1
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Carrera-Pacheco SE, Mueller A, Puente-Pineda JA, Zúñiga-Miranda J, Guamán LP. Designing cytochrome P450 enzymes for use in cancer gene therapy. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1405466. [PMID: 38860140 PMCID: PMC11164052 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1405466] [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: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a significant global socioeconomic burden, as millions of new cases and deaths occur annually. In 2020, almost 10 million cancer deaths were recorded worldwide. Advancements in cancer gene therapy have revolutionized the landscape of cancer treatment. An approach with promising potential for cancer gene therapy is introducing genes to cancer cells that encode for chemotherapy prodrug metabolizing enzymes, such as Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, which can contribute to the effective elimination of cancer cells. This can be achieved through gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT). CYP enzymes can be genetically engineered to improve anticancer prodrug conversion to its active metabolites and to minimize chemotherapy side effects by reducing the prodrug dosage. Rational design, directed evolution, and phylogenetic methods are some approaches to developing tailored CYP enzymes for cancer therapy. Here, we provide a compilation of genetic modifications performed on CYP enzymes aiming to build highly efficient therapeutic genes capable of bio-activating different chemotherapeutic prodrugs. Additionally, this review summarizes promising preclinical and clinical trials highlighting engineered CYP enzymes' potential in GDEPT. Finally, the challenges, limitations, and future directions of using CYP enzymes for GDEPT in cancer gene therapy are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskya E. Carrera-Pacheco
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica (CENBIO), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Quito, Ecuador
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2
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Rich MH, Sharrock AV, Mulligan TS, Matthews F, Brown AS, Lee-Harwood HR, Williams EM, Copp JN, Little RF, Francis JJB, Horvat CN, Stevenson LJ, Owen JG, Saxena MT, Mumm JS, Ackerley DF. A metagenomic library cloning strategy that promotes high-level expression of captured genes to enable efficient functional screening. Cell Chem Biol 2023; 30:1680-1691.e6. [PMID: 37898120 PMCID: PMC10842177 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.10.001] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Functional screening of environmental DNA (eDNA) libraries is a potentially powerful approach to discover enzymatic "unknown unknowns", but is usually heavily biased toward the tiny subset of genes preferentially transcribed and translated by the screening strain. We have overcome this by preparing an eDNA library via partial digest with restriction enzyme FatI (cuts CATG), causing a substantial proportion of ATG start codons to be precisely aligned with strong plasmid-encoded promoter and ribosome-binding sequences. Whereas we were unable to select nitroreductases from standard metagenome libraries, our FatI strategy yielded 21 nitroreductases spanning eight different enzyme families, each conferring resistance to the nitro-antibiotic niclosamide and sensitivity to the nitro-prodrug metronidazole. We showed expression could be improved by co-expressing rare tRNAs and encoded proteins purified directly using an embedded His6-tag. In a transgenic zebrafish model of metronidazole-mediated targeted cell ablation, our lead MhqN-family nitroreductase proved ∼5-fold more effective than the canonical nitroreductase NfsB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle H Rich
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Abigail V Sharrock
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Timothy S Mulligan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Frazer Matthews
- Department of Genetic Medicine, McKusick-Nathans Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Alistair S Brown
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Hannah R Lee-Harwood
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Elsie M Williams
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Janine N Copp
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Rory F Little
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Jenni J B Francis
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Claire N Horvat
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Luke J Stevenson
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Jeremy G Owen
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Meera T Saxena
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Jeff S Mumm
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Department of Genetic Medicine, McKusick-Nathans Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Center for Nanomedicine, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - David F Ackerley
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand.
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3
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Black WB, Perea S, Li H. Design, construction, and application of noncanonical redox cofactor infrastructures. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 84:103019. [PMID: 37939631 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.103019] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Controlling the flow of carbon and reducing power in biological systems is a central theme in metabolic engineering. Often, trade-offs in pushing carbon flux through targeted pathways while operating in conditions agreeable to the host are required due to the central pools of the shared native redox cofactors NAD(P)/H. Noncanonical redox cofactors (NRCs) have emerged as promising tools to transform how engineers develop biotransformation systems. These new-to-Nature redox cofactors have been demonstrated to function orthogonally to the endogenous cofactors, support pathway thermodynamics optimization, and achieve product scopes previously difficult to reach due to endogenous pathway crosstalk. This review will discuss the development of NRC infrastructures, comprising NRC pools, cofactor reduction sources, and cofactor oxidation sinks, the (pool-source-sink) infrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- William B Black
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, United States of America
| | - Sean Perea
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, United States of America
| | - Han Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, United States of America; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, United States of America; Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, United States of America.
