1
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Xu Q, Vogt A, Frechen F, Yi C, Küçükerden M, Ngum N, Sitjà-Roqueta L, Greiner A, Parri R, Masana M, Wenger N, Wachten D, Möglich A. Engineering Bacteriophytochrome-coupled Photoactivated Adenylyl Cyclases for Enhanced Optogenetic cAMP Modulation. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168257. [PMID: 37657609 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Sensory photoreceptors abound in nature and enable organisms to adapt behavior, development, and physiology to environmental light. In optogenetics, photoreceptors allow spatiotemporally precise, reversible, and non-invasive control by light of cellular processes. Notwithstanding the development of numerous optogenetic circuits, an unmet demand exists for efficient systems sensitive to red light, given its superior penetration of biological tissue. Bacteriophytochrome photoreceptors sense the ratio of red and far-red light to regulate the activity of enzymatic effector modules. The recombination of bacteriophytochrome photosensor modules with cyclase effectors underlies photoactivated adenylyl cyclases (PAC) that catalyze the synthesis of the ubiquitous second messenger 3', 5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Via homologous exchanges of the photosensor unit, we devised novel PACs, with the variant DmPAC exhibiting 40-fold activation of cyclase activity under red light, thus surpassing previous red-light-responsive PACs. Modifications of the PHY tongue modulated the responses to red and far-red light. Exchanges of the cyclase effector offer an avenue to further enhancing PACs but require optimization of the linker to the photosensor. DmPAC and a derivative for 3', 5'-cyclic guanosine monophosphate allow the manipulation of cyclic-nucleotide-dependent processes in mammalian cells by red light. Taken together, we advance the optogenetic control of second-messenger signaling and provide insight into the signaling and design of bacteriophytochrome receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianzhao Xu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Arend Vogt
- Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology, 10117 Berlin, Germany. https://twitter.com/ArendVogt
| | - Fabian Frechen
- Institute of Innate Immunity, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Chengwei Yi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Melike Küçükerden
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain
| | - Neville Ngum
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, United Kingdom
| | - Laia Sitjà-Roqueta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain
| | - Andreas Greiner
- Macromolecular Chemistry and Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth 95440, Germany
| | - Rhein Parri
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, United Kingdom
| | - Mercè Masana
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain. https://twitter.com/mercemasana
| | - Nikolaus Wenger
- Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Dagmar Wachten
- Institute of Innate Immunity, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany. https://twitter.com/DagmarWachten
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; North-Bavarian NMR Center, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
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2
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Pietruschka G, Ranzani AT, Weber A, Patwari T, Pilsl S, Renzl C, Otte DM, Pyka D, Möglich A, Mayer G. An RNA Motif That Enables Optozyme Control and Light-Dependent Gene Expression in Bacteria and Mammalian Cells. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2024; 11:e2304519. [PMID: 38227373 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
The regulation of gene expression by light enables the versatile, spatiotemporal manipulation of biological function in bacterial and mammalian cells. Optoribogenetics extends this principle by molecular RNA devices acting on the RNA level whose functions are controlled by the photoinduced interaction of a light-oxygen-voltage photoreceptor with cognate RNA aptamers. Here light-responsive ribozymes, denoted optozymes, which undergo light-dependent self-cleavage and thereby control gene expression are described. This approach transcends existing aptamer-ribozyme chimera strategies that predominantly rely on aptamers binding to small molecules. The optozyme method thus stands to enable the graded, non-invasive, and spatiotemporally resolved control of gene expression. Optozymes are found efficient in bacteria and mammalian cells and usher in hitherto inaccessible optoribogenetic modalities with broad applicability in synthetic and systems biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Pietruschka
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES), University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str.1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Américo T Ranzani
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Photobiochemie, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Anna Weber
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES), University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str.1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
- Center of Aptamer Research & Development, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tejal Patwari
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES), University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str.1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sebastian Pilsl
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES), University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str.1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christian Renzl
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES), University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str.1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
- Center of Aptamer Research & Development, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - David M Otte
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES), University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str.1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Daniel Pyka
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES), University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str.1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Photobiochemie, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Günter Mayer
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES), University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str.1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
- Center of Aptamer Research & Development, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
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3
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Meier SSM, Multamäki E, Ranzani AT, Takala H, Möglich A. Multimodal Control of Bacterial Gene Expression by Red and Blue Light. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2760:463-477. [PMID: 38468104 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3658-9_26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
By applying sensory photoreceptors, optogenetics realizes the light-dependent control of cellular events and state. Given reversibility, noninvasiveness, and exquisite spatiotemporal precision, optogenetic approaches enable innovative use cases in cell biology, synthetic biology, and biotechnology. In this chapter, we detail the implementation of the pREDusk, pREDawn, pCrepusculo, and pAurora optogenetic circuits for controlling bacterial gene expression by red and blue light, respectively. The protocols provided here guide the practical use and multiplexing of these circuits, thereby enabling graded protein production in bacteria at analytical and semi-preparative scales.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elina Multamäki
- Department of Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Américo T Ranzani
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Heikki Takala
- Department of Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Nanoscience Center, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
- Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
- North-Bavarian NMR Center, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
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4
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Römling U, Möglich A. Seeing the light brings more food in the deep sea. EMBO J 2023:e114091. [PMID: 37051729 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2023114091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclic di-GMP signaling regulates sessile-to-motile lifestyle transition and associated physiological and metabolic features in bacteria. The presence of potential cyclic di-GMP turnover proteins in deepest branching bacteria indicates that cyclic di-GMP is an ancient signaling molecule. In this issue of The EMBO Journal, Cai et al (2023) describe light-induced activation of a thiosulfate oxidation pathway in the deep-sea cold-seep bacterium Qipengyuania flava, thus coupling cyclic di-GMP with the regulation of the global abiotic sulfur cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ute Römling
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Department of Biochemistry, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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5
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Xu C, Battig A, Schartel B, Siegel R, Senker J, von der Forst I, Unverzagt C, Agarwal S, Möglich A, Greiner A. Investigation of the Thermal Stability of Proteinase K for the Melt Processing of Poly(l-lactide). Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:4841-4850. [PMID: 36327974 PMCID: PMC9667878 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The enzymatic degradation of aliphatic polyesters offers unique opportunities for various use cases in materials science. Although evidently desirable, the implementation of enzymes in technical applications of polyesters is generally challenging due to the thermal lability of enzymes. To prospectively overcome this intrinsic limitation, we here explored the thermal stability of proteinase K at conditions applicable for polymer melt processing, given that this hydrolytic enzyme is well established for its ability to degrade poly(l-lactide) (PLLA). Using assorted spectroscopic methods and enzymatic assays, we investigated the effects of high temperatures on the structure and specific activity of proteinase K. Whereas in solution, irreversible unfolding occurred at temperatures above 75-80 °C, in the dry, bulk state, proteinase K withstood prolonged incubation at elevated temperatures. Unexpectedly little activity loss occurred during incubation at up to 130 °C, and intermediate levels of catalytic activity were preserved at up to 150 °C. The resistance of bulk proteinase K to thermal treatment was slightly enhanced by absorption into polyacrylamide (PAM) particles. Under these conditions, after 5 min at a temperature of 200 °C, which is required for the melt processing of PLLA, proteinase K was not completely denatured but retained around 2% enzymatic activity. Our findings reveal that the thermal processing of proteinase K in the dry state is principally feasible, but equally, they also identify needs and prospects for improvement. The experimental pipeline we establish for proteinase K analysis stands to benefit efforts directed to this end. More broadly, our work sheds light on enzymatically degradable polymers and the thermal processing of enzymes, which are of increasing economical and societal relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengzhang Xu
- Macromolecular
Chemistry and Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, Bayreuth 95440, Germany
| | - Alexander Battig
- Bundesanstalt
für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Unter den Eichen 87, Berlin 12205, Germany
| | - Bernhard Schartel
- Bundesanstalt
für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Unter den Eichen 87, Berlin 12205, Germany
| | - Renée Siegel
- Inorganic
Chemistry III and Northern Bavarian NMR Centre (NBNC), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, Bayreuth 95440, Germany
| | - Jürgen Senker
- Inorganic
Chemistry III and Northern Bavarian NMR Centre (NBNC), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, Bayreuth 95440, Germany
| | - Inge von der Forst
- Bioorganic
Chemistry, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, Bayreuth 95447, Germany
| | - Carlo Unverzagt
- Bioorganic
Chemistry, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, Bayreuth 95447, Germany
| | - Seema Agarwal
- Macromolecular
Chemistry and Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, Bayreuth 95440, Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, Bayreuth 95447, Germany
| | - Andreas Greiner
- Macromolecular
Chemistry and Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, Bayreuth 95440, Germany
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6
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Multamäki E, García de Fuentes A, Sieryi O, Bykov A, Gerken U, Ranzani A, Köhler J, Meglinski I, Möglich A, Takala H. Optogenetic Control of Bacterial Expression by Red Light. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3354-3367. [PMID: 35998606 PMCID: PMC9594775 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
In optogenetics, as in nature, sensory photoreceptors serve to control cellular processes by light. Bacteriophytochrome (BphP) photoreceptors sense red and far-red light via a biliverdin chromophore and, in response, cycle between the spectroscopically, structurally, and functionally distinct Pr and Pfr states. BphPs commonly belong to two-component systems that control the phosphorylation of cognate response regulators and downstream gene expression through histidine kinase modules. We recently demonstrated that the paradigm BphP from Deinococcus radiodurans exclusively acts as a phosphatase but that its photosensory module can control the histidine kinase activity of homologous receptors. Here, we apply this insight to reprogram two widely used setups for bacterial gene expression from blue-light to red-light control. The resultant pREDusk and pREDawn systems allow gene expression to be regulated down and up, respectively, uniformly under red light by 100-fold or more. Both setups are realized as portable, single plasmids that encode all necessary components including the biliverdin-producing machinery. The triggering by red light affords high spatial resolution down to the single-cell level. As pREDusk and pREDawn respond sensitively to red light, they support multiplexing with optogenetic systems sensitive to other light colors. Owing to the superior tissue penetration of red light, the pREDawn system can be triggered at therapeutically safe light intensities through material layers, replicating the optical properties of the skin and skull. Given these advantages, pREDusk and pREDawn enable red-light-regulated expression for diverse use cases in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Multamäki
- Department
of Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | | | - Oleksii Sieryi
- Optoelectronics
and Measurement Techniques, University of
Oulu, Oulu 90014, Finland
| | - Alexander Bykov
- Optoelectronics
and Measurement Techniques, University of
Oulu, Oulu 90014, Finland
| | - Uwe Gerken
- Lehrstuhl
für Spektroskopie weicher Materie, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth 95447, Germany
| | | | - Jürgen Köhler
- Lehrstuhl
für Spektroskopie weicher Materie, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth 95447, Germany
| | - Igor Meglinski
- Optoelectronics
and Measurement Techniques, University of
Oulu, Oulu 90014, Finland,College
of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Aston
University, Birmingham B4 7ET, U.K.
