1
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Fulton DA, Dura G, Peters DT. The polymer and materials science of the bacterial fimbriae Caf1. Biomater Sci 2023; 11:7229-7246. [PMID: 37791425 PMCID: PMC10628683 DOI: 10.1039/d3bm01075a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Fimbriae are long filamentous polymeric protein structures located upon the surface of bacteria. Often implicated in pathogenicity, the biosynthesis and function of fimbriae has been a productive topic of study for many decades. Evolutionary pressures have ensured that fimbriae possess unique structural and mechanical properties which are advantageous to bacteria. These properties are also difficult to engineer with well-known synthetic and natural fibres, and this has raised an intriguing question: can we exploit the unique properties of bacterial fimbriae in useful ways? Initial work has set out to explore this question by using Capsular antigen fragment 1 (Caf1), a fimbriae expressed naturally by Yersina pestis. These fibres have evolved to 'shield' the bacterium from the immune system of an infected host, and thus are rather bioinert in nature. Caf1 is, however, very amenable to structural mutagenesis which allows the incorporation of useful bioactive functions and the modulation of the fibre's mechanical properties. Its high-yielding recombinant synthesis also ensures plentiful quantities of polymer are available to drive development. These advantageous features make Caf1 an archetype for the development of new polymers and materials based upon bacterial fimbriae. Here, we cover recent advances in this new field, and look to future possibilities of this promising biopolymer.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Fulton
- Chemistry-School of Natural Science and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
| | - Gema Dura
- Chemistry-School of Natural Science and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica Orgánica y Bioquímica Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha Facultad de Ciencias y Tecnologías Químicas-IRICAAvda, C. J. Cela, 10, Ciudad Real 13071, Spain
| | - Daniel T Peters
- Biosciences Institute, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
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2
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Zhou S, Wei Y. Kaleidoscope megamolecules synthesis and application using self-assembly technology. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 65:108147. [PMID: 37023967 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
The megamolecules with high ordered structures play an important role in chemical biology and biomedical engineering. Self-assembly, a long-discovered but very appealing technique, could induce many reactions between biomacromolecules and organic linking molecules, such as an enzyme domain and its covalent inhibitors. Enzyme and its small-molecule inhibitors have achieved many successes in medical application, which realize the catalysis process and theranostic function. By employing the protein engineering technology, the building blocks of enzyme fusion protein and small molecule linker can be assembled into a novel architecture with the specified organization and conformation. Molecular level recognition of enzyme domain could provide both covalent reaction sites and structural skeleton for the functional fusion protein. In this review, we will discuss the range of tools available to combine functional domains by using the recombinant protein technology, which can assemble them into precisely specified architectures/valences and develop the kaleidoscope megamolecules for catalytic and medical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengwang Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, PR China.
| | - Yuan Wei
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, PR China
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3
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Winegar PH, Figg CA, Teplensky MH, Ramani N, Mirkin CA. Modular Nucleic Acid Scaffolds for Synthesizing Monodisperse and Sequence-Encoded Antibody Oligomers. Chem 2022; 8:3018-3030. [PMID: 36405374 PMCID: PMC9674055 DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Synthesizing protein oligomers that contain exact numbers of multiple different proteins in defined architectures is challenging. DNA-DNA interactions can be used to program protein assembly into oligomers; however, existing methods require changes to DNA design to achieve different numbers and oligomeric sequences of proteins. Herein, we develop a modular DNA scaffold that uses only six synthetic oligonucleotides to organize proteins into defined oligomers. As a proof-of-concept, model proteins (antibodies) are oligomerized into dimers and trimers, where antibody function is retained. Illustrating the modularity of this technique, dimer and trimer building blocks are then assembled into pentamers containing three different antibodies in an exact stoichiometry and oligomeric sequence. In sum, this report describes a generalizable method for organizing proteins into monodisperse, sequence-encoded oligomers using DNA. This advance will enable studies into how oligomeric protein sequences affect material properties in areas spanning pharmaceutical development, cascade catalysis, synthetic photosynthesis, and membrane transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter H. Winegar
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - C. Adrian Figg
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Michelle H. Teplensky
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Namrata Ramani
- International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Chad A. Mirkin
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Lead contact
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4
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Parker KA, Ribet S, Kimmel BR, Dos Reis R, Mrksich M, Dravid VP. Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy in a Scanning Electron Microscope for the High-Throughput Imaging of Biological Assemblies. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:3235-3242. [PMID: 35881504 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Electron microscopy of soft and biological materials, or "soft electron microscopy", is essential to the characterization of macromolecules. Soft microscopy is governed by enhancing contrast while maintaining low electron doses, and sample preparation and imaging methodologies are driven by the length scale of features of interest. While cryo-electron microscopy offers the highest resolution, larger structures can be characterized efficiently and with high contrast using low-voltage electron microscopy by performing scanning transmission electron microscopy in a scanning electron microscope (STEM-in-SEM). Here, STEM-in-SEM is demonstrated for a four-lobed protein assembly where the arrangement of the proteins in the construct must be examined. STEM image simulations show the theoretical contrast enhancement at SEM-level voltages for unstained structures, and experimental images with multiple STEM modes exhibit the resolution possible for negative-stained proteins. This technique can be extended to complex protein assemblies, larger structures such as cell sections, and hybrid materials, making STEM-in-SEM a valuable high-throughput imaging method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A Parker
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Stephanie Ribet
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Blaise R Kimmel
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Roberto Dos Reis
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.,Northwestern University Atomic and Nanoscale Characterization Experimental (NUANCE) Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Milan Mrksich
