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Tong M, Palmer N, Dailamy A, Kumar A, Khaliq H, Han S, Finburgh E, Wing M, Hong C, Xiang Y, Miyasaki K, Portell A, Rainaldi J, Suhardjo A, Nourreddine S, Chew WL, Kwon EJ, Mali P. Robust genome and cell engineering via in vitro and in situ circularized RNAs. Nat Biomed Eng 2025; 9:109-126. [PMID: 39187662 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-024-01245-z] [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: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Circularization can improve RNA persistence, yet simple and scalable approaches to achieve this are lacking. Here we report two methods that facilitate the pursuit of circular RNAs (cRNAs): cRNAs developed via in vitro circularization using group II introns, and cRNAs developed via in-cell circularization by the ubiquitously expressed RtcB protein. We also report simple purification protocols that enable high cRNA yields (40-75%) while maintaining low immune responses. These methods and protocols facilitate a broad range of applications in stem cell engineering as well as robust genome and epigenome targeting via zinc finger proteins and CRISPR-Cas9. Notably, cRNAs bearing the encephalomyocarditis internal ribosome entry enabled robust expression and persistence compared with linear capped RNAs in cardiomyocytes and neurons, which highlights the utility of cRNAs in these non-dividing cells. We also describe genome targeting via deimmunized Cas9 delivered as cRNA and a long-range multiplexed protein engineering methodology for the combinatorial screening of deimmunized protein variants that enables compatibility between persistence of expression and immunogenicity in cRNA-delivered proteins. The cRNA toolset will aid research and the development of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Tong
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nathan Palmer
- Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Amir Dailamy
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Aditya Kumar
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hammza Khaliq
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sangwoo Han
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Emma Finburgh
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Madeleine Wing
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Camilla Hong
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yichen Xiang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Katelyn Miyasaki
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Andrew Portell
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joseph Rainaldi
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Amanda Suhardjo
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sami Nourreddine
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Wei Leong Chew
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Ester J Kwon
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Prashant Mali
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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Lim Y, Kang TK, Kim MI, Kim D, Kim JY, Jung SH, Park K, Lee W, Seo M. Massively Parallel Screening of Toll/Interleukin-1 Receptor (TIR)-Derived Peptides Reveals Multiple Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs)-Targeting Immunomodulatory Peptides. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2025; 12:e2406018. [PMID: 39482884 PMCID: PMC11714206 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202406018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2024] [Revised: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 11/03/2024]
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are critical regulators of the immune system, and altered TLR responses lead to a variety of inflammatory diseases. Interference of intracellular TLR signaling, which is mediated by multiple Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domains on all TLRs and TLR adapters, is an effective therapeutic strategy against immune dysregulation. Peptides that inhibit TIR-TIR interactions by fragmenting interface residues have potential as therapeutic decoys. However, a systematic method for discovering TIR-targeting moieties has been elusive, limiting exploration of the vast, unsequenced space of the TIR domain family. A comprehensive parallel screening method is developed to uncover novel TIR-binding peptides derived from previously unexplored surfaces on a wide range of TIR domains. A large peptide library is constructed, named TIR surfacesome, by tiling surface sequences of the large TIR domain family and screening against MALTIR and MyD88TIR, TIRs of two major TLR adaptor proteins, resulting in the discovery of hundreds of TIR-binding peptides. The selected peptides inhibited TLR signaling and demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in macrophages, and therapeutic potential in mouse inflammatory models. This approach may facilitate the development of TLR-targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Lim
- Natural Product Research CenterKorea Institute of Science and TechnologyGangneung25451Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Kyeom Kang
- Natural Product Research CenterKorea Institute of Science and TechnologyGangneung25451Republic of Korea
| | - Meong Il Kim
- Natural Product Research CenterKorea Institute of Science and TechnologyGangneung25451Republic of Korea
| | - Dohyeon Kim
- Natural Product Informatics Research CenterKorea Institute of Science and TechnologyGangneung25451Republic of Korea
- Department of Bioinformatics and Life ScienceSoongsil UniversitySeoul06978Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Yul Kim
- Natural Product Research CenterKorea Institute of Science and TechnologyGangneung25451Republic of Korea
- Department of Convergence MedicineYonsei University Wonju College of MedicineWonju26426Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Hoon Jung
- Natural Product Research CenterKorea Institute of Science and TechnologyGangneung25451Republic of Korea
| | - Keunwan Park
- Natural Product Informatics Research CenterKorea Institute of Science and TechnologyGangneung25451Republic of Korea
- Department of YM‐KIST Bio‐Health ConvergenceYonsei UniversityWonju26493Republic of Korea
| | - Wook‐Bin Lee
- Natural Product Research CenterKorea Institute of Science and TechnologyGangneung25451Republic of Korea
- Department of YM‐KIST Bio‐Health ConvergenceYonsei UniversityWonju26493Republic of Korea
| | - Moon‐Hyeong Seo
- Natural Product Research CenterKorea Institute of Science and TechnologyGangneung25451Republic of Korea
- Department of Convergence MedicineYonsei University Wonju College of MedicineWonju26426Republic of Korea
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Zeng W, Wang H, Chen J, Hu M, Wang X, Chen J, Zhou J. Engineering Escherichia coli for Efficient De Novo Synthesis of Salidroside. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:28369-28377. [PMID: 39666864 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c10247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2024]
Abstract
Salidroside is a high-value plant-derived glycoside with diverse biological activities, but the main industrial salidroside production method, extraction from Rhodiola plants, is insufficient to meet the growing market demand. The biosynthetic route via microbial fermentation is a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative method. De novo synthesis of the precursor tyrosol was established by introducing the ARO10 and ADH6 genes. Systematic metabolic engineering resulted in 3.0 g/L tyrosol, but accumulated tyrosol inhibited cell growth. Adaptive evolution produced an evolved strain with a 10.0% higher OD600 and a 3.3 g/L tyrosol titer. Introducing glucosyltransferase AtUGT85A1, and overexpressing phosphoglucose mutase pgm and UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase galU, achieved de novo synthesis of salidroside. Furthermore, AtUGT85A1 was semirationally engineered, resulting in the A21G mutation, which enhanced salidroside production by 31.2%. The optimally engineered strain produced 16.8 g/L salidroside with 0.4 g/(L h) productivity in a 5 L bioreactor. This study laid a foundation for future industrial production of salidroside and provided important guidance for efficient biosynthesis of other tyrosol derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhu Zeng
