteins through chemical and enzymatic means and their advantages and limitations. Secondly, we showcase illustrative examples that applied these tools to answer biological questions pertaining to proteins involved in signal transduction, control of transcription, neurodegenerative diseases and aggregation, apoptosis and autophagy, and transmembrane proteins. We discuss the opportunities and challenges in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Bilbrough
- Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Str. 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Emanuele Piemontese
- Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Str. 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Oliver Seitz
- Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Str. 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
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12
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Kulkarni SS, Watson EE, Maxwell JWC, Niederacher G, Johansen‐Leete J, Huhmann S, Mukherjee S, Norman AR, Kriegesmann J, Becker CFW, Payne RJ. Expressed Protein Selenoester Ligation. ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 134:e202200163. [PMID: 38505698 PMCID: PMC10947028 DOI: 10.1002/ange.202200163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Herein, we describe the development and application of a novel expressed protein selenoester ligation (EPSL) methodology for the one-pot semi-synthesis of modified proteins. EPSL harnesses the rapid kinetics of ligation reactions between modified synthetic selenopeptides and protein aryl selenoesters (generated from expressed intein fusion precursors) followed by in situ chemoselective deselenization to afford target proteins at concentrations that preclude the use of traditional ligation methods. The utility of the EPSL technology is showcased through the efficient semi-synthesis of ubiquitinated polypeptides, lipidated analogues of the membrane-associated GTPase YPT6, and site-specifically phosphorylated variants of the oligomeric chaperone protein Hsp27 at high dilution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameer S. Kulkarni
- School of Chemistry and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSW 2006Australia
| | - Emma E. Watson
- School of Chemistry and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSW 2006Australia
| | - Joshua W. C. Maxwell
- School of Chemistry and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSW 2006Australia
| | - Gerhard Niederacher
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological ChemistryUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Jason Johansen‐Leete
- School of Chemistry and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSW 2006Australia
| | - Susanne Huhmann
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological ChemistryUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Somnath Mukherjee
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological ChemistryUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Alexander R. Norman
- School of Chemistry and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSW 2006Australia
| | - Julia Kriegesmann
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological ChemistryUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Christian F. W. Becker
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological ChemistryUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Richard J. Payne
- School of Chemistry and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSW 2006Australia
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13
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Kulkarni SS, Watson EE, Maxwell JWC, Niederacher G, Johansen‐Leete J, Huhmann S, Mukherjee S, Norman AR, Kriegesmann J, Becker CFW, Payne RJ. Expressed Protein Selenoester Ligation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202200163. [PMID: 35194928 PMCID: PMC9314092 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202200163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Herein, we describe the development and application of a novel expressed protein selenoester ligation (EPSL) methodology for the one-pot semi-synthesis of modified proteins. EPSL harnesses the rapid kinetics of ligation reactions between modified synthetic selenopeptides and protein aryl selenoesters (generated from expressed intein fusion precursors) followed by in situ chemoselective deselenization to afford target proteins at concentrations that preclude the use of traditional ligation methods. The utility of the EPSL technology is showcased through the efficient semi-synthesis of ubiquitinated polypeptides, lipidated analogues of the membrane-associated GTPase YPT6, and site-specifically phosphorylated variants of the oligomeric chaperone protein Hsp27 at high dilution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameer S. Kulkarni
- School of Chemistry and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSW 2006Australia
| | - Emma E. Watson
- School of Chemistry and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSW 2006Australia
| | - Joshua W. C. Maxwell
- School of Chemistry and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSW 2006Australia
| | - Gerhard Niederacher
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological ChemistryUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Jason Johansen‐Leete
- School of Chemistry and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSW 2006Australia
| | - Susanne Huhmann
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological ChemistryUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Somnath Mukherjee
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological ChemistryUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Alexander R. Norman
- School of Chemistry and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSW 2006Australia
| | - Julia Kriegesmann
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological ChemistryUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Christian F. W. Becker
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological ChemistryUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Richard J. Payne
- School of Chemistry and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSW 2006Australia
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14
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Howell M, Wenc AK, Donaghy CM, Wasche DV, Abissi I, Naing MD, Pierce S, Angeles-Boza AM. Exploring synergy and its role in antimicrobial peptide biology. Methods Enzymol 2022; 663:99-130. [PMID: 35168799 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides will be an essential component in combating the escalating issue of antibiotic resistance. Identifying synergistic combinations of two or more substances will increase the value of these peptides further. Several potential pitfalls in conducting synergy testing with peptides are discussed in detail. As case studies, we describe observations of AMP synergy with peptides, antibiotics, and metal ions as well as some of the mechanistic details that have been uncovered. The Bliss and Loewe models for synergy are presented prior to recommending protocols for conducting checkerboard, minimal inhibitory concentration, and time-kill assays. Establishing mechanisms of action and exploring the potential for resistance will be crucial to translate these studies into the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Howell
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Antonina K Wenc
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Caroline M Donaghy
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Devon V Wasche
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Izabela Abissi
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Marvin D Naing
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Scott Pierce
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Alfredo M Angeles-Boza
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States.