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4
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Fang K, Ma J, Wang X, Xu Z, Zhang Z, Li P, Wang R, Wang J, Sun C, Dong Z. Flow-cytometric cell sorting coupled with UV mutagenesis for improving pectin lyase expression. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1251342. [PMID: 37720319 PMCID: PMC10502208 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1251342] [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: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Alkaline pectin lyase is an important enzyme with a wide range of applications in industrial production, It has been widely used in many important fields such as fruit juice processing and extraction, the dyeing and processing of cotton and linen textiles, degumming plant fibers, environmental industrial wastewater treatment, and pulp and paper production. PGLA-rep4 was previously generated as a modified alkaline pectin lyase with high specific activity at pH 11.0°C and 70°C. However, the pre-constructed high-activity pectin lyase expression strains are still difficult to apply in industrial production due to their limited enzymatic activity. We hope to solve these problems by combining modern breeding techniques with high-throughput equipment to rapidly screen alkaline pectin lyase with higher enzymatic activity and lower cost. Methods: We fused the genes encoding PGLA-rep4 and fluorescent protein egfp using a flexible linker peptide and ligated them into a temperature-sensitive plasmid, pKD46. The constructed screening plasmid pKD46-PGLA-rep4-egfp was then transformed into an expression host and screened via flow-cytometric cell sorting coupled with UV mutagenesis. Results: Following mutagenesis, primary screening, and secondary screening, the high-expression strain, named Escherichia coli BL21/1G3, was obtained. The screening plasmid pKD46-PGLA-rep4-egfp was eliminated, and the original expression plasmid pET28a-PGLA-rep4 was then retransformed into the mutant strains. After induction and fermentation, pectin lyase activity in E. coli BL21/1G3 was significantly increased (1.37-fold relative to that in the parental E. coli BL21/PGLA-rep4 strain, p < 0.001), and the highest activity was 230, 240 U/mL at 144 h. Genome sequencing revealed that genes encoding ribonuclease E (RNase E) and diadenosine tetraphosphatase (ApaH) of E. coli BL21/1G3 were mutated compared to the sequence in the original E. coli BL21 (DE3) strain, which could be associated with increased enzyme expression. Discussion: Our work provides an effective method for the construction of strains expressing pectin lyase at high levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking (LBMP), Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
- School of Bioengineering, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking (LBMP), Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
- School of Bioengineering, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xinyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking (LBMP), Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
- School of Bioengineering, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ziting Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking (LBMP), Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
- School of Bioengineering, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ziyang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking (LBMP), Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
- School of Bioengineering, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Piwu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking (LBMP), Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
- School of Bioengineering, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ruiming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking (LBMP), Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
- School of Bioengineering, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Junqing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking (LBMP), Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
- School of Bioengineering, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Chuying Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking (LBMP), Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
- School of Bioengineering, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ziyang Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking (LBMP), Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
- School of Bioengineering, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong, China
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5
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Rich MH, Sharrock AV, Mulligan TS, Matthews F, Brown AS, Lee-Harwood HR, Williams EM, Copp JN, Little RF, Francis JJB, Horvat CN, Stevenson LJ, Owen JG, Saxena MT, Mumm JS, Ackerley DF. A metagenomic library cloning strategy that promotes high-level expression of captured genes to enable efficient functional screening. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.24.534183. [PMID: 36993673 PMCID: PMC10055417 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.24.534183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Functional screening of environmental DNA (eDNA) libraries is a potentially powerful approach to discover enzymatic "unknown unknowns", but is usually heavily biased toward the tiny subset of genes preferentially transcribed and translated by the screening strain. We have overcome this by preparing an eDNA library via partial digest with restriction enzyme FatI (cuts CATG), causing a substantial proportion of ATG start codons to be precisely aligned with strong plasmid-encoded promoter and ribosome-binding sequences. Whereas we were unable to select nitroreductases from standard metagenome libraries, our FatI strategy yielded 21 nitroreductases spanning eight different enzyme families, each conferring resistance to the nitro-antibiotic niclosamide and sensitivity to the nitro-prodrug metronidazole. We showed expression could be improved by co-expressing rare tRNAs and encoded proteins purified directly using an embedded His6-tag. In a transgenic zebrafish model of metronidazole-mediated targeted cell ablation, our lead MhqN-family nitroreductase proved ~5-fold more effective than the canonical nitroreductase NfsB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle H Rich
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Abigail V Sharrock
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Timothy S Mulligan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Frazer Matthews
- Department of Genetic Medicine, McKusick-Nathans Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Alistair S Brown
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Hannah R Lee-Harwood
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Elsie M Williams
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
- Current address: Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia
| | - Janine N Copp
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
- Current addresses: Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Abcellera Biologics Inc, Vancouver BC V5Y 0A1, Canada
| | - Rory F Little
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
- Current address: Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Jenni JB Francis
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Claire N Horvat
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
- Current address: Teva Pharmaceuticals, Sydney, New South Wales 2113, Australia
| | - Luke J Stevenson
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Jeremy G Owen
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Meera T Saxena
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Jeff S Mumm
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Genetic Medicine, McKusick-Nathans Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Center for Nanomedicine, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - David F Ackerley
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
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6