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Food Synthetic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Huijing Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education and School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Jianbin Chen
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education and School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Minglong Hu
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education and School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Xinru Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education and School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education and School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Food Synthetic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Jingwen Zhou
- Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Food Synthetic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education and School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Food Synthetic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
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4
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Shi ZY, Li CY, Chen RY, Shi JJ, Liu YJ, Lu JF, Yang GJ, Chen J. The emerging role of deubiquitylating enzyme USP21 as a potential therapeutic target in cancer. Bioorg Chem 2024; 147:107400. [PMID: 38688196 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107400] [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: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Although certain members of the Ubiquitin-specific peptidases (USPs) have been recognized as promising therapeutic targets for various diseases, research progress regarding USP21 has been relatively sluggish in its early stages. USP21 is a crucial member of the USPs subfamily, involved in diverse cellular processes such as apoptosis, DNA repair, and signal transduction. Research findings from the past decade demonstrate that USP21 mediates the deubiquitination of multiple well-known target proteins associated with critical cellular processes relevant to both disease and homeostasis, particularly in various cancers.This reviewcomprehensively summarizes the structure and biological functions of USP21 with an emphasis on its role in tumorigenesis, and elucidates the advances on the discovery of tens of small-molecule inhibitors targeting USP21, which suggests that targeting USP21 may represent a potential strategy for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Yuan Shi
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, China; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Chang-Yun Li
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, China; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Ru-Yi Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, China; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Jin-Jin Shi
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, China; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Yan-Jun Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, China; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Jian-Fei Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, China; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Guan-Jun Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, China; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China.
| | - Jiong Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, China; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China.
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5
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Wang X, Li A, Li X, Cui H. Empowering Protein Engineering through Recombination of Beneficial Substitutions. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202303889. [PMID: 38288640 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202303889] [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: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Directed evolution stands as a seminal technology for generating novel protein functionalities, a cornerstone in biocatalysis, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology. Today, with the development of various mutagenesis methods and advanced analytical machines, the challenge of diversity generation and high-throughput screening platforms is largely solved, and one of the remaining challenges is: how to empower the potential of single beneficial substitutions with recombination to achieve the epistatic effect. This review overviews experimental and computer-assisted recombination methods in protein engineering campaigns. In addition, integrated and machine learning-guided strategies were highlighted to discuss how these recombination approaches contribute to generating the screening library with better diversity, coverage, and size. A decision tree was finally summarized to guide the further selection of proper recombination strategies in practice, which was beneficial for accelerating protein engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Wang
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Road, Nanjing, 210097, China
| | - Anni Li
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Road, Nanjing, 210097, China
| | - Xiujuan Li
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Road, Nanjing, 210097, China
| | - Haiyang Cui
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Road, Nanjing, 210097, China
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6
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Hung TI, Hsieh YJ, Lu WL, Wu KP, Chang CEA. What Strengthens Protein-Protein Interactions: Analysis and Applications of Residue Correlation Networks. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168337. [PMID: 37918563 PMCID: PMC11637584 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Identifying residues critical to protein-protein binding and efficient design of stable and specific protein binders are challenging tasks. Extending beyond the direct contacts in a protein-protein binding interface, our study employs computational modeling to reveal the essential network of residue interactions and dihedral angle correlations critical in protein-protein recognition. We hypothesized that mutating residues exhibiting highly correlated dynamic motion within the interaction network could efficiently optimize protein-protein interactions to create tight and selective protein binders. We tested this hypothesis using the ubiquitin (Ub) and MERS coronaviral papain-like protease (PLpro) complex, since Ub is a central player in multiple cellular functions and PLpro is an antiviral drug target. Our designed ubiquitin variant (UbV) hosting three mutated residues displayed a ∼3,500-fold increase in functional inhibition relative to wild-type Ub. Further optimization of two C-terminal residues within the Ub network resulted in a KD of 1.5 nM and IC50 of 9.7 nM for the five-point Ub mutant, eliciting 27,500-fold and 5,500-fold enhancements in affinity and potency, respectively, as well as improved selectivity, without destabilizing the UbV structure. Our study highlights residue correlation and interaction networks in protein-protein interactions, and introduces an effective approach to design high-affinity protein binders for cell biology research and future therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ta I Hung
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, United States; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, United States
| | - Yun-Jung Hsieh
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Lin Lu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kuen-Phon Wu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Chia-En A Chang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, United States.
