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Hieronimus K, Donauer T, Klein J, Hinkel B, Spänle JV, Probst A, Niemeyer J, Kibrom S, Kiefer AM, Schneider L, Husemann B, Bischoff E, Möhring S, Bayer N, Klein D, Engels A, Ziehmer BG, Stieβ J, Moroka P, Schroda M, Deponte M. A Modular Cloning Toolkit for the production of recombinant proteins in Leishmania tarentolae. MICROBIAL CELL (GRAZ, AUSTRIA) 2024; 11:128-142. [PMID: 38799406 PMCID: PMC11121976 DOI: 10.15698/mic2024.04.821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Modular Cloning (MoClo) is based on libraries of standardized genetic parts that can be directionally assembled via Golden Gate cloning in one-pot reactions into transcription units and multigene constructs. Here, a team of bachelor students established a MoClo toolkit for the protist Leishmania tarentolae in the frame of the international Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. Our modular toolkit is based on a domesticated version of a commercial LEXSY expression vector and comprises 34 genetic parts encoding various affinity tags, targeting signals as well as fluorescent and luminescent proteins. We demonstrated the utility of our kit by the successful production of 16 different tagged versions of the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in L. tarentolae liquid cultures. While highest yields of secreted recombinant RBD were obtained for GST-tagged fusion proteins 48 h post induction, C-terminal peptide tags were often degraded and resulted in lower yields of secreted RBD. Fusing secreted RBD to a synthetic O-glycosylation SP20 module resulted in an apparent molecular mass shift around 10 kDa. No disadvantage regarding the production of RBD was detected when the three antibiotics of the LEXSY system were omitted during the 48-h induction phase. Furthermore, the successful purification of secreted RBD from the supernatant of L. tarentolae liquid cultures was demonstrated in pilot experiments. In summary, we established a MoClo toolkit and exemplified its application for the production of recombinant proteins in L. tarentolae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Hieronimus
- Faculty of Biology, Molecular Biotechnology & Systems
Biology, RPTU Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
- Faculty of Chemistry, Comparative Biochemistry, RPTU
Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Tabea Donauer
- Faculty of Biology, Molecular Biotechnology & Systems
Biology, RPTU Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
- Faculty of Chemistry, Comparative Biochemistry, RPTU
Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Jonas Klein
- Faculty of Biology, Molecular Biotechnology & Systems
Biology, RPTU Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Bastian Hinkel
- Faculty of Biology, Molecular Biotechnology & Systems
Biology, RPTU Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Julia Vanessa Spänle
- Faculty of Biology, Molecular Biotechnology & Systems
Biology, RPTU Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Anna Probst
- Faculty of Biology, Molecular Biotechnology & Systems
Biology, RPTU Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Justus Niemeyer
- Faculty of Biology, Molecular Biotechnology & Systems
Biology, RPTU Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Salina Kibrom
- Faculty of Biology, Molecular Biotechnology & Systems
Biology, RPTU Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Anna Maria Kiefer
- Faculty of Biology, Molecular Biotechnology & Systems
Biology, RPTU Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Luzia Schneider
- Faculty of Chemistry, Comparative Biochemistry, RPTU
Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Britta Husemann
- Faculty of Chemistry, Comparative Biochemistry, RPTU
Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Eileen Bischoff
- Faculty of Chemistry, Comparative Biochemistry, RPTU
Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Sophie Möhring
- Faculty of Chemistry, Comparative Biochemistry, RPTU
Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Nicolas Bayer
- Faculty of Biology, Molecular Biotechnology & Systems
Biology, RPTU Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Dorothée Klein
- Faculty of Biology, Molecular Biotechnology & Systems
Biology, RPTU Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Adrian Engels
- Faculty of Biology, Molecular Biotechnology & Systems
Biology, RPTU Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Benjamin Gustav Ziehmer
- Faculty of Chemistry, Comparative Biochemistry, RPTU
Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Julian Stieβ
- Faculty of Computer Science, RPTU Kaiserslautern, D-67663
Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Pavlo Moroka
- Faculty of Biology, Molecular Biotechnology & Systems
Biology, RPTU Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Michael Schroda
- Faculty of Biology, Molecular Biotechnology & Systems
Biology, RPTU Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Marcel Deponte
- Faculty of Chemistry, Comparative Biochemistry, RPTU
Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
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Orsi E, Schada von Borzyskowski L, Noack S, Nikel PI, Lindner SN. Automated in vivo enzyme engineering accelerates biocatalyst optimization. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3447. [PMID: 38658554 PMCID: PMC11043082 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46574-4] [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: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Achieving cost-competitive bio-based processes requires development of stable and selective biocatalysts. Their realization through in vitro enzyme characterization and engineering is mostly low throughput and labor-intensive. Therefore, strategies for increasing throughput while diminishing manual labor are gaining momentum, such as in vivo screening and evolution campaigns. Computational tools like machine learning further support enzyme engineering efforts by widening the explorable design space. Here, we propose an integrated solution to enzyme engineering challenges whereby ML-guided, automated workflows (including library generation, implementation of hypermutation systems, adapted laboratory evolution, and in vivo growth-coupled selection) could be realized to accelerate pipelines towards superior biocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Orsi
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Stephan Noack