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Lehrstuhl
für Biochemie, Photobiochemie, Universität
Bayreuth, Bayreuth 95447, Germany,. Phone: +49 921 55
7835
| | - Heikki Takala
- Department
of Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland,Department
of Biological and Environmental Science, Nanoscience Center, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla 40014, Finland,. Phone: +358 46 923 6211
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7
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Ranzani AT, Wehrmann M, Kaiser J, Juraschitz M, Weber AM, Pietruschka G, Gerken U, Mayer G, Möglich A. Light-Dependent Control of Bacterial Expression at the mRNA Level. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3482-3492. [PMID: 36129831 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Sensory photoreceptors mediate numerous light-dependent adaptations across organisms. In optogenetics, photoreceptors achieve the reversible, non-invasive, and spatiotemporally precise control by light of gene expression and other cellular processes. The light-oxygen-voltage receptor PAL binds to small RNA aptamers with sequence specificity upon blue-light illumination. By embedding the responsive aptamer in the ribosome-binding sequence of genes of interest, their expression can be downregulated by light. We developed the pCrepusculo and pAurora optogenetic systems that are based on PAL and allow to down- and upregulate, respectively, bacterial gene expression using blue light. Both systems are realized as compact, single plasmids that exhibit stringent blue-light responses with low basal activity and up to several 10-fold dynamic range. As PAL exerts light-dependent control at the RNA level, it can be combined with other optogenetic circuits that control transcription initiation. By integrating regulatory mechanisms operating at the DNA and mRNA levels, optogenetic circuits with emergent properties can thus be devised. As a case in point, the pEnumbra setup permits to upregulate gene expression under moderate blue light whereas strong blue light shuts off expression again. Beyond providing novel signal-responsive expression systems for diverse applications in biotechnology and synthetic biology, our work also illustrates how the light-dependent PAL-aptamer interaction can be harnessed for the control and interrogation of RNA-based processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Américo T Ranzani
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Markus Wehrmann
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Jennifer Kaiser
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Marc Juraschitz
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Anna M Weber
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES), University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Georg Pietruschka
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES), University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Uwe Gerken
- Lehrstuhl für Spektroskopie weicher Materie, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Günter Mayer
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES), University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany.,Center of Aptamer Research & Development, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.,North-Bavarian NMR Center, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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8
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Ohlendorf R, Möglich A. Light-regulated gene expression in Bacteria: Fundamentals, advances, and perspectives. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1029403. [PMID: 36312534 PMCID: PMC9614035 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1029403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous photoreceptors and genetic circuits emerged over the past two decades and now enable the light-dependent i.e., optogenetic, regulation of gene expression in bacteria. Prompted by light cues in the near-ultraviolet to near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, gene expression can be up- or downregulated stringently, reversibly, non-invasively, and with precision in space and time. Here, we survey the underlying principles, available options, and prominent examples of optogenetically regulated gene expression in bacteria. While transcription initiation and elongation remain most important for optogenetic intervention, other processes e.g., translation and downstream events, were also rendered light-dependent. The optogenetic control of bacterial expression predominantly employs but three fundamental strategies: light-sensitive two-component systems, oligomerization reactions, and second-messenger signaling. Certain optogenetic circuits moved beyond the proof-of-principle and stood the test of practice. They enable unprecedented applications in three major areas. First, light-dependent expression underpins novel concepts and strategies for enhanced yields in microbial production processes. Second, light-responsive bacteria can be optogenetically stimulated while residing within the bodies of animals, thus prompting the secretion of compounds that grant health benefits to the animal host. Third, optogenetics allows the generation of precisely structured, novel biomaterials. These applications jointly testify to the maturity of the optogenetic approach and serve as blueprints bound to inspire and template innovative use cases of light-regulated gene expression in bacteria. Researchers pursuing these lines can choose from an ever-growing, versatile, and efficient toolkit of optogenetic circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Ohlendorf
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- North-Bavarian NMR Center, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- *Correspondence: Andreas Möglich,
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9
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Dietler J, Gelfert R, Kaiser J, Borin V, Renzl C, Pilsl S, Ranzani AT, García de Fuentes A, Gleichmann T, Diensthuber RP, Weyand M, Mayer G, Schapiro I, Möglich A. Signal transduction in light-oxygen-voltage receptors lacking the active-site glutamine. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2618. [PMID: 35552382 PMCID: PMC9098866 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30252-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In nature as in biotechnology, light-oxygen-voltage photoreceptors perceive blue light to elicit spatiotemporally defined cellular responses. Photon absorption drives thioadduct formation between a conserved cysteine and the flavin chromophore. An equally conserved, proximal glutamine processes the resultant flavin protonation into downstream hydrogen-bond rearrangements. Here, we report that this glutamine, long deemed essential, is generally dispensable. In its absence, several light-oxygen-voltage receptors invariably retained productive, if often attenuated, signaling responses. Structures of a light-oxygen-voltage paradigm at around 1 Å resolution revealed highly similar light-induced conformational changes, irrespective of whether the glutamine is present. Naturally occurring, glutamine-deficient light-oxygen-voltage receptors likely serve as bona fide photoreceptors, as we showcase for a diguanylate cyclase. We propose that without the glutamine, water molecules transiently approach the chromophore and thus propagate flavin protonation downstream. Signaling without glutamine appears intrinsic to light-oxygen-voltage receptors, which pertains to biotechnological applications and suggests evolutionary descendance from redox-active flavoproteins. Light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) photoreceptors perceive blue light to elicit spatio-temporally defined cellular responses, and their signalling process has been extensively characterized. Here the authors report that the light signal is still transduced in the absence of a conserved Gln residue, thought to be key.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Dietler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Renate Gelfert
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Jennifer Kaiser
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Veniamin Borin
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Christian Renzl
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES), University of Bonn, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sebastian Pilsl
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES), University of Bonn, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | | | | | - Tobias Gleichmann
- Biophysical Chemistry, Humboldt-University Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Michael Weyand
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Günter Mayer
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES), University of Bonn, 53121, Bonn, Germany.,Center of Aptamer Research & Development, University of Bonn, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Igor Schapiro
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany. .,Biophysical Chemistry, Humboldt-University Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany. .,Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Universität Bayreuth, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany. .,North-Bavarian NMR Center, Universität Bayreuth, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany.