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Feng X, Chang R, Zhu H, Yang Y, Ji Y, Liu D, Qin H, Yin J, Rong H. Engineering Proteins for Cell Entry. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:4868-4882. [PMID: 37708383 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Proteins are essential for life, as they participate in all vital processes in the body. In the past decade, delivery of active proteins to specific cells and organs has attracted increasing interest. However, most proteins cannot enter the cytoplasm due to the cell membrane acting as a natural barrier. To overcome this challenge, various proteins have been engineered to acquire cell-penetrating capacity by mimicking or modifying natural shuttling proteins. In this review, we provide an overview of the different types of engineered cell-penetrating proteins such as cell-penetrating peptides, supercharged proteins, receptor-binding proteins, and bacterial toxins. We also discuss some strategies for improving endosomal escape such as pore formation, the proton sponge effect, and hijacking intracellular trafficking pathways. Finally, we introduce some novel methods and technologies for designing and detecting engineered cell-penetrating proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Feng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Ruilong Chang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Haichao Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yifan Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yue Ji
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Dingkang Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Hai Qin
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital Guizhou Hospital, No. 206, Sixian Street, Baiyun District, Guiyang, Guizhou 550014, China
| | - Jun Yin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Haibo Rong
- Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210009, China
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8
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Tang JQ, Marchand MM, Veggiani G. Ubiquitin Engineering for Interrogating the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System and Novel Therapeutic Strategies. Cells 2023; 12:2117. [PMID: 37626927 PMCID: PMC10453149 DOI: 10.3390/cells12162117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein turnover, a highly regulated process governed by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), is essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis. Dysregulation of the UPS has been implicated in various diseases, including viral infections and cancer, making the proteins in the UPS attractive targets for therapeutic intervention. However, the functional and structural redundancies of UPS enzymes present challenges in identifying precise drug targets and achieving target selectivity. Consequently, only 26S proteasome inhibitors have successfully advanced to clinical use thus far. To overcome these obstacles, engineered peptides and proteins, particularly engineered ubiquitin, have emerged as promising alternatives. In this review, we examine the impact of engineered ubiquitin on UPS and non-UPS proteins, as well as on viral enzymes. Furthermore, we explore their potential to guide the development of small molecules targeting novel surfaces, thereby expanding the range of druggable targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Q. Tang
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S3E1, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S3E1, Canada
| | - Mary M. Marchand
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Gianluca Veggiani
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
- Division of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
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9
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Kao HW, Lu WL, Ho MR, Lin YF, Hsieh YJ, Ko TP, Danny Hsu ST, Wu KP. Robust Design of Effective Allosteric Activators for Rsp5 E3 Ligase Using the Machine Learning Tool ProteinMPNN. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:2310-2319. [PMID: 37556858 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
We used the deep learning tool ProteinMPNN to redesign ubiquitin (Ub) as a specific and functionally stimulating/enhancing binder of the Rsp5 E3 ligase. We generated 20 extensively mutated─up to 37 of 76 residues─recombinant Ub variants (UbVs), named R1 to R20, displaying well-folded structures and high thermal stabilities. These UbVs can also form stable complexes with Rsp5, as predicted using AlphaFold2. Three of the UbVs bound to Rsp5 with low micromolar affinity, with R4 and R12 effectively enhancing the Rsp5 activity six folds. AlphaFold2 predicts that R4 and R12 bind to Rsp5's exosite in an identical manner to the Rsp5-Ub template, thereby allosterically activating Rsp5-Ub thioester formation. Thus, we present a virtual solution for rapidly and cost-effectively designing UbVs as functional modulators of Ub-related enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsi-Wen Kao
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Lin Lu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Ru Ho
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Fong Lin
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Jung Hsieh
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Ping Ko
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Shang-Te Danny Hsu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
- International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima 739-8527, Japan
| | - Kuen-Phon Wu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
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10
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McConnell A, Hackel BJ. Protein engineering via sequence-performance mapping. Cell Syst 2023; 14:656-666. [PMID: 37494931 PMCID: PMC10527434 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2023.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Discovery and evolution of new and improved proteins has empowered molecular therapeutics, diagnostics, and industrial biotechnology. Discovery and evolution both require efficient screens and effective libraries, although they differ in their challenges because of the absence or presence, respectively, of an initial protein variant with the desired function. A host of high-throughput technologies-experimental and computational-enable efficient screens to identify performant protein variants. In partnership, an informed search of sequence space is needed to overcome the immensity, sparsity, and complexity of the sequence-performance landscape. Early in the historical trajectory of protein engineering, these elements aligned with distinct approaches to identify the most performant sequence: selection from large, randomized combinatorial libraries versus rational computational design. Substantial advances have now emerged from the synergy of these perspectives. Rational design of combinatorial libraries aids the experimental search of sequence space, and high-throughput, high-integrity experimental data inform computational design. At the core of the collaborative interface, efficient protein characterization (rather than mere selection of optimal variants) maps sequence-performance landscapes. Such quantitative maps elucidate the complex relationships between protein sequence and performance-e.g., binding, catalytic efficiency, biological activity, and developability-thereby advancing fundamental protein science and facilitating protein discovery and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam McConnell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Benjamin J Hackel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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11
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Hung TI, Hsieh YJ, Lu WL, Wu KP, Chang CEA. What Strengthens Protein-Protein Interactions: Analysis and Applications of Residue Correlation Networks. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.15.532709. [PMID: 36993448 PMCID: PMC10055079 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.15.532709] [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: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Identifying critical residues in protein-protein binding and efficiently designing stable and specific protein binders is challenging. In addition to direct contacts in a protein-protein binding interface, our study employs computation modeling to reveal the essential network of residue interaction and dihedral angle correlation critical in protein-protein recognition. We propose that mutating residues regions exhibited highly correlated motions within the interaction network can efficiently optimize protein-protein interactions to create tight and selective protein binders. We validated our strategy using ubiquitin (Ub) and MERS coronaviral papain-like protease (PLpro) complexes, where Ub is one central player in many cellular functions and PLpro is an antiviral drug target. Our designed UbV with 3 mutated residues resulted in a ~3,500-fold increase in functional inhibition, compared with the wild-type Ub. Further optimization by incorporating 2 more residues within the network, the 5-point mutant achieved a KD of 1.5 nM and IC50 of 9.7 nM. The modification led to a 27,500-fold and 5,500-fold enhancements in affinity and potency, respectively, as well as improved selectivity, without destabilizing the UbV structure. Our study highlights residue correlation and interaction networks in protein-protein interaction, introduces an effective approach to design high affinity protein binders for cell biology and future therapeutics solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ta I Hung
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, United States
| | - Yun-Jung Hsieh
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Lin Lu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
| | - Kuen-Phon Wu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | - Chia-en A. Chang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, United States
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12
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Computational and artificial intelligence-based methods for antibody development. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2023; 44:175-189. [PMID: 36669976 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2022.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Due to their high target specificity and binding affinity, therapeutic antibodies are currently the largest class of biotherapeutics. The traditional largely empirical antibody development process is, while mature and robust, cumbersome and has significant limitations. Substantial recent advances in computational and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are now starting to overcome many of these limitations and are increasingly integrated into development pipelines. Here, we provide an overview of AI methods relevant for antibody development, including databases, computational predictors of antibody properties and structure, and computational antibody design methods with an emphasis on machine learning (ML) models, and the design of complementarity-determining region (CDR) loops, antibody structural components critical for binding.