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Pablo I Nikel
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Steffen N Lindner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
- Department of Biochemistry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
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3
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Manoli MT, Gargantilla-Becerra Á, Del Cerro Sánchez C, Rivero-Buceta V, Prieto MA, Nogales J. A model-driven approach to upcycling recalcitrant feedstocks in Pseudomonas putida by decoupling PHA production from nutrient limitation. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113979. [PMID: 38517887 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have emerged as promising eco-friendly alternatives to petroleum-based plastics since they are synthesized from renewable resources and offer exceptional properties. However, their production is limited to the stationary growth phase under nutrient-limited conditions, requiring customized strategies and costly two-phase bioprocesses. In this study, we tackle these challenges by employing a model-driven approach to reroute carbon flux and remove regulatory constraints using synthetic biology. We construct a collection of Pseudomonas putida-overproducing strains at the expense of plastics and lignin-related compounds using growth-coupling approaches. PHA production was successfully achieved during growth phase, resulting in the production of up to 46% PHA/cell dry weight while maintaining a balanced carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Our strains are additionally validated under an upcycling scenario using enzymatically hydrolyzed polyethylene terephthalate as a feedstock. These findings have the potential to revolutionize PHA production and address the global plastic crisis by overcoming the complexities of traditional PHA production bioprocesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Tsampika Manoli
- Polymer Biotechnology Group, Department of Microbial and Plant Biotechnology, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Álvaro Gargantilla-Becerra
- Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain; 3Systems Biotechnology Group, Department of Systems Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Carlos Del Cerro Sánchez
- Polymer Biotechnology Group, Department of Microbial and Plant Biotechnology, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Virginia Rivero-Buceta
- Polymer Biotechnology Group, Department of Microbial and Plant Biotechnology, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - M Auxiliadora Prieto
- Polymer Biotechnology Group, Department of Microbial and Plant Biotechnology, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Juan Nogales
- Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain; 3Systems Biotechnology Group, Department of Systems Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Madrid 28049, Spain; CNB DNA Biofoundry (CNBio), CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
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Magadán-Corpas P, Ye S, Braune A, Villar CJ, Lombó F. Optimization of flavanonols heterologous biosynthesis in Streptomyces albidoflavus, and generation of auronols. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1378235. [PMID: 38605703 PMCID: PMC11007074 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1378235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Aromadendrin and taxifolin are two flavanonols (derived from the precursor naringenin) displaying diverse beneficial properties for humans. The carbon skeleton of these flavonoids may be transformed by the human gastrointestinal microbiota into other compounds, like auronols, which exert different and interesting biological activities. While research in flavonoids has become a certainly extensive field, studies about auronols are still scarce. In this work, different versions of the key plant enzyme for flavanonols biosynthesis, The flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), has been screened for selecting the best one for the de novo production of these compounds in the bacterial factory Streptomyces albidoflavus UO-FLAV-004-NAR, a naringenin overproducer strain. This screening has rendered 2.6 μg/L of aromadendrin and 2.1 mg/L of taxifolin final production titers. Finally, the expression of the chalcone isomerase (CHI) from the gut bacterium Eubacterium ramulus has rendered a direct conversion (after feeding experiments) of 38.1% of (+)-aromadendrin into maesopsin and 74.6% of (+)-taxifolin into alphitonin. Moreover, de novo heterologous biosynthesis of 1.9 mg/L of alphitonin was accomplished by means of a co-culture strategy of a taxifolin producer S. albidoflavus and a CHI-expressing Escherichia coli, after the observation of the high instability of alphitonin in the culture medium. This study addresses the significance of culture time optimization and selection of appropriate enzymes depending on the desired final product. To our knowledge, this is the first time that alphitonin de novo production has been accomplished.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Magadán-Corpas
- Research Group BIONUC (Biotechnology of Nutraceuticals and Bioactive Compounds), Departamento de Biología Funcional, Área de Microbiología, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
- IUOPA (Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias), Oviedo, Spain
- ISPA (Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias), Oviedo, Spain
| | - Suhui Ye
- Research Group BIONUC (Biotechnology of Nutraceuticals and Bioactive Compounds), Departamento de Biología Funcional, Área de Microbiología, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
- IUOPA (Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias), Oviedo, Spain
- ISPA (Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias), Oviedo, Spain
| | - Annett Braune
- Research Group Intestinal Microbiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Claudio J. Villar
- Research Group BIONUC (Biotechnology of Nutraceuticals and Bioactive Compounds), Departamento de Biología Funcional, Área de Microbiología, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
- IUOPA (Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias), Oviedo, Spain
- ISPA (Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias), Oviedo, Spain
| | - Felipe Lombó
- Research Group BIONUC (Biotechnology of Nutraceuticals and Bioactive Compounds), Departamento de Biología Funcional, Área de Microbiología, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