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15
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Guan I, Williams K, Liu JST, Liu X. Synthetic Thiol and Selenol Derived Amino Acids for Expanding the Scope of Chemical Protein Synthesis. Front Chem 2022; 9:826764. [PMID: 35237567 PMCID: PMC8883728 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.826764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells employ post-translational modifications (PTMs) as key mechanisms to expand proteome diversity beyond the inherent limitations of a concise genome. The ability to incorporate post-translationally modified amino acids into protein targets via chemical ligation of peptide fragments has enabled the access to homogeneous proteins bearing discrete PTM patterns and empowered functional elucidation of individual modification sites. Native chemical ligation (NCL) represents a powerful and robust means for convergent assembly of two homogeneous, unprotected peptides bearing an N-terminal cysteine residue and a C-terminal thioester, respectively. The subsequent discovery that protein cysteine residues can be chemoselectively desulfurized to alanine has ignited tremendous interest in preparing unnatural thiol-derived variants of proteogenic amino acids for chemical protein synthesis following the ligation-desulfurization logic. Recently, the 21st amino acid selenocysteine, together with other selenyl derivatives of amino acids, have been shown to facilitate ultrafast ligation with peptidyl selenoesters, while the advancement in deselenization chemistry has provided reliable bio-orthogonality to PTMs and other amino acids. The combination of these ligation techniques and desulfurization/deselenization chemistries has led to streamlined synthesis of multiple structurally-complex, post-translationally modified proteins. In this review, we aim to summarize the latest chemical synthesis of thiolated and selenylated amino-acid building blocks and exemplify their important roles in conquering challenging protein targets with distinct PTM patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivy Guan
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The Heart Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kayla Williams
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The Heart Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Joanna Shu Ting Liu
- The Heart Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Xuyu Liu
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The Heart Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Xuyu Liu,
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16
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Bedding MJ, Kulkarni SS, Payne RJ. Diselenide-selenoester ligation in the chemical synthesis of proteins. Methods Enzymol 2022; 662:363-399. [PMID: 35101218 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Peptides and proteins represent an important class of biomolecules responsible for a plethora of structural and functional roles in vivo. Following their translation on the ribosome, the majority of eukaryotic proteins are post-translationally modified, leading to a proteome that is much larger than the number of genes present in a given organism. In order to understand the functional role of a given protein modification, it is necessary to access peptides and proteins bearing homogeneous and site-specific modifications. Accordingly, there has been significant research effort centered on the development of peptide ligation methodologies for the chemical synthesis of modified proteins. In this chapter we outline the discovery and development of a contemporary methodology called the diselenide-selenoester ligation (DSL) that enables the rapid and efficient fusion of peptide fragments to generate synthetic proteins. The practical aspects of using DSL for the preparation of chemically modified peptides and proteins in the laboratory is described. In addition, recent advances in the application of the methodology are outlined, exemplified by the synthesis and biological evaluation of a number of complex protein targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max J Bedding
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Sameer S Kulkarni
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard J Payne
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
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17
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Wang S, Zhou Q, Li Y, Wei B, Liu X, Zhao J, Ye F, Zhou Z, Ding B, Wang P. Quinoline-Based Photolabile Protection Strategy Facilitates Efficient Protein Assembly. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:1232-1242. [PMID: 35034454 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c10324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Native chemical ligation (NCL) provides a powerful solution to assemble proteins with precise chemical features, which enables a detailed investigation of the protein structure-function relationship. As an extension to NCL, the discovery of desulfurization and expressed protein ligation (EPL) techniques has greatly expanded the efficient access to large or challenging protein sequences via chemical ligations. Despite its superior reliability, the NCL-desulfurization protocol requires orthogonal protection strategies to allow selective desulfurization in the presence of native Cys, which is crucial to its synthetic application. In contrast to traditional thiol protecting groups, photolabile protecting groups (PPGs), which are removed upon irradiation, simplify protein assembly and therefore provide minimal perturbation to the peptide scaffold. However, current PPG strategies are mainly limited to nitro-benzyl derivatives, which are incompatible with NCL-desulfurization. Herein, we present for the first time that quinoline-based PPG for cysteine can facilitate various ligation strategies, including iterative NCL and EPL-desulfurization methods. 7-(Piperazin-1-yl)-2-(methyl)quinolinyl (PPZQ) caging of multiple cysteine residues within the protein sequence can be readily introduced via late-stage modification, while the traceless removal of PPZQ is highly efficient via photolysis in an aqueous buffer. In addition, the PPZQ group is compatible with radical desulfurization. The efficiency of this strategy has been highlighted by the synthesis of γ-synuclein and phosphorylated cystatin-S via one-pot iterative ligation and EPL-desulfurization methods. Besides, successful sextuple protection and deprotection of the expressed Interleukin-34 fragment demonstrate the great potential of this strategy in protein caging/uncaging investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyao Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Qingqing Zhou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yunxue Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Bingcheng Wei