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10
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Kateriya S, Jha SK, Möglich A. Editorial: New Horizons in Cellular Optogenetics. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:875602. [PMID: 35401122 PMCID: PMC8983813 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.875602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Suneel Kateriya
- School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
- *Correspondence: Suneel Kateriya
| | - Sushil K. Jha
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
- Sushil K. Jha
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Photobiochemie, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- Andreas Möglich
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11
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Multamäki E, Nanekar R, Morozov D, Lievonen T, Golonka D, Wahlgren WY, Stucki-Buchli B, Rossi J, Hytönen VP, Westenhoff S, Ihalainen JA, Möglich A, Takala H. Comparative analysis of two paradigm bacteriophytochromes reveals opposite functionalities in two-component signaling. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4394. [PMID: 34285211 PMCID: PMC8292422 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24676-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial phytochrome photoreceptors usually belong to two-component signaling systems which transmit environmental stimuli to a response regulator through a histidine kinase domain. Phytochromes switch between red light-absorbing and far-red light-absorbing states. Despite exhibiting extensive structural responses during this transition, the model bacteriophytochrome from Deinococcus radiodurans (DrBphP) lacks detectable kinase activity. Here, we resolve this long-standing conundrum by comparatively analyzing the interactions and output activities of DrBphP and a bacteriophytochrome from Agrobacterium fabrum (Agp1). Whereas Agp1 acts as a conventional histidine kinase, we identify DrBphP as a light-sensitive phosphatase. While Agp1 binds its cognate response regulator only transiently, DrBphP does so strongly, which is rationalized at the structural level. Our data pinpoint two key residues affecting the balance between kinase and phosphatase activities, which immediately bears on photoreception and two-component signaling. The opposing output activities in two highly similar bacteriophytochromes suggest the use of light-controllable histidine kinases and phosphatases for optogenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Multamäki
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Faculty of Medicine, Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rahul Nanekar
- grid.9681.60000 0001 1013 7965Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Nanoscience Center, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland
| | - Dmitry Morozov
- grid.9681.60000 0001 1013 7965Department of Chemistry, Nanoscience Center, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland
| | - Topias Lievonen
- grid.9681.60000 0001 1013 7965Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Nanoscience Center, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland
| | - David Golonka
- grid.7384.80000 0004 0467 6972Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Weixiao Yuan Wahlgren
- grid.8761.80000 0000 9919 9582Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Brigitte Stucki-Buchli
- grid.9681.60000 0001 1013 7965Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Nanoscience Center, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland
| | - Jari Rossi
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Faculty of Medicine, Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Vesa P. Hytönen
- grid.502801.e0000 0001 2314 6254Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, BioMediTech, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland ,grid.511163.10000 0004 0518 4910Fimlab Laboratories, Tampere, Finland
| | - Sebastian Westenhoff
- grid.8761.80000 0000 9919 9582Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Janne A. Ihalainen
- grid.9681.60000 0001 1013 7965Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Nanoscience Center, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland
| | - Andreas Möglich
- grid.7384.80000 0004 0467 6972Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Heikki Takala
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Faculty of Medicine, Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland ,grid.9681.60000 0001 1013 7965Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Nanoscience Center, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland
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12
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Orth B, Sander B, Möglich A, Diederichs K, Eilers M, Lorenz S. Identification of an atypical interaction site in the BTB domain of the MYC-interacting zinc-finger protein 1. Structure 2021; 29:1230-1240.e5. [PMID: 34186024 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2021.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The repurposing of structurally conserved protein domains in different functional contexts is thought to be a driving force in the evolution of complex protein interaction networks. The BTB/POZ domain is such a versatile binding module that occurs over 200 times in the human proteome with diverse protein-specific adaptations. In BTB-zinc-finger transcription factors, the BTB domain drives homo- and heterodimerization as well as interactions with non-BTB-domain-containing proteins. Which mechanisms encode specificity in these interactions at a structural level is incompletely understood. Here, we uncover an atypical peptide-binding site in the BTB domain of the MYC-interacting zinc-finger protein 1 (MIZ1) that arises from local flexibility of the core BTB fold and may provide a target site for MIZ1-directed therapeutic approaches. Intriguingly, the identified binding mode requires the BTB domain to be in a homodimeric state, thus holding opportunities for functional discrimination between homo- and heterodimers of MIZ1 in the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Orth
- Rudolf Virchow Center for Integrative and Translational Bioimaging, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bodo Sander
- Rudolf Virchow Center for Integrative and Translational Bioimaging, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Kay Diederichs
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Martin Eilers
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sonja Lorenz
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
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13
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Dietler J, Schubert R, Krafft TGA, Meiler S, Kainrath S, Richter F, Schweimer K, Weyand M, Janovjak H, Möglich A. A Light-Oxygen-Voltage Receptor Integrates Light and Temperature. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167107. [PMID: 34146595 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Sensory photoreceptors enable organisms to adjust their physiology, behavior, and development in response to light, generally with spatiotemporal acuity and reversibility. These traits underlie the use of photoreceptors as genetically encoded actuators to alter by light the state and properties of heterologous organisms. Subsumed as optogenetics, pertinent approaches enable regulating diverse cellular processes, not least gene expression. Here, we controlled the widely used Tet repressor by coupling to light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) modules that either homodimerize or dissociate under blue light. Repression could thus be elevated or relieved, and consequently protein expression was modulated by light. Strikingly, the homodimeric RsLOV module from Rhodobacter sphaeroides not only dissociated under light but intrinsically reacted to temperature. The limited light responses of wild-type RsLOV at 37 °C were enhanced in two variants that exhibited closely similar photochemistry and structure. One variant improved the weak homodimerization affinity of 40 µM by two-fold and thus also bestowed light sensitivity on a receptor tyrosine kinase. Certain photoreceptors, exemplified by RsLOV, can evidently moonlight as temperature sensors which immediately bears on their application in optogenetics and biotechnology. Properly accounted for, the temperature sensitivity can be leveraged for the construction of signal-responsive cellular circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Dietler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Roman Schubert
- Biophysical Chemistry, Humboldt-University Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias G A Krafft
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Simone Meiler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Stephanie Kainrath
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI), Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Florian Richter
- Biophysical Chemistry, Humboldt-University Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kristian Schweimer
- Biopolymers, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; North-Bavarian NMR Center, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Michael Weyand
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Harald Janovjak
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI), Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; Biophysical Chemistry, Humboldt-University Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany; Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; North-Bavarian NMR Center, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
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14
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Dietler J, Liang C, Frank S, Müller AK, Greiner A, Möglich A. Photobiologically Directed Assembly of Gold Nanoparticles. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2021; 5:e2000179. [PMID: 34028211 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202000179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In nature, photoreceptor proteins undergo molecular responses to light, that exhibit supreme fidelity in time and space and generally occur under mild reaction conditions. To unlock these traits for material science, the light-induced homodimerization of light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) photoreceptors is leveraged to control the assembly of gold nanoparticles. Conjugated to genetically encodable LOV proteins, the nanoparticles are monodispersed in darkness but rapidly assemble into large aggregates upon blue-light exposure. The study establishes a new modality for reaction control in macromolecular chemistry and thus augurs enhanced precision in space and time in diverse applications of gold nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Dietler
- Department of Biochemistry, Photobiochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, D-95440, Germany
| | - Chen Liang
- Macromolecular Chemistry and Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, D-95440, Germany
| | - Saskia Frank
- Department of Biochemistry, Photobiochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, D-95440, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Müller
- Macromolecular Chemistry and Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, D-95440, Germany
| | - Andreas Greiner
- Macromolecular Chemistry and Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, D-95440, Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Department of Biochemistry, Photobiochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, D-95440, Germany
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15