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13
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An T, Lu Y, Yan X, Hou J. Insights Into the Properties, Biological Functions, and Regulation of USP21. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:944089. [PMID: 35846989 PMCID: PMC9279671 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.944089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) antagonize ubiquitination by removing ubiquitin from their substrates. The role of DUBs in controlling various physiological and pathological processes has been extensively studied, and some members of DUBs have been identified as potential therapeutic targets in diseases ranging from tumors to neurodegeneration. Ubiquitin-specific protease 21 (USP21) is a member of the ubiquitin-specific protease family, the largest subfamily of DUBs. Although USP21 was discovered late and early research progress was slow, numerous studies in the last decade have gradually revealed the importance of USP21 in a wide variety of biological processes. In particular, the pro-carcinogenic effect of USP21 has been well elucidated in the last 2 years. In the present review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on USP21, including its properties, biological functions, pathophysiological roles, and cellular regulation. Limited pharmacological interventions for USP21 have also been introduced, highlighting the importance of developing novel and specific inhibitors targeting USP21.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao An
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, China
| | - Yanting Lu
- College of TCM, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Xu Yan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, China
| | - Jingjing Hou
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, School of Medicine, Institute of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- *Correspondence: Jingjing Hou,
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14
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Thean DGL, Chu HY, Fong JHC, Chan BKC, Zhou P, Kwok CCS, Chan YM, Mak SYL, Choi GCG, Ho JWK, Zheng Z, Wong ASL. Machine learning-coupled combinatorial mutagenesis enables resource-efficient engineering of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editor activities. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2219. [PMID: 35468907 PMCID: PMC9039034 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29874-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The genome-editing Cas9 protein uses multiple amino-acid residues to bind the target DNA. Considering only the residues in proximity to the target DNA as potential sites to optimise Cas9’s activity, the number of combinatorial variants to screen through is too massive for a wet-lab experiment. Here we generate and cross-validate ten in silico and experimental datasets of multi-domain combinatorial mutagenesis libraries for Cas9 engineering, and demonstrate that a machine learning-coupled engineering approach reduces the experimental screening burden by as high as 95% while enriching top-performing variants by ∼7.5-fold in comparison to the null model. Using this approach and followed by structure-guided engineering, we identify the N888R/A889Q variant conferring increased editing activity on the protospacer adjacent motif-relaxed KKH variant of Cas9 nuclease from Staphylococcus aureus (KKH-SaCas9) and its derived base editor in human cells. Our work validates a readily applicable workflow to enable resource-efficient high-throughput engineering of genome editor’s activity. Screening combinatorial mutants is too massive for wet-lab experiment alone. Here the authors present a machine learning-coupled combinatorial mutagenesis approach to vastly reduce experimental burden for engineering Cas9 genome editing enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn G L Thean
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Hoi Yee Chu
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.,Centre for Oncology and Immunology Limited, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - John H C Fong
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Becky K C Chan
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.,Centre for Oncology and Immunology Limited, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Peng Zhou
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.,Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Cynthia C S Kwok
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Yee Man Chan
- Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Silvia Y L Mak
- Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Gigi C G Choi
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.,Centre for Oncology and Immunology Limited, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Joshua W K Ho
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.,Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health Limited (D24H), Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Zongli Zheng
- Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Hong Kong, SAR, China.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.,Biotechnology and Health Centre, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Alan S L Wong
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China. .,Centre for Oncology and Immunology Limited, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, SAR, China. .,Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
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15
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Deep generative modeling for protein design. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 72:226-236. [PMID: 34963082 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Deep learning approaches have produced substantial breakthroughs in fields such as image classification and natural language processing and are making rapid inroads in the area of protein design. Many generative models of proteins have been developed that encompass all known protein sequences, model specific protein families, or extrapolate the dynamics of individual proteins. Those generative models can learn protein representations that are often more informative of protein structure and function than hand-engineered features. Furthermore, they can be used to quickly propose millions of novel proteins that resemble the native counterparts in terms of expression level, stability, or other attributes. The protein design process can further be guided by discriminative oracles to select candidates with the highest probability of having the desired properties. In this review, we discuss five classes of generative models that have been most successful at modeling proteins and provide a framework for model guided protein design.
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16
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Directed evolution approaches for optogenetic tool development. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:2737-2748. [PMID: 34783342 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Photoswitchable proteins enable specific molecular events occurring in complex biological settings to be probed in a rapid and reversible fashion. Recent progress in the development of photoswitchable proteins as components of optogenetic tools has been greatly facilitated by directed evolution approaches in vitro, in bacteria, or in yeast. We review these developments and suggest future directions for this rapidly advancing field.