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xinliang Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jie Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Farong Ye
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Zhongneng Zhou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Bei Ding
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
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18
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Shi WW, Shi C, Wang TY, Li YL, Zhou YK, Zhang XH, Bierer D, Zheng JS, Liu L. Total Chemical Synthesis of Correctly Folded Disulfide-Rich Proteins Using a Removable O-Linked β- N-Acetylglucosamine Strategy. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:349-357. [PMID: 34978456 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c10091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Disulfide-rich proteins are useful as drugs or tool molecules in biomedical studies, but their synthesis is complicated by the difficulties associated with their folding. Here, we describe a removable glycosylation modification (RGM) strategy that expedites the chemical synthesis of correctly folded proteins with multiple or even interchain disulfide bonds. Our strategy comprises the introduction of simple O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) groups at the Ser/Thr sites that effectively improve the folding of disulfide-rich proteins by stabilization of their folding intermediates. After folding, the O-GlcNAc groups can be efficiently removed using O-GlcNAcase (OGA) to afford the correctly folded proteins. Using this strategy, we completed the synthesis of correctly folded hepcidin, an iron-regulating hormone bearing four pairs of disulfide-bonds, and the first total synthesis of correctly folded interleukin-5 (IL-5), a 26 kDa homodimer cytokine responsible for eosinophil growth and differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Wei Shi
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics (Shenzhen), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | | | - Tong-Yue Wang
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics (Shenzhen), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yu-Lei Li
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics (Shenzhen), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | | | | | - Donald Bierer
- Bayer AG, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Aprather Weg 18A, 42096 Wuppertal, Germany
| | | | - Lei Liu
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics (Shenzhen), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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19
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Li Y, Heng J, Sun D, Zhang B, Zhang X, Zheng Y, Shi WW, Wang TY, Li JY, Sun X, Liu X, Zheng JS, Kobilka BK, Liu L. Chemical Synthesis of a Full-Length G-Protein-Coupled Receptor β 2-Adrenergic Receptor with Defined Modification Patterns at the C-Terminus. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:17566-17576. [PMID: 34663067 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c07369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that responds to the hormone adrenaline and is an important drug target in the context of respiratory diseases, including asthma. β2AR function can be regulated by post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination at the C-terminus, but access to the full-length β2AR with well-defined and homogeneous modification patterns critical for biochemical and biophysical studies remains challenging. Here, we report a practical synthesis of differentially modified, full-length β2AR based on a combined native chemical ligation (NCL) and sortase ligation strategy. An array of homogeneous samples of full-length β2ARs with distinct modification patterns, including a full-length β2AR bearing both monoubiquitination and octaphosphorylation modifications, were successfully prepared for the first time. Using these homogeneously modified full-length β2AR receptors, we found that different phosphorylation patterns mediate different interactions with β-arrestin1 as reflected in different agonist binding affinities. Our experiments also indicated that ubiquitination can further modulate interactions between β2AR and β-arrestin1. Access to full-length β2AR with well-defined and homogeneous modification patterns at the C-terminus opens a door to further in-depth mechanistic studies into the structure and dynamics of β2AR complexes with downstream transducer proteins, including G proteins, arrestins, and GPCR kinases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulei Li
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jie Heng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Demeng Sun
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Baochang Zhang
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yupeng Zheng
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei-Wei Shi
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Tong-Yue Wang
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jiu-Yi Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Xiaoou Sun
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiangyu Liu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ji-Shen Zheng
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Brian K Kobilka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Lei Liu
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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20