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Sun Z, Xu B, Spisak S, Kavran JM, Rokita SE. The minimal structure for iodotyrosine deiodinase function is defined by an outlier protein from the thermophilic bacterium Thermotoga neapolitana. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101385. [PMID: 34748729 PMCID: PMC8668982 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The nitroreductase superfamily of enzymes encompasses many flavin mononucleotide (FMN)-dependent catalysts promoting a wide range of reactions. All share a common core consisting of an FMN-binding domain, and individual subgroups additionally contain one to three sequence extensions radiating from defined positions within this core to support their unique catalytic properties. To identify the minimum structure required for activity in the iodotyrosine deiodinase subgroup of this superfamily, attention was directed to a representative from the thermophilic organism Thermotoga neapolitana (TnIYD). This representative was selected based on its status as an outlier of the subgroup arising from its deficiency in certain standard motifs evident in all homologues from mesophiles. We found that TnIYD lacked a typical N-terminal sequence and one of its two characteristic sequence extensions, neither of which was found to be necessary for activity. We also show that TnIYD efficiently promotes dehalogenation of iodo-, bromo-, and chlorotyrosine, analogous to related deiodinases (IYDs) from humans and other mesophiles. In addition, 2-iodophenol is a weak substrate for TnIYD as it was for all other IYDs characterized to date. Consistent with enzymes from thermophilic organisms, we observed that TnIYD adopts a compact fold and low surface area compared with IYDs from mesophilic organisms. The insights gained from our investigations on TnIYD demonstrate the advantages of focusing on sequences that diverge from conventional standards to uncover the minimum essentials for activity. We conclude that TnIYD now represents a superior starting structure for future efforts to engineer a stable dehalogenase targeting halophenols of environmental concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuodong Sun
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Bing Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shaun Spisak
- Chemistry-Biology Interface Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jennifer M Kavran
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Oncology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Steven E Rokita
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
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7
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Sharrock AV, McManaway SP, Rich MH, Mumm JS, Hermans IF, Tercel M, Pruijn FB, Ackerley DF. Engineering the Escherichia coli Nitroreductase NfsA to Create a Flexible Enzyme-Prodrug Activation System. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:701456. [PMID: 34163368 PMCID: PMC8215503 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.701456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial nitroreductase enzymes that can efficiently convert nitroaromatic prodrugs to a cytotoxic form have numerous applications in targeted cellular ablation. For example, the generation of cytotoxic metabolites that have low bystander potential (i.e., are largely confined to the activating cell) has been exploited for precise ablation of specific cell types in animal and cell-culture models; while enzyme-prodrug combinations that generate high levels of bystander cell killing are useful for anti-cancer strategies such as gene-directed enzyme-prodrug therapy (GDEPT). Despite receiving substantial attention for such applications, the canonical nitroreductase NfsB from Escherichia coli has flaws that limit its utility, in particular a low efficiency of conversion of most prodrugs. Here, we sought to engineer a superior broad-range nitroreductase, E. coli NfsA, for improved activity with three therapeutically-relevant prodrugs: the duocarmycin analogue nitro-CBI-DEI, the dinitrobenzamide aziridine CB1954 and the 5-nitroimidazole metronidazole. The former two prodrugs have applications in GDEPT, while the latter has been employed for targeted ablation experiments and as a precise 'off-switch' in GDEPT models to eliminate nitroreductase-expressing cells. Our lead engineered NfsA (variant 11_78, with the residue substitutions S41Y, L103M, K222E and R225A) generated reduced metabolites of CB1954 and nitro-CBI-DEI that exhibited high bystander efficiencies in both bacterial and 2D HEK-293 cell culture models, while no cell-to-cell transfer was evident for the reduced metronidazole metabolite. We showed that the high bystander efficiency for CB1954 could be attributed to near-exclusive generation of the 2-hydroxylamine reduction product, which has been shown in 3D cell culture to cause significantly greater bystander killing than the 4-hydroxylamine species that is also produced by NfsB. We similarly observed a high bystander effect for nitro-CBI-DEI in HCT-116 tumor spheroids in which only a small proportion of cells were expressing variant 11_78. Collectively, our data identify variant 11_78 as a broadly improved prodrug-activating nitroreductase that offers advantages for both targeted cellular ablation and suicide gene therapy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail V. Sharrock
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
- Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Sarah P. McManaway
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Michelle H. Rich
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Jeff S. Mumm
- The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Ian F. Hermans
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
- Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Moana Tercel
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Frederik B. Pruijn
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - David F. Ackerley
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
- Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
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8
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Vitelli M, Budman H, Pritzker M, Tamer M. Applications of flow cytometry sorting in the pharmaceutical industry: A review. Biotechnol Prog 2021; 37:e3146. [PMID: 33749147 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The article reviews applications of flow cytometry sorting in manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. Flow cytometry sorting is an extremely powerful tool for monitoring, screening and separating single cells based on any property that can be measured by flow cytometry. Different applications of flow cytometry sorting are classified into groups and discussed in separate sections as follows: (a) isolation of cell types, (b) high throughput screening, (c) cell surface display, (d) droplet fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS). Future opportunities are identified including: (a) sorting of particular fractions of the cell population based on a property of interest for generating inoculum that will result in improved outcomes of cell cultures and (b) the use of population balance models in combination with FACS to design and optimize cell cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Vitelli
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Hector Budman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Mark Pritzker
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Melih Tamer
- Department of Manufacturing Technology, Sanofi Pasteur, Toronto, Canada
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9