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17
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Wang X, Li F, Qiu W, Xu B, Li Y, Lian X, Yu H, Zhang Z, Wang J, Li Z, Xue W, Zhu F. SYNBIP: synthetic binding proteins for research, diagnosis and therapy. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 50:D560-D570. [PMID: 34664670 PMCID: PMC8728148 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of protein engineering and design has extensively expanded the protein space, which presents a promising strategy for creating next-generation proteins of diverse functions. Among these proteins, the synthetic binding proteins (SBPs) are smaller, more stable, less immunogenic, and better of tissue penetration than others, which make the SBP-related data attracting extensive interest from worldwide scientists. However, no database has been developed to systematically provide the valuable information of SBPs yet. In this study, a database named ‘Synthetic Binding Proteins for Research, Diagnosis, and Therapy (SYNBIP)’ was thus introduced. This database is unique in (a) comprehensively describing thousands of SBPs from the perspectives of scaffolds, biophysical & functional properties, etc.; (b) panoramically illustrating the binding targets & the broad application of each SBP and (c) enabling a similarity search against the sequences of all SBPs and their binding targets. Since SBP is a human-made protein that has not been found in nature, the discovery of novel SBPs relied heavily on experimental protein engineering and could be greatly facilitated by in-silico studies (such as AI and computational modeling). Thus, the data provided in SYNBIP could lay a solid foundation for the future development of novel SBPs. The SYNBIP is accessible without login requirement at both official (https://idrblab.org/synbip/) and mirror (http://synbip.idrblab.net/) sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaona Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Fengcheng Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Wenqi Qiu
- Department of Surgery, HKU-SZH & Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Binbin Xu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Yanlin Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Xichen Lian
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Hongyan Yu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Zhao Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Jianxin Wang
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Zhaorong Li
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, Alibaba-Zhejiang University Joint Research Center of Future Digital Healthcare, Hangzhou 330110, China
| | - Weiwei Xue
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Feng Zhu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China.,College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.,Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, Alibaba-Zhejiang University Joint Research Center of Future Digital Healthcare, Hangzhou 330110, China
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18
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Wu L, Qin L, Nie Y, Xu Y, Zhao YL. Computer-aided understanding and engineering of enzymatic selectivity. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 54:107793. [PMID: 34217814 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Enzymes offering chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivity enable the asymmetric synthesis of high-value chiral molecules. Unfortunately, the drawback that naturally occurring enzymes are often inefficient or have undesired selectivity toward non-native substrates hinders the broadening of biocatalytic applications. To match the demands of specific selectivity in asymmetric synthesis, biochemists have implemented various computer-aided strategies in understanding and engineering enzymatic selectivity, diversifying the available repository of artificial enzymes. Here, given that the entire asymmetric catalytic cycle, involving precise interactions within the active pocket and substrate transport in the enzyme channel, could affect the enzymatic efficiency and selectivity, we presented a comprehensive overview of the computer-aided workflow for enzymatic selectivity. This review includes a mechanistic understanding of enzymatic selectivity based on quantum mechanical calculations, rational design of enzymatic selectivity guided by enzyme-substrate interactions, and enzymatic selectivity regulation via enzyme channel engineering. Finally, we discussed the computational paradigm for designing enzyme selectivity in silico to facilitate the advancement of asymmetric biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lunjie Wu
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Lei Qin
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yao Nie
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Suqian Industrial Technology Research Institute of Jiangnan University, Suqian 223814, China.
| | - Yan Xu
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
| | - Yi-Lei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, MOE-LSB & MOE-LSC, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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19
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Sequeiros-Borja CE, Surpeta B, Brezovsky J. Recent advances in user-friendly computational tools to engineer protein function. Brief Bioinform 2021; 22:bbaa150. [PMID: 32743637 PMCID: PMC8138880 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbaa150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Progress in technology and algorithms throughout the past decade has transformed the field of protein design and engineering. Computational approaches have become well-engrained in the processes of tailoring proteins for various biotechnological applications. Many tools and methods are developed and upgraded each year to satisfy the increasing demands and challenges of protein engineering. To help protein engineers and bioinformaticians navigate this emerging wave of dedicated software, we have critically evaluated recent additions to the toolbox regarding their application for semi-rational and rational protein engineering. These newly developed tools identify and prioritize hotspots and analyze the effects of mutations for a variety of properties, comprising ligand binding, protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions, and electrostatic potential. We also discuss notable progress to target elusive protein dynamics and associated properties like ligand-transport processes and allosteric communication. Finally, we discuss several challenges these tools face and provide our perspectives on the further development of readily applicable methods to guide protein engineering efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Eduardo Sequeiros-Borja
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Interactions and Transport, Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University and the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Surpeta
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Interactions and Transport, Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University and the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jan Brezovsky
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Interactions and Transport, Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University and the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw
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20
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Sun T, Li T, Yi K, Yan G, Gao X. Fluorescent Protein Variants Generated by Reassembly between Skeleton and Chromophore. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:2925-2933. [PMID: 33553911 PMCID: PMC7860096 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c05299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescent proteins (FPs) can be used as intrinsic molecular tags to track the dynamic activity in live cells. To obtain variants in an available and massive manner is always a challenge. Here, we adopted a computer-based microarray synthesis method to realize the reassembly between the chromophore and the skeleton. DNAWorks was used to segment the input FP templates into a set of overlapping oligonucleotides (20-43 mer) with a balanced annealing temperature, G + C content, and codon frequency. The constitution of the chromophore was kept in the same section by switching the divided sites during segmentation and the codon was optimized to further keep the balanced parameters. The designed oligonucleotides were synthesized on photo-programmable microfluidic arrays. Sequence analysis and the subsequent conditional induced expression of FPs revealed that oligonucleotides were highly reassembled. Spectra, photostability, and molecular size detection of randomly selected variants showed that they were distinct monomeric proteins that preserved photoactivity. Our study provides an effective means of obtaining FP variants based on a computer-designed parallel synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Sun