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Wahlgren WY, Golonka D, Westenhoff S, Möglich A. Cryo-Electron Microscopy of Arabidopsis thaliana Phytochrome A in Its Pr State Reveals Head-to-Head Homodimeric Architecture. Front Plant Sci 2021; 12:663751. [PMID: 34108981 PMCID: PMC8182759 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.663751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Phytochrome photoreceptors regulate vital adaptations of plant development, growth, and physiology depending on the ratio of red and far-red light. The light-triggered Z/E isomerization of a covalently bound bilin chromophore underlies phytochrome photoconversion between the red-absorbing Pr and far-red-absorbing Pfr states. Compared to bacterial phytochromes, the molecular mechanisms of signal propagation to the C-terminal module and its regulation are little understood in plant phytochromes, not least owing to a dearth of structural information. To address this deficit, we studied the Arabidopsis thaliana phytochrome A (AtphyA) at full length by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Following heterologous expression in Escherichia coli, we optimized the solvent conditions to overcome protein aggregation and thus obtained photochemically active, near-homogenous AtphyA. We prepared grids for cryo-EM analysis of AtphyA in its Pr state and conducted single-particle analysis. The resulting two-dimensional class averages and the three-dimensional electron density map at 17 Å showed a homodimeric head-to-head assembly of AtphyA. Docking of domain structures into the electron density revealed a separation of the AtphyA homodimer at the junction of its photosensor and effector modules, as reflected in a large void in the middle of map. The overall architecture of AtphyA resembled that of bacterial phytochromes, thus hinting at commonalities in signal transduction and mechanism between these receptors. Our work paves the way toward future studies of the structure, light response, and interactions of full-length phytochromes by cryo-EM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixiao Yuan Wahlgren
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - David Golonka
- Lehrstuhl fur Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Sebastian Westenhoff
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Lehrstuhl fur Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- North-Bavarian NMR Center, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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16
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Sokolovski SG, Zherebtsov EA, Kar RK, Golonka D, Stabel R, Chichkov NB, Gorodetsky A, Schapiro I, Möglich A, Rafailov EU. Two-photon conversion of a bacterial phytochrome. Biophys J 2021; 120:964-974. [PMID: 33545103 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In nature, sensory photoreceptors underlie diverse spatiotemporally precise and generally reversible biological responses to light. Photoreceptors also serve as genetically encoded agents in optogenetics to control by light organismal state and behavior. Phytochromes represent a superfamily of photoreceptors that transition between states absorbing red light (Pr) and far-red light (Pfr), thus expanding the spectral range of optogenetics to the near-infrared range. Although light of these colors exhibits superior penetration of soft tissue, the transmission through bone and skull is poor. To overcome this fundamental challenge, we explore the activation of a bacterial phytochrome by a femtosecond laser emitting in the 1 μm wavelength range. Quantum chemical calculations predict that bacterial phytochromes possess substantial two-photon absorption cross sections. In line with this notion, we demonstrate that the photoreversible Pr ↔ Pfr conversion is driven by two-photon absorption at wavelengths between 1170 and 1450 nm. The Pfr yield was highest for wavelengths between 1170 and 1280 nm and rapidly plummeted beyond 1300 nm. By combining two-photon activation with bacterial phytochromes, we lay the foundation for enhanced spatial resolution in optogenetics and unprecedented penetration through bone, skull, and soft tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge G Sokolovski
- Optoelectronics and Biomedical Photonics Group, AIPT, Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Evgeny A Zherebtsov
- Optoelectronics and Measurement Techniques, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Cell Physiology and Pathology Laboratory, Orel State University, Orel, Russia
| | - Rajiv K Kar
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - David Golonka
- Photobiochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Robert Stabel
- Photobiochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Nikolai B Chichkov
- Optoelectronics and Biomedical Photonics Group, AIPT, Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Andrei Gorodetsky
- ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia; Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Igor Schapiro
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Photobiochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
| | - Edik U Rafailov
- Optoelectronics and Biomedical Photonics Group, AIPT, Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
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17
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Golonka D, Gerken U, Köhler J, Möglich A. The Association Kinetics Encode the Light Dependence of Arabidopsis Phytochrome B Interactions. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:4327-4340. [PMID: 32534065 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Plant phytochromes enable vital adaptations to red and far-red light. At the molecular level, these responses are mediated by light-regulated interactions between phytochromes and partner proteins, foremost the phytochrome-interacting factors (PIF). Although known for decades, quantitative analyses of these interactions have long been sparse. To address this deficit, we here studied by an integrated fluorescence-spectroscopic approach the equilibrium and kinetics of Arabidopsis thaliana phytochrome B binding to a tetramerized PIF6 variant. Several readouts consistently showed the stringently light-regulated interaction to be little affected by PIF tetramerization. Analysis of the binding kinetics allowed the determination of bimolecular association and unimolecular dissociation rate constants as a function of light. Unexpectedly, the stronger affinity of A. thaliana phytochrome B under red light relative to far-red light is entirely due to accelerated association rather than decelerated dissociation. The association reaction under red light is highly efficient and only 3-fold slower than the diffusion limit. The present findings pertain equally to the analysis of signal transduction in plants and to the biotechnological application of phytochromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Golonka
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Photobiochemie, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Uwe Gerken
- Lehrstuhl für Spektroskopie weicher Materie, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Jürgen Köhler
- Lehrstuhl für Spektroskopie weicher Materie, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; Bayerisches Polymer Institut, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; Bayreuther Institut für Makromolekülforschung, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Photobiochemie, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; North-Bavarian NMR Center, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
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18
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Hansen JN, Kaiser F, Klausen C, Stüven B, Chong R, Bönigk W, Mick DU, Möglich A, Jurisch-Yaksi N, Schmidt FI, Wachten D. Nanobody-directed targeting of optogenetic tools to study signaling in the primary cilium. eLife 2020; 9:e57907. [PMID: 32579112 PMCID: PMC7338050 DOI: 10.7554/elife.57907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Compartmentalization of cellular signaling forms the molecular basis of cellular behavior. The primary cilium constitutes a subcellular compartment that orchestrates signal transduction independent from the cell body. Ciliary dysfunction causes severe diseases, termed ciliopathies. Analyzing ciliary signaling has been challenging due to the lack of tools to investigate ciliary signaling. Here, we describe a nanobody-based targeting approach for optogenetic tools in mammalian cells and in vivo in zebrafish to specifically analyze ciliary signaling and function. Thereby, we overcome the loss of protein function observed after fusion to ciliary targeting sequences. We functionally localized modifiers of cAMP signaling, the photo-activated adenylyl cyclase bPAC and the light-activated phosphodiesterase LAPD, and the cAMP biosensor mlCNBD-FRET to the cilium. Using this approach, we studied the contribution of spatial cAMP signaling in controlling cilia length. Combining optogenetics with nanobody-based targeting will pave the way to the molecular understanding of ciliary function in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan N Hansen
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of BonnBonnGermany
| | - Fabian Kaiser
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of BonnBonnGermany
| | - Christina Klausen
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of BonnBonnGermany
| | - Birthe Stüven
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of BonnBonnGermany
| | - Raymond Chong
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of BonnBonnGermany
| | - Wolfgang Bönigk
- Department of Molecular Sensory Systems, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar)BonnGermany
| | - David U Mick
- Center for Molecular Signaling (PZMS), Center of Human and Molecular Biology (ZHMB), Saarland University, School of MedicineHomburgGermany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität BayreuthBayreuthGermany
- Research Center for Bio-Macromolecules, Universität BayreuthBayreuthGermany
- Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Universität BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Nathalie Jurisch-Yaksi
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, The Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, St. Olavs University HospitalTrondheimNorway
| | - Florian I Schmidt
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Emmy Noether research group, Medical Faculty, University of BonnBonnGermany
- Core Facility Nanobodies, University of BonnBonnGermany
| | - Dagmar Wachten
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of BonnBonnGermany
- Research Group Molecular Physiology, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar)BonnGermany
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19
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Abstract
Two-component systems (TCS) constitute the predominant means by which prokaryotes read out and adapt to their environment. Canonical TCSs comprise a sensor histidine kinase (SHK), usually a transmembrane receptor, and a response regulator (RR). In signal-dependent manner, the SHK autophosphorylates and in turn transfers the phosphoryl group to the RR which then elicits downstream responses, often in form of altered gene expression. SHKs also catalyze the hydrolysis of the phospho-RR, hence, tightly adjusting the overall degree of RR phosphorylation. Photoreceptor histidine kinases are a subset of mostly soluble, cytosolic SHKs that sense light in the near-ultraviolet to near-infrared spectral range. Owing to their experimental tractability, photoreceptor histidine kinases serve as paradigms and provide unusually detailed molecular insight into signal detection, decoding, and regulation of SHK activity. The synthesis of recent results on receptors with light-oxygen-voltage, bacteriophytochrome and microbial rhodopsin sensor units identifies recurring, joint signaling strategies. Light signals are initially absorbed by the sensor module and converted into subtle rearrangements of α helices, mostly through pivoting and rotation. These conformational transitions propagate through parallel coiled-coil linkers to the effector unit as changes in left-handed superhelical winding. Within the effector, subtle conformations are triggered that modulate the solvent accessibility of residues engaged in the kinase and phosphatase activities. Taken together, a consistent view of the entire trajectory from signal detection to regulation of output emerges. The underlying allosteric mechanisms could widely apply to TCS signaling in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Möglich
- Department of BiochemistryUniversität BayreuthBayreuthGermany
- Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry & Molecular BiologyUniversität BayreuthBayreuthGermany
- North‐Bavarian NMR CenterUniversität BayreuthBayreuthGermany
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20
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Möglich A, Janovjak H. Editorial overview: Synthetic sensors and signals — new tools for a new trade. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2019; 57:iii-v. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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21
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Stabel R, Stüven B, Hansen JN, Körschen HG, Wachten D, Möglich A. Revisiting and Redesigning Light-Activated Cyclic-Mononucleotide Phosphodiesterases. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:3029-3045. [PMID: 31301407 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 06/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