- IUOPA (Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias), Oviedo, Spain
- ISPA (Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias), Oviedo, Spain
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Kozaeva E, Nielsen ZS, Nieto-Domínguez M, Nikel P. The pAblo·pCasso self-curing vector toolset for unconstrained cytidine and adenine base-editing in Gram-negative bacteria. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:e19. [PMID: 38180826 PMCID: PMC10899774 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1236] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
A synthetic biology toolkit, exploiting clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and modified CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) base-editors, was developed for genome engineering in Gram-negative bacteria. Both a cytidine base-editor (CBE) and an adenine base-editor (ABE) have been optimized for precise single-nucleotide modification of plasmid and genome targets. CBE comprises a cytidine deaminase conjugated to a Cas9 nickase from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpnCas9), resulting in C→T (or G→A) substitutions. Conversely, ABE consists of an adenine deaminase fused to SpnCas9 for A→G (or T→C) editing. Several nucleotide substitutions were achieved using these plasmid-borne base-editing systems and a novel protospacer adjacent motif (PAM)-relaxed SpnCas9 (SpRY) variant. Base-editing was validated in Pseudomonas putida and other Gram-negative bacteria by inserting premature STOP codons into target genes, thereby inactivating both fluorescent proteins and metabolic (antibiotic-resistance) functions. The functional knockouts obtained by engineering STOP codons via CBE were reverted to the wild-type genotype using ABE. Additionally, a series of induction-responsive vectors was developed to facilitate the curing of the base-editing platform in a single cultivation step, simplifying complex strain engineering programs without relying on homologous recombination and yielding plasmid-free, modified bacterial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Kozaeva
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Zacharias S Nielsen
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Manuel Nieto-Domínguez
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Pablo I Nikel
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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Manoli MT, Blanco FG, Rivero-Buceta V, Kniewel R, Alarcon SH, Salgado S, Prieto MA. Heterologous constitutive production of short-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates in Pseudomonas putida KT2440: the involvement of IbpA inclusion body protein. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1275036. [PMID: 38026847 PMCID: PMC10646324 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1275036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Designing cell factories for the production of novel polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) via smart metabolic engineering is key to obtain à la carte materials with tailored physicochemical properties. To this end, we used the model medium-chain-length-PHA producing bacterium, P. putida KT2440 as a chassis, which is characterized by its metabolic versatility and stress tolerance. Different PHA biosynthetic modules were assembled in expression plasmids using the Golden gate/MoClo modular assembly technique to implement an orthogonal short-chain-lengh-PHA (scl-PHA) switch in a "deaf" PHA mutant. This was specifically constructed to override endogenous multilevel regulation of PHA synthesis in the native strain. We generated a panel of engineered approaches carrying the genes from Rhodospirillum rubrum, Cupriavidus necator and Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes, demonstrating that diverse scl-PHAs can be constitutively produced in the chassis strain to varying yields from 23% to 84% PHA/CDW. Co-feeding assays of the most promising engineered strain harboring the PHA machinery from C. necator resulted to a panel of PHBV from 0.6% to 19% C5 monomeric incorporation. Chromosomally integrated PHA machineries with high PhaCCn synthase dosage successfully resulted in 68% PHA/CDW production. Interestingly, an inverse relationship between PhaC synthase dosage and granule size distribution was demonstrated in the heterologous host. In this vein, it is proposed the key involvement of inclusion body protein IbpA to the heterologous production of tailored PHA in P. putida KT2440.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Tsampika Manoli
- Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics Towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Polymer Biotechnology Group, Department of Microbial and Plant Biotechnology, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco G. Blanco
- Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics Towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Polymer Biotechnology Group, Department of Microbial and Plant Biotechnology, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Virginia Rivero-Buceta
- Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics Towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Polymer Biotechnology Group, Department of Microbial and Plant Biotechnology, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ryan Kniewel
- Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics Towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Polymer Biotechnology Group, Department of Microbial and Plant Biotechnology, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra Herrera Alarcon
- Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics Towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Polymer Biotechnology Group, Department of Microbial and Plant Biotechnology, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Salgado
- Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics Towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Polymer Biotechnology Group, Department of Microbial and Plant Biotechnology, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - M. Auxiliadora Prieto
- Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics Towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Polymer Biotechnology Group, Department of Microbial and Plant Biotechnology, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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