Nikitin D, Mican J, Toul M, Bednar D, Peskova M, Kittova P, Thalerova S, Vitecek J, Damborsky J, Mikulik R, Fleishman SJ, Prokop Z, Marek M. Computer-Aided Engineering of Staphylokinase Toward Enhanced Affinity and Selectivity for Plasmin.
Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022;
20:1366-1377. [PMID:
35386102 PMCID:
PMC8941168 DOI:
10.1016/j.csbj.2022.03.004]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Computational re-design of staphylokinase (SAK) for enhanced affinity toward plasmin.
Designed SAK mutants are biochemically and structurally characterized.
A novel SAK mutant with substantially improved pharmacological properties is identified.
New avenues for effective, highly selective, and less toxic thrombolytics are highlighted.
Cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases are leading causes of death and disability, resulting in one of the highest socio-economic burdens of any disease type. The discovery of bacterial and human plasminogen activators and their use as thrombolytic drugs have revolutionized treatment of these pathologies. Fibrin-specific agents have an advantage over non-specific factors because of lower rates of deleterious side effects. Specifically, staphylokinase (SAK) is a pharmacologically attractive indirect plasminogen activator protein of bacterial origin that forms stoichiometric noncovalent complexes with plasmin, promoting the conversion of plasminogen into plasmin. Here we report a computer-assisted re-design of the molecular surface of SAK to increase its affinity for plasmin. A set of computationally designed SAK mutants was produced recombinantly and biochemically characterized. Screening revealed a pharmacologically interesting SAK mutant with ∼7-fold enhanced affinity toward plasmin, ∼10-fold improved plasmin selectivity and moderately higher plasmin-generating efficiency in vitro. Collectively, the results obtained provide a framework for SAK engineering using computational affinity-design that could pave the way to next-generation of effective, highly selective, and less toxic thrombolytics.
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