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Vinayak P Dravid
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.,Northwestern University Atomic and Nanoscale Characterization Experimental (NUANCE) Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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5
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Kimmel BR, Mrksich M. Development of an Enzyme-Inhibitor Reaction Using Cellular Retinoic Acid Binding Protein II for One-Pot Megamolecule Assembly. Chemistry 2021; 27:17843-17848. [PMID: 34713526 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202103059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents an enzyme building block for the assembly of megamolecules. The system is based on the inhibition of the human-derived cellular retinoic acid binding protein II (CRABP2) domain. We synthesized a synthetic retinoid bearing an arylfluorosulfate group, which uses sulfur fluoride exchange click chemistry to covalently inhibit CRABP2. We conjugated both the inhibitor and a fluorescein tag to an oligo(ethylene glycol) backbone and measured a second-order rate constant for the protein inhibition reaction of approximately 3,600 M-1 s-1 . We used this new enzyme-inhibitor pair to assemble multi-protein structures in one-pot reactions using three orthogonal assembly chemistries to demonstrate exact control over the placement of protein domains within a single, homogeneous molecule. This work enables a new dimension of control over specificity, orientation, and stoichiometry of protein domains within atomically precise nanostructures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blaise R Kimmel
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Milan Mrksich
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
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Kuan SL, Raabe M. Solid-Phase Protein Modifications: Towards Precision Protein Hybrids for Biological Applications. ChemMedChem 2021; 16:94-104. [PMID: 32667697 PMCID: PMC7818443 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Proteins have attracted increasing attention as biopharmaceutics and diagnostics due to their high specificity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. The biopharmaceutical sector in particular is experiencing rapid growth, which has led to an increase in the production and sale of protein drugs and diagnostics over the last two decades. Since the first-generation biopharmaceutics dominated by native proteins, both recombinant and chemical technologies have evolved and transformed the outlook of this rapidly developing field. This review article presents updates on the fabrication of covalent and supramolecular fusion hybrids, as well as protein-polymer hybrids using solid-phase approaches that hold great promise for preparing protein hybrids with precise control at the macromolecular level to incorporate additional features. In addition, the applications of the resultant protein hybrids in medicine and diagnostics are highlighted where possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seah Ling Kuan
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer ResearchAckermannweg 1055128MainzGermany
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry IUlm UniversityAlbert-Einstein-Allee 1189081UlmGermany
| | - Marco Raabe
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer ResearchAckermannweg 1055128MainzGermany
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry IUlm UniversityAlbert-Einstein-Allee 1189081UlmGermany
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7
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Metcalf KJ, Kimmel BR, Sykora DJ, Modica JA, Parker KA, Berens E, Dai R, Dravid VP, Werb Z, Mrksich M. Synthetic Tuning of Domain Stoichiometry in Nanobody-Enzyme Megamolecules. Bioconjug Chem 2020; 32:143-152. [PMID: 33301672 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.0c00578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents a method to synthetically tune atomically precise megamolecule nanobody-enzyme conjugates for prodrug cancer therapy. Previous efforts to create heterobifunctional protein conjugates suffered from heterogeneity in domain stoichiometry, which in part led to the failure of antibody-enzyme conjugates in clinical trials. We used the megamolecule approach to synthesize anti-HER2 nanobody-cytosine deaminase conjugates with tunable numbers of nanobody and enzyme domains in a single, covalent molecule. Linking two nanobody domains to one enzyme domain improved avidity to a human cancer cell line by 4-fold but did not increase cytotoxicity significantly due to lowered enzyme activity. In contrast, a megamolecule composed of one nanobody and two enzyme domains resulted in an 8-fold improvement in the catalytic efficiency and increased the cytotoxic effect by over 5-fold in spheroid culture, indicating that the multimeric structure allowed for an increase in local drug activation. Our work demonstrates that the megamolecule strategy can be used to study structure-function relationships of protein conjugate therapeutics with synthetic control of protein domain stoichiometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J Metcalf
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, California 94143, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Blaise R Kimmel
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Daniel J Sykora
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Justin A Modica
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Kelly A Parker
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Eric Berens
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Raymond Dai
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Vinayak P Dravid
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Zena Werb
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Milan Mrksich
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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8
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Modica JA, Iderzorig T, Mrksich M. Design and Synthesis of Megamolecule Mimics of a Therapeutic Antibody. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:13657-13661. [PMID: 32706963 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c05093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This communication describes the design, synthesis, and biological activity of a megamolecule mimic of an anti-HER2 antibody. The antibody mimic was prepared by linking two Fabs from the therapeutic antibody trastuzumab, which are fused through the heavy chain variable domain to either cutinase or SnapTag, with a linker terminated in an irreversible inhibitor for each enzyme. This mimic binds HER2 with comparable avidity to trastuzumab, has similar activity in a cell-based assay, and can arrest tumor growth in a mouse xenograft BT474 tumor model. A panel of 16 bivalent anti-HER2 antibodies were prepared wherein each varied in the orientation of the fusion domain on the Fabs. The analogs displayed a range of cytotoxic activity, and surprisingly, the most active mimic binds to cells with a 10-fold lower avidity than the least active variant suggesting that structure plays a large role in their efficacy. This work suggests that the megamolecule approach can be used to prepare antibody mimics having a broad structural diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A Modica
- Northwestern University, Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Tsatsral Iderzorig
- Northwestern University, Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Milan Mrksich
- Northwestern University, Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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