As diffusible second messengers, cyclic nucleoside monophosphates (cNMPs) relay and amplify molecular signals in myriad cellular pathways. The triggering of downstream physiological responses often requires defined cNMP gradients in time and space, generated through the concerted action of nucleotidyl cyclases and phosphodiesterases (PDEs). In an approach denoted optogenetics, sensory photoreceptors serve as genetically encoded, light-responsive actuators to enable the noninvasive, reversible, and spatiotemporally precise control of manifold cellular processes, including cNMP metabolism. Although nature provides efficient photoactivated nucleotidyl cyclases, light-responsive PDEs are scarce. Through modular recombination of a bacteriophytochrome photosensor and the effector of human PDE2A, we previously generated the light-activated, cNMP-specific PDE LAPD. By pursuing parallel design strategies, we here report a suite of derivative PDEs with enhanced amplitude and reversibility of photoactivation. Opposite to LAPD, far-red light completely reverts prior activation by red light in several PDEs. These improved PDEs thus complement photoactivated nucleotidyl cyclases and extend the sensitivity of optogenetics to red and far-red light. More generally, our study informs future efforts directed at designing bacteriophytochrome photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Stabel
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Birthe Stüven
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; Institute of Innate Immunity, Universität Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Heinz G Körschen
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Dagmar Wachten
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Universität Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; Research Center for Bio-Macromolecules, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany; Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; North-Bavarian NMR Center, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
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22
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Raju DN, Hansen JN, Rassmann S, Stüven B, Jikeli JF, Strünker T, Körschen HG, Möglich A, Wachten D. Cyclic Nucleotide-Specific Optogenetics Highlights Compartmentalization of the Sperm Flagellum into cAMP Microdomains. Cells 2019; 8:cells8070648. [PMID: 31252584 PMCID: PMC6679001 DOI: 10.3390/cells8070648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Inside the female genital tract, mammalian sperm undergo a maturation process called capacitation, which primes the sperm to navigate across the oviduct and fertilize the egg. Sperm capacitation and motility are controlled by 3′,5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Here, we show that optogenetics, the control of cellular signaling by genetically encoded light-activated proteins, allows to manipulate cAMP dynamics in sperm flagella and, thereby, sperm capacitation and motility by light. To this end, we used sperm that express the light-activated phosphodiesterase LAPD or the photo-activated adenylate cyclase bPAC. The control of cAMP by LAPD or bPAC combined with pharmacological interventions provides spatiotemporal precision and allows to probe the physiological function of cAMP compartmentalization in mammalian sperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana N Raju
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
- Centrum für Reproduktionsmedizin und Andrologie (CeRA), Universitätsklinikum Münster, Universität Münster, 48129 Münster, Germany
| | - Jan N Hansen
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Sebastian Rassmann
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Birthe Stüven
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Jan F Jikeli
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Timo Strünker
- Centrum für Reproduktionsmedizin und Andrologie (CeRA), Universitätsklinikum Münster, Universität Münster, 48129 Münster, Germany
| | - Heinz G Körschen
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory Systems, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
- Research Center for Bio-Macromolecules, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Dagmar Wachten
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Physiology, 53175 Bonn, Germany.
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23
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Baumann T, Hauf M, Richter F, Albers S, Möglich A, Ignatova Z, Budisa N. Computational Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase Library Design for Photocaged Tyrosine. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20092343. [PMID: 31083552 PMCID: PMC6539999 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20092343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Engineering aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) provides access to the ribosomal incorporation of noncanonical amino acids via genetic code expansion. Conventional targeted mutagenesis libraries with 5–7 positions randomized cover only marginal fractions of the vast sequence space formed by up to 30 active site residues. This frequently results in selection of weakly active enzymes. To overcome this limitation, we use computational enzyme design to generate a focused library of aaRS variants. For aaRS enzyme redesign, photocaged ortho-nitrobenzyl tyrosine (ONBY) was chosen as substrate due to commercial availability and its diverse applications. Diversifying 17 first- and second-shell sites and performing conventional aaRS positive and negative selection resulted in a high-activity aaRS. This MjTyrRS variant carries ten mutations and outperforms previously reported ONBY-specific aaRS variants isolated from traditional libraries. In response to a single in-frame amber stop codon, it mediates the in vivo incorporation of ONBY with an efficiency matching that of the wild type MjTyrRS enzyme acylating cognate tyrosine. These results exemplify an improved general strategy for aaRS library design and engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Baumann
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Müller-Breslau-Straße 10, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Matthias Hauf
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Müller-Breslau-Straße 10, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Florian Richter
- Biophysikalische Chemie, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Suki Albers
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Biophysikalische Chemie, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany.
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
| | - Zoya Ignatova
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Müller-Breslau-Straße 10, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
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24
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Abstract
Living organisms exhibit a wide range of intrinsic adaptive responses to incident light. Likewise, in optogenetics, biological systems are tailored to initiate predetermined cellular processes upon light exposure. As genetically encoded, light-gated actuators, sensory photoreceptors are at the heart of these responses in both the natural and engineered scenarios. Upon light absorption, photoreceptors enter a series of generally rapid photochemical reactions leading to population of the light-adapted signaling state of the receptor. Notably, this state persists for a while before thermally reverting to the original dark-adapted resting state. As a corollary, the inactivation of photosensitive biological circuits upon light withdrawal can exhibit substantial inertia. Intermittent illumination of suitable pulse frequency can hence maintain the photoreceptor in its light-adapted state while greatly reducing overall light dose, thereby mitigating adverse side effects. Moreover, several photoreceptor systems may be actuated sequentially with a single light color if they sufficiently differ in their inactivation kinetics. Here, we detail the construction of programmable illumination devices for the rapid and parallelized testing of biological responses to diverse lighting regimes. As the technology is based on open electronics and readily available, inexpensive components, it can be adopted by most laboratories at moderate expenditure. As we exemplify for two use cases, the programmable devices enable the facile interrogation of diverse illumination paradigms and their application in optogenetics and photobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Dietler
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Robert Stabel
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany; Research Center for Bio-Macromolecules, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany; Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany; North-Bavarian NMR Center, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
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25
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Stüven B, Stabel R, Ohlendorf R, Beck J, Schubert R, Möglich A. Characterization and engineering of photoactivated adenylyl cyclases. Biol Chem 2019; 400:429-441. [DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2018-0375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Cyclic nucleoside monophosphates (cNMP) serve as universal second messengers in signal transduction across prokaryotes and eukaryotes. As signaling often relies on transiently formed microdomains of elevated second messenger concentration, means to precisely perturb the spatiotemporal dynamics of cNMPs are uniquely poised for the interrogation of the underlying physiological processes. Optogenetics appears particularly suited as it affords light-dependent, accurate control in time and space of diverse cellular processes. Several sensory photoreceptors function as photoactivated adenylyl cyclases (PAC) and hence serve as light-regulated actuators for the control of intracellular levels of 3′, 5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate. To characterize PACs and to refine their properties, we devised a test bed for the facile analysis of these photoreceptors. Cyclase activity is monitored in bacterial cells via expression of a fluorescent reporter, and programmable illumination allows the rapid exploration of multiple lighting regimes. We thus probed two PACs responding to blue and red light, respectively, and observed significant dark activity for both. We next engineered derivatives of the red-light-sensitive PAC with altered responses to light, with one variant, denoted DdPAC, showing enhanced response to light. These PAC variants stand to enrich the optogenetic toolkit and thus facilitate the detailed analysis of cNMP metabolism and signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birthe Stüven
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie , Universität Bayreuth , D-95447 Bayreuth , Germany
| | - Robert Stabel
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie , Universität Bayreuth , D-95447 Bayreuth , Germany
| | - Robert Ohlendorf
- Institut für Biologie , Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin , D-10115 Berlin , Germany
| | - Julian Beck
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie , Universität Bayreuth , D-95447 Bayreuth , Germany
| | - Roman Schubert
- Institut für Biologie , Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin , D-10115 Berlin , Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie , Universität Bayreuth , D-95447 Bayreuth , Germany
- Institut für Biologie , Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin , D-10115 Berlin , Germany
- Research Center for Bio-Macromolecules , Universität Bayreuth , D-95447 Bayreuth , Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , Universität Bayreuth , D-95447 Bayreuth , Germany
- North-Bavarian NMR Center , Universität Bayreuth , D-95447 Bayreuth , Germany
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26
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Abstract