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Stevenson LJ, Bracegirdle J, Liu L, Sharrock AV, Ackerley DF, Keyzers RA, Owen JG. Metathramycin, a new bioactive aureolic acid discovered by heterologous expression of a metagenome derived biosynthetic pathway. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:556-567. [PMID: 34458799 PMCID: PMC8341913 DOI: 10.1039/d0cb00228c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial natural products have been a rich source of bioactive compounds for drug development, and advances in DNA sequencing, informatics and molecular biology have opened new avenues for their discovery. Here, we describe the isolation of an aureolic acid biosynthetic gene cluster from a metagenome library derived from a New Zealand soil sample. Heterologous expression of this pathway in Streptomyces albus resulted in the production and isolation of two new aureolic acid compounds, one of which (metathramycin, 6) possesses potent bioactivity against a human colon carcinoma cell line (HCT-116, IC50 = 14.6 nM). As metathramycin was a minor constituent of the fermentation extract, its discovery relied on a combination of approaches including bioactivity guided fractionation, MS/MS characterisation and pathway engineering. This study not only demonstrates the presence of previously uncharacterised aureolic acids in the environment, but also the value of an integrated natural product discovery approach which may be generally applicable to low abundance bioactive metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke J Stevenson
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand .,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery New Zealand.,Centre for Biodiscovery, School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand
| | - Joe Bracegirdle
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery New Zealand.,Centre for Biodiscovery, School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand.,School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand
| | - Liwei Liu
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand
| | - Abigail V Sharrock
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand .,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery New Zealand.,Centre for Biodiscovery, School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand
| | - David F Ackerley
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand .,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery New Zealand.,Centre for Biodiscovery, School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand
| | - Robert A Keyzers
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery New Zealand.,Centre for Biodiscovery, School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand.,School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand
| | - Jeremy G Owen
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand .,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery New Zealand.,Centre for Biodiscovery, School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand
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10
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Hall KR, Robins KJ, Williams EM, Rich MH, Calcott MJ, Copp JN, Little RF, Schwörer R, Evans GB, Patrick WM, Ackerley DF. Intracellular complexities of acquiring a new enzymatic function revealed by mass-randomisation of active-site residues. eLife 2020; 9:59081. [PMID: 33185191 PMCID: PMC7738182 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Selection for a promiscuous enzyme activity provides substantial opportunity for competition between endogenous and newly-encountered substrates to influence the evolutionary trajectory, an aspect that is often overlooked in laboratory directed evolution studies. We selected the Escherichia coli nitro/quinone reductase NfsA for chloramphenicol detoxification by simultaneously randomising eight active-site residues and interrogating ~250,000,000 reconfigured variants. Analysis of every possible intermediate of the two best chloramphenicol reductases revealed complex epistatic interactions. In both cases, improved chloramphenicol detoxification was only observed after an R225 substitution that largely eliminated activity with endogenous quinones. Error-prone PCR mutagenesis reinforced the importance of R225 substitutions, found in 100% of selected variants. This strong activity trade-off demonstrates that endogenous cellular metabolites hold considerable potential to shape evolutionary outcomes. Unselected prodrug-converting activities were mostly unaffected, emphasising the importance of negative selection to effect enzyme specialisation, and offering an application for the evolved genes as dual-purpose selectable/counter-selectable markers. In the cell, most tasks are performed by big molecules called proteins, which behave like molecular machines. Although proteins are often described as having one job each, this is not always true, and many proteins can perform different roles. Enzymes are a type of protein that facilitate chemical reactions. They are often specialised to one reaction, but they can also accelerate other side-reactions. During evolution, these side-reactions can become more useful and, as a result, the role of the enzyme may change over time. The main role of the enzyme called NfsA in Escherichia coli bacteria is thought to be to convert molecules called quinones into hydroquinones, which can protect the cell from toxic molecules produced in oxidation reactions. As a side-reaction, NfsA has the potential to protect bacteria from an antibiotic called chloramphenicol, but it generally does this with such low efficacy that the effects are negligible. Producing hydroquinones is helpful to the cell in some situations, but if bacteria are regularly exposed to chloramphenicol, NfsA’s role aiding antibiotic resistance could become more important. Over time, the enzyme could evolve to become better at neutralising chloramphenicol. Therefore, NfsA provides an opportunity to study the evolution of proteins and how bacteria adapt to antibiotics. To see how evolution might affect the activity of NfsA, Hall et al. generated 250 million E. coli with either random or targeted changes to the gene that codes for the NfsA enzyme. The resulting variants of NfsA that were most effective against chloramphenicol all had a change that eliminated the enzyme’s ability to convert quinones. This result demonstrates a key trade-off between roles for NfsA, where one must be lost for the other to improve. These results demonstrate the interplay between a protein’s different roles and provide insight into bacterial drug resistance. Additionally, the experiments showed that the bacteria with improved resistance to chloramphenicol also became more sensitive to another antibiotic, metronidazole. These findings could inform the fight against drug-resistant bacterial infections and may also be helpful in guiding the design of proteins with different roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsi R Hall
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.,Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Katherine J Robins
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Elsie M Williams
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.,Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Michelle H Rich
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Mark J Calcott
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.,Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Janine N Copp
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Rory F Little
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Ralf Schwörer
- Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.,Ferrier Institute, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Gary B Evans
- Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.,Ferrier Institute, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Wayne M Patrick
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.,Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - David F Ackerley
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.,Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
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11