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Robinson SD, Kambanis L, Clayton D, Hinneburg H, Corcilius L, Mueller A, Walker AA, Keramidas A, Kulkarni SS, Jones A, Vetter I, Thaysen-Andersen M, Payne RJ, King GF, Undheim EAB. A pain-causing and paralytic ant venom glycopeptide. iScience 2021; 24:103175. [PMID: 34693225 PMCID: PMC8517206 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are familiar inhabitants of most terrestrial environments. Although we are aware of the ability of many species to sting, knowledge of ant venom chemistry remains limited. Herein, we describe the discovery and characterization of an O-linked glycopeptide (Mg7a) as a major component of the venom of the ant Myrmecia gulosa. Electron transfer dissociation and higher-energy collisional dissociation tandem mass spectrometry were used to localize three α-N-acetylgalactosaminyl residues (α-GalNAc) present on the 63-residue peptide. To allow for functional studies, we synthesized the full-length glycosylated peptide via solid-phase peptide synthesis, combined with diselenide-selenoester ligation-deselenization chemistry. We show that Mg7a is paralytic and lethal to insects, and triggers pain behavior and inflammation in mammals, which it achieves through a membrane-targeting mode of action. Deglycosylation of Mg7a renders it insoluble in aqueous solution, suggesting a key solubilizing role of the O-glycans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel D Robinson
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Lucas Kambanis
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Daniel Clayton
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Hannes Hinneburg
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Leo Corcilius
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Alexander Mueller
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Andrew A Walker
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Angelo Keramidas
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Sameer S Kulkarni
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Alun Jones
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Irina Vetter
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | | | - Richard J Payne
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Eivind A B Undheim
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.,Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, The University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway
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21
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Pomplun S, Jbara M, Schissel CK, Wilson Hawken S, Boija A, Li C, Klein I, Pentelute BL. Parallel Automated Flow Synthesis of Covalent Protein Complexes That Can Inhibit MYC-Driven Transcription. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2021; 7:1408-1418. [PMID: 34471684 PMCID: PMC8393199 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.1c00663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the transcription factor MYC is involved in many human cancers. The dimeric transcription factor complexes of MYC/MAX and MAX/MAX activate or inhibit, respectively, gene transcription upon binding to the same enhancer box DNA. Targeting these complexes in cancer is a long-standing challenge. Inspired by the inhibitory activity of the MAX/MAX dimer, we engineered covalently linked, synthetic homo- and heterodimeric protein complexes to attenuate oncogenic MYC-driven transcription. We prepared the covalent protein complexes (∼20 kDa, 167-231 residues) in a single shot via parallel automated flow synthesis in hours. The stabilized covalent dimers display DNA binding activity, are intrinsically cell-penetrant, and inhibit cancer cell proliferation in different cell lines. RNA sequencing and gene set enrichment analysis in A549 cancer cells confirmed that the synthetic dimers interfere with MYC-driven transcription. Our results demonstrate the potential of automated flow technology to rapidly deliver engineered synthetic protein complex mimetics that can serve as a starting point in developing inhibitors of MYC-driven cancer cell growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Pomplun
- Department
of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Muhammad Jbara
- Department
of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Carly K. Schissel
- Department
of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Susana Wilson Hawken
- Whitehead
Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Department
of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Ann Boija
- Whitehead
Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Department
of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Charles Li
- Whitehead
Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Department
of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Isaac Klein
- Whitehead
Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Department
of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Bradley L. Pentelute
- Department
of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- The
Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Center
for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Broad Institute
of MIT and Harvard, 415
Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
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22
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Kambanis L, Chisholm TS, Kulkarni SS, Payne RJ. Rapid one-pot iterative diselenide-selenoester ligation using a novel coumarin-based photolabile protecting group. Chem Sci 2021; 12:10014-10021. [PMID: 34349969 PMCID: PMC8317654 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc02781f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of an iterative one-pot peptide ligation strategy is described that capitalises on the rapid and efficient nature of the diselenide–selenoester ligation reaction, together with photodeselenisation chemistry. This ligation strategy hinged on the development of a novel photolabile protecting group for the side chain of selenocysteine, namely the 7-diethylamino-3-methyl coumarin (DEAMC) moiety. Deprotection of this DEAMC group can be effected in a mild, reagent-free manner using visible light (λ = 450 nm) without deleterious deselenisation of selenocysteine residues, thus enabling a subsequent ligation reaction without purification. The use of this DEAMC-protected selenocysteine in iterative DSL chemistry is highlighted through the efficient one-pot syntheses of 60- and 80-residue fragments of mucin-1 as well as apolipoprotein CIII in just 2–4 hours. A method for the rapid one-pot iterative assembly of proteins via diselenide–selenoester ligation (DSL) chemistry is described that capitalises on a novel coumarin-based photolabile protecting group for selenocysteine.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Kambanis
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Timothy S Chisholm
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Sameer S Kulkarni
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Richard J Payne
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
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