Sensory photoreceptors underpin light-dependent adaptations of organismal physiology, development, and behavior in nature. Adapted for optogenetics, sensory photoreceptors become genetically encoded actuators and reporters to enable the noninvasive, spatiotemporally accurate and reversible control by light of cellular processes. Rooted in a mechanistic understanding of natural photoreceptors, artificial photoreceptors with customized light-gated function have been engineered that greatly expand the scope of optogenetics beyond the original application of light-controlled ion flow. As we survey presently, UV/blue-light-sensitive photoreceptors have particularly allowed optogenetics to transcend its initial neuroscience applications by unlocking numerous additional cellular processes and parameters for optogenetic intervention, including gene expression, DNA recombination, subcellular localization, cytoskeleton dynamics, intracellular protein stability, signal transduction cascades, apoptosis, and enzyme activity. The engineering of novel photoreceptors benefits from powerful and reusable design strategies, most importantly light-dependent protein association and (un)folding reactions. Additionally, modified versions of these same sensory photoreceptors serve as fluorescent proteins and generators of singlet oxygen, thereby further enriching the optogenetic toolkit. The available and upcoming UV/blue-light-sensitive actuators and reporters enable the detailed and quantitative interrogation of cellular signal networks and processes in increasingly more precise and illuminating manners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aba Losi
- Department of Mathematical, Physical and Computer Sciences , University of Parma , Parco Area delle Scienze 7/A-43124 Parma , Italy
| | - Kevin H Gardner
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center , New York , New York 10031 , United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, City College of New York , New York , New York 10031 , United States.,Ph.D. Programs in Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Biology , The Graduate Center of the City University of New York , New York , New York 10016 , United States
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie , Universität Bayreuth , 95447 Bayreuth , Germany.,Research Center for Bio-Macromolecules , Universität Bayreuth , 95447 Bayreuth , Germany.,Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology , Universität Bayreuth , 95447 Bayreuth , Germany
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27
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Abstract
Sensory photoreceptors evoke numerous adaptive responses in nature and serve as light-gated actuators in optogenetics to enable the spatiotemporally precise, reversible, and noninvasive control of cellular events. The output of optogenetic circuits can often be dialed in by varying illumination quality, quantity, and duration. A programmable matrix of light-emitting diodes has been devised to efficiently probe the response of optogenetic systems to intermittently applied light of varying intensity and pulse frequency. Circuits for light-regulated gene expression markedly differed in their responses to pulsed illumination of a single color which sufficed for their sequential triggering. In addition to quantity and quality, the pulse frequency of intermittent light hence provides a further input variable for output control in optogenetics and photobiology. Pulsed illumination schemes allow the reduction of overall light dose and facilitate the multiplexing of several lightdependent actuators and reporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Hennemann
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Roman S Iwasaki
- Biophysikalische Chemie, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tamara N Grund
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Ralph P Diensthuber
- Biophysikalische Chemie, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Florian Richter
- Biophysikalische Chemie, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany.,Biophysikalische Chemie, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany
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28
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Abstract
Proteins frequently display modular architecture with several domains and segments connected by linkers. Proper protein functionality hinges on finely orchestrated interactions among these constituent elements. The underlying modularity lends itself to the engineering of hybrid proteins via modular rewiring; novel properties can thus be obtained, provided the linkers connecting the individual elements are conducive to productive interactions. As a corollary, the process of protein engineering often encompasses the generation and screening of multiple linker variants. To aid these steps, we devised the PATCHY method (primer-aided truncation for the creation of hybrid proteins) to readily generate hybrid gene libraries of predefined composition. We applied PATCHY to the mechanistic characterization of hybrid receptors that possess blue-light-regulated histidine kinase activity. Comprehensive sampling of linker composition revealed that catalytic activity and response to light are primarily functions of linker length. Variants with linkers of 7n residues mostly have light-repressed activity but those with 7n + 1 residues mostly have inverted, light-induced activity. We further probed linker length in the context of single residue exchanges that also lead to an inversion of the signal response. As in the original context, activity is only observed for certain periodic linker lengths. Taken together, these results provide mechanistic insight into signaling strategies employed by sensory photoreceptors and sensor histidine kinases. PATCHY represents an adequate and facile method to efficiently generate and probe hybrid gene libraries and to thereby identify key determinants for proper function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Stabel
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Birthe Stüven
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Robert Ohlendorf
- Institut für Biologie, Biophysikalische Chemie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, 02139, MA, USA
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany. .,Institut für Biologie, Biophysikalische Chemie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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29
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Hauf M, Richter F, Schneider T, Faidt T, Martins BM, Baumann T, Durkin P, Dobbek H, Jacobs K, Möglich A, Budisa N. Front Cover: Photoactivatable Mussel-Based Underwater Adhesive Proteins by an Expanded Genetic Code (ChemBioChem 18/2017). Chembiochem 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201700452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Hauf
- Institut für Chemie; Technische Universität Berlin; Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
| | - Florian Richter
- Institut für Biologie; Biophysikalische Chemie; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; Unter den Linden 6 10099 Berlin Germany
| | - Tobias Schneider
- Institut für Chemie; Technische Universität Berlin; Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
| | - Thomas Faidt
- Experimental Physics; Saarland University; Campus E2 9 66123 Saarbrücken Germany
| | - Berta M. Martins
- Institut für Biologie, Strukturbiologie/Biochemie; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; Unter den Linden 6 10099 Berlin Germany
| | - Tobias Baumann
- Institut für Chemie; Technische Universität Berlin; Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
| | - Patrick Durkin
- Institut für Chemie; Technische Universität Berlin; Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
| | - Holger Dobbek
- Institut für Biologie, Strukturbiologie/Biochemie; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; Unter den Linden 6 10099 Berlin Germany
| | - Karin Jacobs
- Experimental Physics; Saarland University; Campus E2 9 66123 Saarbrücken Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Institut für Biologie; Biophysikalische Chemie; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; Unter den Linden 6 10099 Berlin Germany
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie; Universität Bayreuth; Universitätsstrasse 30 95440 Bayreuth Germany
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Institut für Chemie; Technische Universität Berlin; Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
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30
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Mayer G, Möglich A. Editorial overview: Chemical biotechnology: Interdisciplinary approaches for the engineering of nucleic acids, proteins and cells. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2017; 48:v-vi. [PMID: 28822607 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2017.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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31
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Hauf M, Richter F, Schneider T, Faidt T, Martins BM, Baumann T, Durkin P, Dobbek H, Jacobs K, Möglich A, Budisa N. Photoactivatable Mussel-Based Underwater Adhesive Proteins by an Expanded Genetic Code. Chembiochem 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201700327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Hauf
- Institut für Chemie; Technische Universität Berlin; Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
| | - Florian Richter
- Institut für Biologie; Biophysikalische Chemie; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; Unter den Linden 6 10099 Berlin Germany
| | - Tobias Schneider
- Institut für Chemie; Technische Universität Berlin; Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
| | - Thomas Faidt
- Experimental Physics; Saarland University; Campus E2 9 66123 Saarbrücken Germany
| | - Berta M. Martins
- Institut für Biologie, Strukturbiologie/Biochemie; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; Unter den Linden 6 10099 Berlin Germany
| | - Tobias Baumann
- Institut für Chemie; Technische Universität Berlin; Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
| | - Patrick Durkin
- Institut für Chemie; Technische Universität Berlin; Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
| | - Holger Dobbek
- Institut für Biologie, Strukturbiologie/Biochemie; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; Unter den Linden 6 10099 Berlin Germany
| | - Karin Jacobs
- Experimental Physics; Saarland University; Campus E2 9 66123 Saarbrücken Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Institut für Biologie; Biophysikalische Chemie; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; Unter den Linden 6 10099 Berlin Germany
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie; Universität Bayreuth; Universitätsstrasse 30 95440 Bayreuth Germany
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Institut für Chemie; Technische Universität Berlin; Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 10623 Berlin Germany
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32
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Berntsson O, Diensthuber RP, Panman MR, Björling A, Hughes AJ, Henry L, Niebling S, Newby G, Liebi M, Menzel A, Henning R, Kosheleva I, Möglich A, Westenhoff S. Time-Resolved X-Ray Solution Scattering Reveals the Structural Photoactivation of a Light-Oxygen-Voltage Photoreceptor. Structure 2017; 25:933-938.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2017.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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33
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Abstract
Sensory photoreceptors absorb light via their photosensor modules and trigger downstream physiological adaptations via their effector modules. Light reception accordingly depends on precisely orchestrated interactions between these modules, the molecular details of which often remain elusive. Using electron-electron double resonance (ELDOR) spectroscopy and site-directed spin labelling, we chart the structural transitions facilitating blue-light reception in the engineered light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) histidine kinase YF1 which represents a paradigm for numerous natural signal receptors. Structural modelling based on pair-wise distance constraints derived from ELDOR pinpoint light-induced rotation and splaying apart of the two LOV photosensors in the dimeric photoreceptor. Resultant molecular strain likely relaxes as left-handed supercoiling of the coiled-coil linker connecting sensor and effector units. ELDOR data on a photoreceptor variant with an inverted signal response indicate a drastically altered dimer interface but light-induced structural transitions in the linker that are similar to those in YF1. Taken together, we provide mechanistic insight into the signal trajectories of LOV photoreceptors and histidine kinases that inform molecular simulations and the engineering of novel receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Engelhard
- Fachbereich Physik, Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ralph P Diensthuber
- Biophysikalische Chemie, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Biophysikalische Chemie, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany. .,Lehrstuhl für Biochemie and Research Center for Bio-Macromolecules, Universität Bayreuth, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany.