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Mechanistic Understanding Enables the Rational Design of Salicylanilide Combination Therapies for Gram-Negative Infections. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.02068-20. [PMID: 32934086 PMCID: PMC7492738 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02068-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a critical need for more-effective treatments to combat multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections. Combination therapies are a promising strategy, especially when these enable existing clinical drugs to be repurposed as antibiotics. We examined the mechanisms of action and basis of innate Gram-negative resistance for the anthelmintic drug niclosamide and subsequently exploited this information to demonstrate that niclosamide and analogs kill Gram-negative bacteria when combined with antibiotics that inhibit drug efflux or permeabilize membranes. We confirm the synergistic potential of niclosamide in vitro against a diverse range of recalcitrant Gram-negative clinical isolates and in vivo in a mouse abscess model. We also demonstrate that nitroreductases can confer resistance to niclosamide but show that evolution of these enzymes for enhanced niclosamide resistance confers a collateral sensitivity to other clinical antibiotics. Our results highlight how detailed mechanistic understanding can accelerate the evaluation and implementation of new combination therapies. One avenue to combat multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria is the coadministration of multiple drugs (combination therapy), which can be particularly promising if drugs synergize. The identification of synergistic drug combinations, however, is challenging. Detailed understanding of antibiotic mechanisms can address this issue by facilitating the rational design of improved combination therapies. Here, using diverse biochemical and genetic assays, we examine the molecular mechanisms of niclosamide, a clinically approved salicylanilide compound, and demonstrate its potential for Gram-negative combination therapies. We discovered that Gram-negative bacteria possess two innate resistance mechanisms that reduce their niclosamide susceptibility: a primary mechanism mediated by multidrug efflux pumps and a secondary mechanism of nitroreduction. When efflux was compromised, niclosamide became a potent antibiotic, dissipating the proton motive force (PMF), increasing oxidative stress, and reducing ATP production to cause cell death. These insights guided the identification of diverse compounds that synergized with salicylanilides when coadministered (efflux inhibitors, membrane permeabilizers, and antibiotics that are expelled by PMF-dependent efflux), thus suggesting that salicylanilide compounds may have broad utility in combination therapies. We validate these findings in vivo using a murine abscess model, where we show that niclosamide synergizes with the membrane permeabilizing antibiotic colistin against high-density infections of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative clinical isolates. We further demonstrate that enhanced nitroreductase activity is a potential route to adaptive niclosamide resistance but show that this causes collateral susceptibility to clinical nitro-prodrug antibiotics. Thus, we highlight how mechanistic understanding of mode of action, innate/adaptive resistance, and synergy can rationally guide the discovery, development, and stewardship of novel combination therapies.
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12
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Directed evolution of the B. subtilis nitroreductase YfkO improves activation of the PET-capable probe SN33623 and CB1954 prodrug. Biotechnol Lett 2020; 43:203-211. [PMID: 32851465 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-020-02992-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To use directed evolution to improve YfkO-mediated reduction of the 5-nitroimidazole PET-capable probe SN33623 without impairing conversion of the anti-cancer prodrug CB1954. RESULTS Two iterations of error-prone PCR, purifying selection, and FACS sorting in a DNA damage quantifying GFP reporter strain were used to identify three YfkO variants able to sensitize E. coli host cells to at least 2.4-fold lower concentrations of SN33623 than the native enzyme. Two of these variants were able to be purified in a functional form, and in vitro assays revealed these were twofold and fourfold improved in kcat/KM with SN33623 over wild type YfkO. Serendipitously, the more-active variant was also nearly fourfold improved in kcat/KM versus wild type YfkO in converting CB1954 to a genotoxic drug. CONCLUSIONS The enhanced activation of the PET imaging probe SN33623 and CB1954 prodrug exhibited by the lead evolved variant of YfkO offers prospects for improved enzyme-prodrug therapy.
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13
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Markel U, Essani KD, Besirlioglu V, Schiffels J, Streit WR, Schwaneberg U. Advances in ultrahigh-throughput screening for directed enzyme evolution. Chem Soc Rev 2020; 49:233-262. [PMID: 31815263 DOI: 10.1039/c8cs00981c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Enzymes are versatile catalysts and their synthetic potential has been recognized for a long time. In order to exploit their full potential, enzymes often need to be re-engineered or optimized for a given application. (Semi-) rational design has emerged as a powerful means to engineer proteins, but requires detailed knowledge about structure function relationships. In turn, directed evolution methodologies, which consist of iterative rounds of diversity generation and screening, can improve an enzyme's properties with virtually no structural knowledge. Current diversity generation methods grant us access to a vast sequence space (libraries of >1012 enzyme variants) that may hide yet unexplored catalytic activities and selectivity. However, the time investment for conventional agar plate or microtiter plate-based screening assays represents a major bottleneck in directed evolution and limits the improvements that are obtainable in reasonable time. Ultrahigh-throughput screening (uHTS) methods dramatically increase the number of screening events per time, which is crucial to speed up biocatalyst design, and to widen our knowledge about sequence function relationships. In this review, we summarize recent advances in uHTS for directed enzyme evolution. We shed light on the importance of compartmentalization to preserve the essential link between genotype and phenotype and discuss how cells and biomimetic compartments can be applied to serve this function. Finally, we discuss how uHTS can inspire novel functional metagenomics approaches to identify natural biocatalysts for novel chemical transformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Markel
- Institute of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringer Weg 3, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
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14
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Protocol for evaluating the abilities of diverse nitroaromatic prodrug metabolites to exit a model Gram negative bacterial vector. MethodsX 2020; 7:100797. [PMID: 32021829 PMCID: PMC6995258 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2020.100797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial-directed enzyme-prodrug therapy (BDEPT) uses tumour-tropic bacteria armed with a genetically-encoded prodrug-converting enzyme to sensitise tumours to a systemically-administered prodrug. A strong bystander effect (i.e., efficient bacteria-to-tumour transfer of activated prodrug metabolites) is critical to maximise tumour cell killing and avoid bacterial self-sterilisation. To investigate the bystander effect in bacteria we developed a sensitive screen that utilised two Escherichia coli strains grown in co-culture. The first of these was an activator strain that overexpressed the E. coli nitroreductase NfsA, and the second was a nitroreductase null recipient strain bearing an SOS-GFP DNA damage responsive gene construct. In this system, induction of GFP by genotoxic prodrug metabolites can only occur following their transfer from the activator to the recipient cells. This can be monitored both in fluorescence based microtitre plate assays and by flow-cytometry, enabling modelling of the abilities of diverse nitroaromatic prodrug metabolites to exit a Gram negative vector.