- College
of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Zaozhuang University, Zaozhuang, Shandong 277160, China
| | - Tianpeng Li
- College
of Civil and Architecture Engineering, Zaozhuang
University, Zaozhuang, Shandong 277160, China
- School
of the Environment, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan 453007, China
- Shandong
Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
| | - Ke Yi
- Laboratory
of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Guoquan Yan
- Bioengineering
Institute, Zhejiang University of Science
and Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, China
| | - Xiaolian Gao
- Department
of Biology and Biochemistry, University
of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004-5001, United States
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21
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Strokach A, Becerra D, Corbi-Verge C, Perez-Riba A, Kim PM. Fast and Flexible Protein Design Using Deep Graph Neural Networks. Cell Syst 2020; 11:402-411.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2020.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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22
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Chen M, Chen L, Zeng AP. CRISPR/Cas9-facilitated engineering with growth-coupled and sensor-guided in vivo screening of enzyme variants for a more efficient chorismate pathway in E. coli. Metab Eng Commun 2019; 9:e00094. [PMID: 31193188 PMCID: PMC6520568 DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2019.e00094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein engineering plays an increasingly important role in developing new and optimizing existing metabolic pathways for biosynthesis. Conventional screening approach of libraries of gene and enzyme variants is often done using a host strain under conditions not relevant to the cultivation or intracellular conditions of the later production strain. This does not necessarily result in the identification of the best enzyme variant for in vivo use in the production strain. In this work, we propose a method which integrates CRISPR/Cas9-facilitated engineering of the target gene(s) with growth-coupled and sensor-guided in vivo screening (CGSS) for protein engineering and pathway optimization. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated for engineering 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate (DAHP) synthase AroG, a key enzyme in the chorismate pathway for the synthesis of aromatic amino acids (AAAs), to obtain variants of AroG (AroGfbr) with increased resistance to feedback inhibition of Phe. Starting from a tryptophan (Trp)-producing E. coli strain (harboring a reported Phe-resistant AroG variant AroGS180F), the removal of all the endogenous DAHP synthases makes the growth of this strain dependent on the activity of an introduced AroG variant. The different catalytic efficiencies of AroG variants lead to different intracellular concentration of Trp which is sensed by a Trp biosensor (TnaC-eGFP). Using the growth rate and the signal strength of the biosensor as criteria, we successfully identified several novel Phe-resistant AroG variants (including the best one AroGD6G−D7A) which exhibited higher specific enzyme activity than that of the reference variant AroGS180F at the presence of 40 mM Phe. The replacement of AroGS180F with the newly identified AroGD6G−D7A in the Trp-producing strain significantly improved the Trp production by 38.5% (24.03 ± 1.02 g/L at 36 h) in a simple fed-batch fermentation. A novel approach for phenotype-focused and product-targeted in vivo screening of enzyme variants. AroG variant with high resistance to feedback inhibition of phenylalanine. Tryptophan production in E. coli improved by 38.5% with the new variant AroGD6G−D7A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minliang Chen
- Institute of Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, Hamburg University of Technology, D-21073, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lin Chen
- Institute of Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, Hamburg University of Technology, D-21073, Hamburg, Germany
| | - An-Ping Zeng
- Institute of Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, Hamburg University of Technology, D-21073, Hamburg, Germany.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, North Third Ring Road 15, 100029, Beijing, China
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23
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Strokach A, Corbi-Verge C, Teyra J, Kim PM. Predicting the Effect of Mutations on Protein Folding and Protein-Protein Interactions. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1851:1-17. [PMID: 30298389 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8736-8_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The function of a protein is largely determined by its three-dimensional structure and its interactions with other proteins. Changes to a protein's amino acid sequence can alter its function by perturbing the energy landscapes of protein folding and binding. Many tools have been developed to predict the energetic effect of amino acid changes, utilizing features describing the sequence of a protein, the structure of a protein, or both. Those tools can have many applications, such as distinguishing between deleterious and benign mutations and designing proteins and peptides with attractive properties. In this chapter, we describe how to use one of such tools, ELASPIC, to predict the effect of mutations on the stability of proteins and the affinity between proteins, in the context of a human protein-protein interaction network. ELASPIC uses a wide range of sequential and structural features to predict the change in the Gibbs free energy for protein folding and protein-protein interactions. It can be used both through a web server and as a stand-alone application. Since ELASPIC was trained using homology models and not crystal structures, it can be applied to a much broader range of proteins than traditional methods. It can leverage precalculated sequence alignments, homology models, and other features, in order to drastically lower the amount of time required to evaluate individual mutations and make tractable the analysis of millions of mutations affecting the majority of proteins in a genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Strokach
- Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Carles Corbi-Verge
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joan Teyra
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Philip M Kim
- Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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24
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Kataria M, Mouilleron S, Seo MH, Corbi-Verge C, Kim PM, Uhlmann F. A PxL motif promotes timely cell cycle substrate dephosphorylation by the Cdc14 phosphatase. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2018; 25:1093-1102. [PMID: 30455435 PMCID: PMC6292506 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-018-0152-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The cell division cycle consists of a series of temporally ordered events. Cell cycle kinases and phosphatases provide key regulatory input, but how the correct substrate phosphorylation and dephosphorylation timing is achieved is incompletely understood. Here we identify a PxL substrate recognition motif that instructs dephosphorylation by the budding yeast Cdc14 phosphatase during mitotic exit. The PxL motif was prevalent in Cdc14-binding peptides enriched in a phage display screen of native disordered protein regions. PxL motif removal from the Cdc14 substrate Cbk1 delays its dephosphorylation, whereas addition of the motif advances dephosphorylation of otherwise late Cdc14 substrates. Crystal structures of Cdc14 bound to three PxL motif substrate peptides provide a molecular explanation for PxL motif recognition on the phosphatase surface. Our results illustrate the sophistication of phosphatase-substrate interactions and identify them as an important determinant of ordered cell cycle progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghna Kataria
- Chromosome Segregation Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Stephane Mouilleron
- Structural Biology Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Moon-Hyeong Seo