| | - Robert Bittl
- Fachbereich Physik, Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
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34
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Schumacher CH, Körschen HG, Nicol C, Gasser C, Seifert R, Schwärzel M, Möglich A. A Fluorometric Activity Assay for Light-Regulated Cyclic-Nucleotide-Monophosphate Actuators. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1408:93-105. [PMID: 26965118 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3512-3_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
As a transformative approach in neuroscience and cell biology, optogenetics grants control over manifold cellular events with unprecedented spatiotemporal definition, reversibility, and noninvasiveness. Sensory photoreceptors serve as genetically encoded, light-regulated actuators and hence embody the cornerstone of optogenetics. To expand the scope of optogenetics, ever more naturally occurring photoreceptors are being characterized, and synthetic photoreceptors with customized, light-regulated function are being engineered. Perturbational control over intracellular cyclic-nucleotide-monophosphate (cNMP) levels is achieved via sensory photoreceptors that catalyze the making and breaking of these second messengers in response to light. To facilitate discovery, engineering and quantitative characterization of such light-regulated cNMP actuators, we have developed an efficient fluorometric assay. Both the formation and the hydrolysis of cNMPs are accompanied by proton release which can be quantified with the fluorescent pH indicator 2',7'-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF). This assay equally applies to nucleotide cyclases, e.g., blue-light-activated bPAC, and to cNMP phosphodiesterases, e.g., red-light-activated LAPD. Key benefits include potential for parallelization and automation, as well as suitability for both purified enzymes and crude cell lysates. The BCECF assay hence stands to accelerate discovery and characterization of light-regulated actuators of cNMP metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heinz G Körschen
- Department of Molecular Sensory Systems, Research Center Caesar, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christopher Nicol
- Institut für Biologie, Neurobiologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carlos Gasser
- Institut für Biologie, Biophysikalische Chemie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Reinhard Seifert
- Department of Molecular Sensory Systems, Research Center Caesar, Bonn, Germany
| | - Martin Schwärzel
- Institut für Biologie, Neurobiologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Institut für Biologie, Biophysikalische Chemie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany. .,Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, Building NW III, Universitätsstraße 30, Bayreuth, 95440, Germany.
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35
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Abstract
Signaling proteins comprise interaction and effector modules connected by linkers. Throughout evolution, these recurring modules have multiply been recombined to produce the present-day plethora of signaling proteins. Likewise, modular recombination lends itself to the engineering of hybrid signal receptors, whose functionality hinges on linker topology, sequence, and length. Often, numerous linkers must be assessed to obtain functional receptors. To expedite linker optimization, we devised the PATCHY strategy (primer-aided truncation for the creation of hybrid proteins) for the facile construction of hybrid gene libraries with defined linker distributions. Empowered by PATCHY, we engineered photoreceptors whose signal response was governed by linker length: whereas blue-light-repressed variants possessed linkers of 7n or 7n+5 residues, variants with 7n+1 residues were blue-light-activated. Related natural receptors predominantly displayed linker lengths of 7n and 7n+5 residues but rarely of 7n+1 residues. PATCHY efficiently explores linker sequence space to yield functional hybrid proteins including variants transcending the natural repertoire of signaling proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Ohlendorf
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie,
Biophysikalische Chemie, Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Charlotte Helene Schumacher
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie,
Biophysikalische Chemie, Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Florian Richter
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie,
Biophysikalische Chemie, Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie,
Biophysikalische Chemie, Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Universität Bayreuth, Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universitätsstraße 30,
Geb. NW III, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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36
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Richter F, Fonfara I, Bouazza B, Schumacher CH, Bratovič M, Charpentier E, Möglich A. Engineering of temperature- and light-switchable Cas9 variants. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:10003-10014. [PMID: 27744350 PMCID: PMC5175372 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory photoreceptors have enabled non-invasive and spatiotemporal control of numerous biological processes. Photoreceptor engineering has expanded the repertoire beyond natural receptors, but to date no generally applicable strategy exists towards constructing light-regulated protein actuators of arbitrary function. We hence explored whether the homodimeric Rhodobacter sphaeroides light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) domain (RsLOV) that dissociates upon blue-light exposure can confer light sensitivity onto effector proteins, via a mechanism of light-induced functional site release. We chose the RNA-guided programmable DNA endonuclease Cas9 as proof-of-principle effector, and constructed a comprehensive library of RsLOV inserted throughout the Cas9 protein. Screening with a high-throughput assay based on transcriptional repression in Escherichia coli yielded paRC9, a moderately light-activatable variant. As domain insertion can lead to protein destabilization, we also screened the library for temperature-sensitive variants and isolated tsRC9, a variant with robust activity at 29°C but negligible activity at 37°C. Biochemical assays confirmed temperature-dependent DNA cleavage and binding for tsRC9, but indicated that the light sensitivity of paRC9 is specific to the cellular setting. Using tsRC9, the first temperature-sensitive Cas9 variant, we demonstrate temperature-dependent transcriptional control over ectopic and endogenous genetic loci. Taken together, RsLOV can confer light sensitivity onto an unrelated effector; unexpectedly, the same LOV domain can also impart strong temperature sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Richter
- Biophysikalische Chemie, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ines Fonfara
- Max-Planck-Institute for Infection Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany.,The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå 90187, Sweden
| | - Boris Bouazza
- Biophysikalische Chemie, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Majda Bratovič
- Max-Planck-Institute for Infection Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Emmanuelle Charpentier
- Max-Planck-Institute for Infection Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany.,The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå 90187, Sweden
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Biophysikalische Chemie, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany .,Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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Abstract
Sensory photoreceptors underpin optogenetics by mediating the noninvasive and reversible perturbation of living cells by light with unprecedented temporal and spatial resolution. Spurred by seminal optogenetic applications of natural photoreceptors, the engineering of photoreceptors has recently garnered wide interest and has led to the construction of a broad palette of novel light-regulated actuators. Photoreceptors are modularly built of photosensors that receive light signals, and of effectors that carry out specific cellular functions. These modules have to be precisely connected to allow efficient communication, such that light stimuli are relayed from photosensor to effector. The engineering of photoreceptors benefits from a thorough understanding of the underlying signaling mechanisms. This chapter gives a brief overview of key characteristics and signal-transduction mechanisms of sensory photoreceptors. Adaptation of these concepts in photoreceptor engineering has enabled the generation of novel optogenetic tools that greatly transcend the repertoire of natural photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thea Ziegler
- Institut für Biologie, Biophysikalische Chemie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätstraße 30, Bldg. NW III, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
| | | | - Andreas Möglich
- Institut für Biologie, Biophysikalische Chemie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätstraße 30, Bldg. NW III, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany.