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15
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Williams EM, Rich MH, Mowday AM, Ashoorzadeh A, Copp JN, Guise CP, Anderson RF, Flanagan JU, Smaill JB, Patterson AV, Ackerley DF. Engineering Escherichia coli NfsB To Activate a Hypoxia-Resistant Analogue of the PET Probe EF5 To Enable Non-Invasive Imaging during Enzyme Prodrug Therapy. Biochemistry 2019; 58:3700-3710. [PMID: 31403283 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT) uses tumor-tropic vectors to deliver prodrug-converting enzymes such as nitroreductases specifically to the tumor environment. The nitroreductase NfsB from Escherichia coli (NfsB_Ec) has been a particular focal point for GDEPT and over the past 25 years has been the subject of several engineering studies seeking to improve catalysis of prodrug substrates. To facilitate clinical development, there is also a need to enable effective non-invasive imaging capabilities. SN33623, a 5-nitroimidazole analogue of 2-nitroimidazole hypoxia probe EF5, has potential for PET imaging exogenously delivered nitroreductases without generating confounding background due to tumor hypoxia. However, we show here that SN33623 is a poor substrate for NfsB_Ec. To address this, we used assay-guided sequence and structure analysis to identify two conserved residues that block SN33623 activation in NfsB_Ec and close homologues. Introduction of the rational substitutions F70A and F108Y into NfsB_Ec conferred high levels of SN33623 activity and enabled specific labeling of E. coli expressing the engineered enzyme. Serendipitously, the F70A and F108Y substitutions also substantially improved activity with the anticancer prodrug CB1954 and the 5-nitroimidazole antibiotic prodrug metronidazole, which is a potential biosafety agent for targeted ablation of nitroreductase-expressing vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsie M Williams
- School of Biological Sciences , Victoria University of Wellington , Wellington 6012 , New Zealand
| | - Michelle H Rich
- School of Biological Sciences , Victoria University of Wellington , Wellington 6012 , New Zealand
| | - Alexandra M Mowday
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences , The University of Auckland , Auckland 1023 , New Zealand
| | - Amir Ashoorzadeh
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences , The University of Auckland , Auckland 1023 , New Zealand
| | - Janine N Copp
- School of Biological Sciences , Victoria University of Wellington , Wellington 6012 , New Zealand
| | - Christopher P Guise
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences , The University of Auckland , Auckland 1023 , New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery , Auckland 1023 , New Zealand
| | - Robert F Anderson
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences , The University of Auckland , Auckland 1023 , New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery , Auckland 1023 , New Zealand
| | - Jack U Flanagan
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences , The University of Auckland , Auckland 1023 , New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery , Auckland 1023 , New Zealand
| | - Jeff B Smaill
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences , The University of Auckland , Auckland 1023 , New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery , Auckland 1023 , New Zealand
| | - Adam V Patterson
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences , The University of Auckland , Auckland 1023 , New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery , Auckland 1023 , New Zealand
| | - David F Ackerley
- School of Biological Sciences , Victoria University of Wellington , Wellington 6012 , New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery , Auckland 1023 , New Zealand
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16
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A cofactor consumption screen identifies promising NfsB family nitroreductases for dinitrotoluene remediation. Biotechnol Lett 2019; 41:1155-1162. [DOI: 10.1007/s10529-019-02716-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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17
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Evaluating the abilities of diverse nitroaromatic prodrug metabolites to exit a model Gram negative vector for bacterial-directed enzyme-prodrug therapy. Biochem Pharmacol 2018; 158:192-200. [PMID: 30352235 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2018.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Gene-directed enzyme-prodrug therapy (GDEPT) employs tumour-tropic vectors including viruses and bacteria to deliver a genetically-encoded prodrug-converting enzyme to the tumour environment, thereby sensitising the tumour to the prodrug. Nitroreductases, able to activate a range of promising nitroaromatic prodrugs to genotoxic metabolites, are of great interest for GDEPT. The bystander effect (cell-to-cell transfer of activated prodrug metabolites) has been quantified for some nitroaromatic prodrugs in mixed multilayer human cell cultures, however while these provide a good model for viral DEPT (VDEPT) they do not inform on the ability of these prodrug metabolites to exit bacterial vectors (relevant to bacterial-DEPT (BDEPT)). To investigate this we grew two Escherichia coli strains in co-culture; an activator strain expressing the nitroreductase E. coli NfsA and a recipient strain containing an SOS-GFP DNA damage responsive gene construct. In this system, induction of GFP by reduced prodrug metabolites can only occur following their transfer from the activator to the recipient cells. We used this to investigate five clinically relevant prodrugs: metronidazole, CB1954, nitro-CBI-DEI, and two dinitrobenzamide mustard prodrug analogues, PR-104A and SN27686. Consistent with the bystander efficiencies previously measured in human cell multilayers, reduced metronidazole exhibited little bacterial cell-to-cell transfer, whereas nitro-CBI-DEI was passed very efficiently from activator to recipient cells post-reduction. However, in contrast with observations in human cell multilayers, the nitrogen mustard prodrug metabolites were not effectively passed between the two bacterial strains, whereas reduced CB1954 was transferred efficiently. Using nitroreductase enzymes that exhibit different biases for the 2- versus 4-nitro substituents of CB1954, we further showed that the 2-nitro reduction products exhibit substantially higher levels of bacterial cell-to-cell transfer than the 4-nitro reduction products, consistent with their relative bystander efficiencies in human cell culture. Overall, our data suggest that prodrugs may differ in their suitability for VDEPT versus BDEPT applications and emphasise the importance of evaluating an enzyme-prodrug partnership in an appropriate context for the intended vector.