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Natural Constituents Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Gangneung, Republic of Korea
| | - Carles Corbi-Verge
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Philip M Kim
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Departments of Molecular Genetics and Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frank Uhlmann
- Chromosome Segregation Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
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25
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Getting Momentum: From Biocatalysis to Advanced Synthetic Biology. Trends Biochem Sci 2018; 43:180-198. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2018.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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26
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Ludwiczak J, Jarmula A, Dunin-Horkawicz S. Combining Rosetta with molecular dynamics (MD): A benchmark of the MD-based ensemble protein design. J Struct Biol 2018; 203:54-61. [PMID: 29454111 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Computational protein design is a set of procedures for computing amino acid sequences that will fold into a specified structure. Rosetta Design, a commonly used software for protein design, allows for the effective identification of sequences compatible with a given backbone structure, while molecular dynamics (MD) simulations can thoroughly sample near-native conformations. We benchmarked a procedure in which Rosetta design is started on MD-derived structural ensembles and showed that such a combined approach generates 20-30% more diverse sequences than currently available methods with only a slight increase in computation time. Importantly, the increase in diversity is achieved without a loss in the quality of the designed sequences assessed by their resemblance to natural sequences. We demonstrate that the MD-based procedure is also applicable to de novo design tasks started from backbone structures without any sequence information. In addition, we implemented a protocol that can be used to assess the stability of designed models and to select the best candidates for experimental validation. In sum our results demonstrate that the MD ensemble-based flexible backbone design can be a viable method for protein design, especially for tasks that require a large pool of diverse sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Ludwiczak
- Laboratory of Structural Bioinformatics, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Pasteura 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Adam Jarmula
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Pasteura 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Stanislaw Dunin-Horkawicz
- Laboratory of Structural Bioinformatics, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland.
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27
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Rocklin GJ, Chidyausiku TM, Goreshnik I, Ford A, Houliston S, Lemak A, Carter L, Ravichandran R, Mulligan VK, Chevalier A, Arrowsmith CH, Baker D. Global analysis of protein folding using massively parallel design, synthesis, and testing. Science 2018; 357:168-175. [PMID: 28706065 PMCID: PMC5568797 DOI: 10.1126/science.aan0693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 309] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Proteins fold into unique native structures stabilized by thousands of weak interactions that collectively overcome the entropic cost of folding. Although these forces are "encoded" in the thousands of known protein structures, "decoding" them is challenging because of the complexity of natural proteins that have evolved for function, not stability. We combined computational protein design, next-generation gene synthesis, and a high-throughput protease susceptibility assay to measure folding and stability for more than 15,000 de novo designed miniproteins, 1000 natural proteins, 10,000 point mutants, and 30,000 negative control sequences. This analysis identified more than 2500 stable designed proteins in four basic folds-a number sufficient to enable us to systematically examine how sequence determines folding and stability in uncharted protein space. Iteration between design and experiment increased the design success rate from 6% to 47%, produced stable proteins unlike those found in nature for topologies where design was initially unsuccessful, and revealed subtle contributions to stability as designs became increasingly optimized. Our approach achieves the long-standing goal of a tight feedback cycle between computation and experiment and has the potential to transform computational protein design into a data-driven science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel J Rocklin
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Tamuka M Chidyausiku
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,Graduate Program in Biological Physics, Structure, and Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Inna Goreshnik
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Alex Ford
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,Graduate Program in Biological Physics, Structure, and Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Scott Houliston
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada.,Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Alexander Lemak
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Lauren Carter
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rashmi Ravichandran
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Vikram K Mulligan
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Aaron Chevalier
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Cheryl H Arrowsmith
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada.,Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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28
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Zhao N, Battig MR, Xu M, Wang X, Xiong N, Wang Y. Development of a Dual-Functional Hydrogel Using RGD and Anti-VEGF Aptamer. Macromol Biosci 2017; 17:10.1002/mabi.201700201. [PMID: 28809082 PMCID: PMC5685870 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201700201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic molecular libraries hold great potential to advance the biomaterial development. However, little effort is made to integrate molecules with molecular recognition abilities selected from different libraries into a single biomolecular material. The purpose of this work is to incorporate peptides and nucleic acid aptamers into a porous hydrogel to develop a dual-functional biomaterial. The data show that an anti-integrin peptide can promote the attachment and growth of endothelial cells in a 3D porous poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel and an antivascular endothelial growth factor aptamer can sequester and release VEGF of high bioactivity. Importantly, the dual-functional porous hydrogel enhances the growth and survival of endothelial cells. This work demonstrates that molecules selected from different synthetic libraries can be integrated into one system for the development of novel biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Mark R Battig
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Ming Xu
- Center for Molecular Immunology and Infectious Disease, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Xiuli Wang
- College of Basic Medical Science, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China
| | - Na Xiong
- Center for Molecular Immunology and Infectious Disease, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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29
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Chevalier A, Silva DA, Rocklin GJ, Hicks DR, Vergara R, Murapa P, Bernard SM, Zhang L, Lam KH, Yao G, Bahl CD, Miyashita SI, Goreshnik I, Fuller JT, Koday MT, Jenkins CM, Colvin T, Carter L, Bohn A, Bryan CM, Fernández-Velasco DA, Stewart L, Dong M, Huang X, Jin R, Wilson IA, Fuller DH, Baker D. Massively parallel de novo protein design for targeted therapeutics. Nature 2017; 550:74-79. [PMID: 28953867 PMCID: PMC5802399 DOI: 10.1038/nature23912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 315] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