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18
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Burlinson CEG, Sirounis D, Walley KR, Chau A. Sepsis in pregnancy and the puerperium. Int J Obstet Anesth 2018; 36:96-107. [PMID: 29921485 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijoa.2018.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2017] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Sepsis remains a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Recognition and treatment of maternal sepsis are often delayed due to the physiological adaptations of pregnancy and vague or absent signs and symptoms during its initial presentation. Over the past decade, our understanding of sepsis has evolved and maternal early warning systems have been developed in an effort to help providers promptly identify and stratify parturients who are at risk. In addition, new consensus definitions and care bundles have recently been published by the World Health Organization and the Surviving Sepsis Campaign to facilitate earlier recognition and timely management of sepsis. In this narrative review, we summarize the available evidence about sepsis and provide an overview of the research efforts focused on maternal sepsis to date. Controversies and challenges surrounding the anesthetic management of parturients with sepsis or at risk of developing sepsis during pregnancy or the puerperium will be highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- C E G Burlinson
- Department of Anesthesia, British Columbia Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - D Sirounis
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - K R Walley
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - A Chau
- Department of Anesthesia, British Columbia Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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19
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Rich MH, Sharrock AV, Hall KR, Ackerley DF, MacKichan JK. Evaluation of NfsA-like nitroreductases from Neisseria meningitidis and Bartonella henselae for enzyme-prodrug therapy, targeted cellular ablation, and dinitrotoluene bioremediation. Biotechnol Lett 2017; 40:359-367. [DOI: 10.1007/s10529-017-2472-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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20
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Akiva E, Copp JN, Tokuriki N, Babbitt PC. Evolutionary and molecular foundations of multiple contemporary functions of the nitroreductase superfamily. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E9549-E9558. [PMID: 29078300 PMCID: PMC5692541 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1706849114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Insight regarding how diverse enzymatic functions and reactions have evolved from ancestral scaffolds is fundamental to understanding chemical and evolutionary biology, and for the exploitation of enzymes for biotechnology. We undertook an extensive computational analysis using a unique and comprehensive combination of tools that include large-scale phylogenetic reconstruction to determine the sequence, structural, and functional relationships of the functionally diverse flavin mononucleotide-dependent nitroreductase (NTR) superfamily (>24,000 sequences from all domains of life, 54 structures, and >10 enzymatic functions). Our results suggest an evolutionary model in which contemporary subgroups of the superfamily have diverged in a radial manner from a minimal flavin-binding scaffold. We identified the structural design principle for this divergence: Insertions at key positions in the minimal scaffold that, combined with the fixation of key residues, have led to functional specialization. These results will aid future efforts to delineate the emergence of functional diversity in enzyme superfamilies, provide clues for functional inference for superfamily members of unknown function, and facilitate rational redesign of the NTR scaffold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Akiva
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Janine N Copp
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Nobuhiko Tokuriki
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4;
| | - Patricia C Babbitt
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158;
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158
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21
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van Rossum T, Muras A, Baur MJ, Creutzburg SC, van der Oost J, Kengen SW. A growth- and bioluminescence-based bioreporter for the in vivo detection of novel biocatalysts. Microb Biotechnol 2017; 10:625-641. [PMID: 28393499 PMCID: PMC5404197 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.12612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of bioreporters in high-throughput screening for small molecules is generally laborious and/or expensive. The technology can be simplified by coupling the generation of a desired compound to cell survival, causing only positive cells to stay in the pool of generated variants. Here, a dual selection/screening system was developed for the in vivo detection of novel biocatalysts. The sensor part of the system is based on the transcriptional regulator AraC, which controls expression of both a selection reporter (LeuB or KmR; enabling growth) for rapid reduction of the initially large library size and a screening reporter (LuxCDABE; causing bioluminescence) for further quantification of the positive variants. Of four developed systems, the best system was the medium copy system with KmR as selection reporter. As a proof of principle, the system was tested for the selection of cells expressing an l-arabinose isomerase derived from mesophilic Escherichia coli or thermophilic Geobacillus thermodenitrificans. A more than a millionfold enrichment of cells with l-arabinose isomerase activity was demonstrated by selection and exclusion of false positives by screening. This dual selection/screening system is an important step towards an improved detection method for small molecules, and thereby for finding novel biocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teunke van Rossum
- Laboratory of MicrobiologyWageningen University and ResearchStippeneng 46708WE WageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Aleksandra Muras
- Laboratory of MicrobiologyWageningen University and ResearchStippeneng 46708WE WageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Marco J.J. Baur
- Laboratory of MicrobiologyWageningen University and ResearchStippeneng 46708WE WageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd C.A. Creutzburg
- Laboratory of MicrobiologyWageningen University and ResearchStippeneng 46708WE WageningenThe Netherlands
| | - John van der Oost
- Laboratory of MicrobiologyWageningen University and ResearchStippeneng 46708WE WageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Servé W.M. Kengen
- Laboratory of MicrobiologyWageningen University and ResearchStippeneng 46708WE WageningenThe Netherlands
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22
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Copp JN, Mowday AM, Williams EM, Guise CP, Ashoorzadeh A, Sharrock AV, Flanagan JU, Smaill JB, Patterson AV, Ackerley DF. Engineering a Multifunctional Nitroreductase for Improved Activation of Prodrugs and PET Probes for Cancer Gene Therapy. Cell Chem Biol 2017; 24:391-403. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2017.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Revised: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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23
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Behrendorff JBYH, Gillam EMJ. Prospects for Applying Synthetic Biology to Toxicology: Future Opportunities and Current Limitations for the Repurposing of Cytochrome P450 Systems. Chem Res Toxicol 2016; 30:453-468. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.6b00396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth M. J. Gillam
- School
of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia
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24
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Sharma SK, Bagshawe KD. Translating antibody directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT) and prospects for combination. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2016; 17:1-13. [DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2017.1247802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Surinder K. Sharma
- Research Department of Oncology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, UK
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25
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Brito Palma B, Fisher CW, Rueff J, Kranendonk M. Prototype Systems Containing Human Cytochrome P450 for High-Throughput Real-Time Detection of DNA Damage by Compounds That Form DNA-Reactive Metabolites. Chem Res Toxicol 2016; 29:747-56. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.5b00455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo Brito Palma
- Centre
for Toxicogenomics and Human Health (ToxOmics), Genetics, Oncology
and Human Toxicology, NOVA Medical School/FCM, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, CEDOC II Building, Rua Câmara Pestana 6, room 2.23, 1150-082 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Charles W. Fisher
- School
of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University, 1300 Coulter Avenue, Amarillo, Texas 79106, United States
| | - José Rueff
- Centre
for Toxicogenomics and Human Health (ToxOmics), Genetics, Oncology
and Human Toxicology, NOVA Medical School/FCM, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, CEDOC II Building, Rua Câmara Pestana 6, room 2.23, 1150-082 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Michel Kranendonk
- Centre
for Toxicogenomics and Human Health (ToxOmics), Genetics, Oncology
and Human Toxicology, NOVA Medical School/FCM, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, CEDOC II Building, Rua Câmara Pestana 6, room 2.23, 1150-082 Lisbon, Portugal
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Nitroreductase gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy: insights and advances toward clinical utility. Biochem J 2015; 471:131-53. [PMID: 26431849 DOI: 10.1042/bj20150650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This review examines the vast catalytic and therapeutic potential offered by type I (i.e. oxygen-insensitive) nitroreductase enzymes in partnership with nitroaromatic prodrugs, with particular focus on gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT; a form of cancer gene therapy). Important first indications of this potential were demonstrated over 20 years ago, for the enzyme-prodrug pairing of Escherichia coli NfsB and CB1954 [5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide]. However, it has become apparent that both the enzyme and the prodrug in this prototypical pairing have limitations that have impeded their clinical progression. Recently, substantial advances have been made in the biodiscovery and engineering of superior nitroreductase variants, in particular development of elegant high-throughput screening capabilities to enable optimization of desirable activities via directed evolution. These advances in enzymology have been paralleled by advances in medicinal chemistry, leading to the development of second- and third-generation nitroaromatic prodrugs that offer substantial advantages over CB1954 for nitroreductase GDEPT, including greater dose-potency and enhanced ability of the activated metabolite(s) to exhibit a local bystander effect. In addition to forging substantial progress towards future clinical trials, this research is supporting other fields, most notably the development and improvement of targeted cellular ablation capabilities in small animal models, such as zebrafish, to enable cell-specific physiology or regeneration studies.
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