De novo protein design holds promise for creating small stable proteins with shapes customized to bind therapeutic targets. We describe a massively parallel approach for designing, manufacturing and screening mini-protein binders, integrating large-scale computational design, oligonucleotide synthesis, yeast display screening and next-generation sequencing. We designed and tested 22,660 mini-proteins of 37-43 residues that target influenza haemagglutinin and botulinum neurotoxin B, along with 6,286 control sequences to probe contributions to folding and binding, and identified 2,618 high-affinity binders. Comparison of the binding and non-binding design sets, which are two orders of magnitude larger than any previously investigated, enabled the evaluation and improvement of the computational model. Biophysical characterization of a subset of the binder designs showed that they are extremely stable and, unlike antibodies, do not lose activity after exposure to high temperatures. The designs elicit little or no immune response and provide potent prophylactic and therapeutic protection against influenza, even after extensive repeated dosing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Chevalier
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Daniel-Adriano Silva
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Gabriel J Rocklin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Derrick R Hicks
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Renan Vergara
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, México City 04510, Mexico
| | - Patience Murapa
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Steffen M Bernard
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
- The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Lu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kwok-Ho Lam
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Guorui Yao
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Christopher D Bahl
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Shin-Ichiro Miyashita
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology and Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Inna Goreshnik
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - James T Fuller
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Merika T Koday
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
- Virvio Inc., Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Cody M Jenkins
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Tom Colvin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Lauren Carter
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Alan Bohn
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Cassie M Bryan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - D Alejandro Fernández-Velasco
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, México City 04510, Mexico
| | - Lance Stewart
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Min Dong
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology and Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Xuhui Huang
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Rongsheng Jin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Ian A Wilson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
- The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Deborah H Fuller
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
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30
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Sun MGF, Kim PM. Data driven flexible backbone protein design. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005722. [PMID: 28837553 PMCID: PMC5587332 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein design remains an important problem in computational structural biology. Current computational protein design methods largely use physics-based methods, which make use of information from a single protein structure. This is despite the fact that multiple structures of many protein folds are now readily available in the PDB. While ensemble protein design methods can use multiple protein structures, they treat each structure independently. Here, we introduce a flexible backbone strategy, FlexiBaL-GP, which learns global protein backbone movements directly from multiple protein structures. FlexiBaL-GP uses the machine learning method of Gaussian Process Latent Variable Models to learn a lower dimensional representation of the protein coordinates that best represent backbone movements. These learned backbone movements are used to explore alternative protein backbones, while engineering a protein within a parallel tempered MCMC framework. Using the human ubiquitin-USP21 complex as a model we demonstrate that our design strategy outperforms current strategies for the interface design task of identifying tight binding ubiquitin variants for USP21.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G. F. Sun
- Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Philip M. Kim
- Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- * E-mail:
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31
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Wiechmann S, Gärtner A, Kniss A, Stengl A, Behrends C, Rogov VV, Rodriguez MS, Dötsch V, Müller S, Ernst A. Site-specific inhibition of the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-conjugating enzyme Ubc9 selectively impairs SUMO chain formation. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:15340-15351. [PMID: 28784659 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.794255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications by small ubiquitin-like modifiers (SUMOs) regulate many cellular processes, including genome integrity, gene expression, and ribosome biogenesis. The E2-conjugating enzyme Ubc9 catalyzes the conjugation of SUMOs to ϵ-amino groups of lysine residues in target proteins. Attachment of SUMO moieties to internal lysines in Ubc9 itself can further lead to the formation of polymeric SUMO chains. Mono- and poly-SUMOylations of target proteins provide docking sites for distinct adapter and effector proteins important for regulating discrete SUMO-regulated pathways. However, molecular tools to dissect pathways depending on either mono- or poly-SUMOylation are largely missing. Using a protein-engineering approach, we generated high-affinity SUMO2 variants by phage display that bind the back side binding site of Ubc9 and function as SUMO-based Ubc9 inhibitors (SUBINs). Importantly, we found that distinct SUBINs primarily inhibit poly-SUMO chain formation, whereas mono-SUMOylation was not impaired. Proof-of-principle experiments demonstrated that in a cellular context, SUBINs largely prevent heat shock-triggered poly-SUMOylation. Moreover, SUBINs abrogated arsenic-induced degradation of promyelocytic leukemia protein. We propose that the availability of the new chain-selective SUMO inhibitors reported here will enable a thorough investigation of poly-SUMO-mediated cellular processes, such as DNA damage responses and cell cycle progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja Wiechmann
- From the Institute of Biochemistry II, Goethe University School of Medicine, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Anne Gärtner
- From the Institute of Biochemistry II, Goethe University School of Medicine, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andreas Kniss
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andreas Stengl
- From the Institute of Biochemistry II, Goethe University School of Medicine, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christian Behrends
- From the Institute of Biochemistry II, Goethe University School of Medicine, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Vladimir V Rogov
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Manuel S Rodriguez
- Institut des Technologies Avancées en Sciences du Vivant-UPS and IPBS-CNRS, 1 Place Pierre Potier Oncopole entrèe B, BP 50624, 31106 Toulouse Cedex 1, France
| | - Volker Dötsch
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stefan Müller
- From the Institute of Biochemistry II, Goethe University School of Medicine, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany,
| | - Andreas Ernst
- From the Institute of Biochemistry II, Goethe University School of Medicine, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany, .,Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Project Group Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and
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32
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Abstract
A high-throughput study yields libraries of miniproteins that help to explain how proteins are stabilized
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek N Woolfson
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Medical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- Bristol BioDesign Institute, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Emily G Baker
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Gail J Bartlett
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
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