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Richter F, Scheib US, Mehlhorn J, Schubert R, Wietek J, Gernetzki O, Hegemann P, Mathes T, Möglich A. Upgrading a microplate reader for photobiology and all-optical experiments. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2015; 14:270-9. [PMID: 25373866 DOI: 10.1039/c4pp00361f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Automation can vastly reduce the cost of experimental labor and thus facilitate high experimental throughput, but little off-the-shelf hardware for the automation of illumination experiments is commercially available. Here, we use inexpensive open-source electronics to add programmable illumination capabilities to a multimode microplate reader. We deploy this setup to characterize light-triggered phenomena in three different sensory photoreceptors. First, we study the photoactivation of Arabidopsis thaliana phytochrome B by light of different wavelengths. Second, we investigate the dark-state recovery kinetics of the Synechocystis sp. blue-light sensor Slr1694 at multiple temperatures and imidazole concentrations; while the kinetics of the W91F mutant of Slr1694 are strongly accelerated by imidazole, the wild-type protein is hardly affected. Third, we determine the light response of the Beggiatoa sp. photoactivatable adenylate cyclase bPAC in Chinese hamster ovary cells. bPAC is activated by blue light in dose-dependent manner with a half-maximal intensity of 0.58 mW cm(-2); intracellular cAMP spikes generated upon bPAC activation decay with a half time of about 5 minutes after light switch-off. Taken together, we present a setup which is easily assembled and which thus offers a facile approach to conducting illumination experiments at high throughput, reproducibility and fidelity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Richter
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie, Biophysikalische Chemie, Berlin, Germany.
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Abstract
Sensory photoreceptors not only control diverse adaptive responses in Nature, but as light-regulated actuators they also provide the foundation for optogenetics, the non-invasive and spatiotemporally precise manipulation of cellular events by light. Novel photoreceptors have been engineered that establish control by light over manifold biological processes previously inaccessible to optogenetic intervention. Recently, photoreceptor engineering has witnessed a rapid development, and light-regulated actuators for the perturbation of a plethora of cellular events are now available. Here, we review fundamental principles of photoreceptors and light-regulated allostery. Photoreceptors dichotomize into associating receptors that alter their oligomeric state as part of light-regulated allostery and non-associating receptors that do not. A survey of engineered photoreceptors pinpoints light-regulated association reactions and order-disorder transitions as particularly powerful and versatile design principles. Photochromic photoreceptors that are bidirectionally toggled by two light colors augur enhanced spatiotemporal resolution and use as photoactivatable fluorophores. By identifying desirable traits in engineered photoreceptors, we provide pointers for the design of future, light-regulated actuators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thea Ziegler
- Biophysikalische Chemie, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Berlin, Germany ; Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Biophysikalische Chemie, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Berlin, Germany ; Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth Bayreuth, Germany
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40
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Diensthuber RP, Engelhard C, Lemke N, Gleichmann T, Ohlendorf R, Bittl R, Möglich A. Biophysical, mutational, and functional investigation of the chromophore-binding pocket of light-oxygen-voltage photoreceptors. ACS Synth Biol 2014; 3:811-9. [PMID: 24926890 DOI: 10.1021/sb400205x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
As light-regulated actuators, sensory photoreceptors underpin optogenetics and numerous applications in synthetic biology. Protein engineering has been applied to fine-tune the properties of photoreceptors and to generate novel actuators. For the blue-light-sensitive light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) photoreceptors, mutations near the flavin chromophore modulate response kinetics and the effective light responsiveness. To probe for potential, inadvertent effects on receptor activity, we introduced these mutations into the engineered LOV photoreceptor YF1 and determined their impact on light regulation. While several mutations severely impaired the dynamic range of the receptor (e.g., I39V, R63K, and N94A), residue substitutions in a second group were benign with little effect on regulation (e.g., V28T, N37C, and L82I). Electron paramagnetic resonance and absorption spectroscopy identified correlated effects for certain of the latter mutations on chromophore environment and response kinetics in YF1 and the LOV2 domain from Avena sativa phototropin 1. Carefully chosen mutations provide a powerful means to adjust the light-response function of photoreceptors as demanded for diverse applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph P. Diensthuber
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie,
Biophysikalische Chemie, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christopher Engelhard
- Freie Universität Berlin, Fachbereich Physik,
Institut für Experimentalphysik, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nora Lemke
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie,
Biophysikalische Chemie, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias Gleichmann
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie,
Biophysikalische Chemie, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Ohlendorf
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie,
Biophysikalische Chemie, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Bittl
- Freie Universität Berlin, Fachbereich Physik,
Institut für Experimentalphysik, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie,
Biophysikalische Chemie, 10115 Berlin, Germany
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Engelhard C, Raffelberg S, Tang Y, Diensthuber RP, Möglich A, Losi A, Gärtner W, Bittl R. A structural model for the full-length blue light-sensing protein YtvA from Bacillus subtilis, based on EPR spectroscopy. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2014; 12:1855-63. [PMID: 23900620 DOI: 10.1039/c3pp50128k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A model for the full-length structure of the blue light-sensing protein YtvA from Bacillus subtilis has been determined by EPR spectroscopy, performed on spin labels selectively inserted at amino acid positions 54, 80, 117 and 179. Our data indicate that YtvA forms a dimer in solution and enable us, based on the known structures of the individual domains and modelling, to propose a three-dimensional model for the full length protein. Most importantly, this includes the YtvA N-terminus that has so far not been identified in any structural model. We show that our data are in agreement with the crystal structure of an engineered LOV-domain protein, YF1, that shows the N-terminus of the protein to be helical and to fold back in between the β-sheets of the two LOV domains, and argue for an identical arrangement in YtvA. While we could not detect any structural changes upon blue-light activation of the protein, this structural model now forms an ideal basis for identifying residues as targets for further spin labelling studies to detect potential conformational changes upon irradiation of the protein.
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Gleichmann T, Diensthuber RP, Möglich A. Charting the signal trajectory in a light-oxygen-voltage photoreceptor by random mutagenesis and covariance analysis. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:29345-55. [PMID: 24003219 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.506139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Modular signal receptors empower organisms to process environmental stimuli into adequate physiological responses. At the molecular level, a sensor module receives signals and processes the inherent information into changes of biological activity of an effector module. To better understand the molecular bases underpinning these processes, we analyzed signal reception and processing in the dimeric light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) blue light receptor YF1 that serves as a paradigm for the widespread Per-ARNT-Sim (PAS) signal receptors. Random mutagenesis identifies numerous YF1 variants in which biological activity is retained but where light regulation is abolished or inverted. One group of variants carries mutations within the LOV photosensor that disrupt proper coupling of the flavin-nucleotide chromophore to the protein scaffold. Another larger group bears mutations that cluster at the dyad interface and disrupt signal transmission to two coaxial coiled-coils that connect to the effector. Sequence covariation implies wide conservation of structural and mechanistic motifs, as also borne out by comparison to several PAS domains in which mutations leading to disruption of signal transduction consistently map to confined regions broadly equivalent to those identified in YF1. Not only do these data provide insight into general mechanisms of signal transduction, but also they establish concrete means for customized reprogramming of signal receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Gleichmann
- From the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie, Biophysikalische Chemie, Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
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Diensthuber RP, Bommer M, Gleichmann T, Möglich A. Full-length structure of a sensor histidine kinase pinpoints coaxial coiled coils as signal transducers and modulators. Structure 2013; 21:1127-36. [PMID: 23746806 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2013.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2013] [Revised: 04/15/2013] [Accepted: 04/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Two-component systems (TCSs), which comprise sensor histidine kinases (SHK) and response-regulator proteins, represent the predominant strategy by which prokaryotes sense and respond to a changing environment. Despite paramount biological importance, a dearth exists of intact SHK structures containing both sensor and effector modules. Here, we report the full-length crystal structure of the engineered, dimeric, blue-light-regulated SHK YF1 at 2.3 Å resolution, in which two N-terminal light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) photosensors are connected by a coiled coil to the C-terminal effector modules. A second coaxial coiled coil derived from the N-termini of the LOV photosensors and inserted between them crucially modulates light regulation: single mutations within this coiled coil attenuate or even invert the signal response of the TCS. Structural motifs identified in YF1 recur in signal receptors, and the underlying signaling principles and mechanisms may be widely shared between soluble and transmembrane, prokaryotic, and eukaryotic signal receptors of diverse biological activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph P Diensthuber
- Biophysikalische Chemie, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany.
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Ohlendorf R, Vidavski RR, Eldar A, Moffat K, Möglich A. From Dusk till Dawn: One-Plasmid Systems for Light-Regulated Gene Expression. J Mol Biol 2012; 416:534-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2012.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2011] [Revised: 12/29/2011] [Accepted: 01/01/2012] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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47
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Abstract
Signaling photoreceptors use the information contained in the absorption of a photon to modulate biological activity in plants and a wide range of organisms. The fundamental-and as yet imperfectly answered-question is, how is this achieved at the molecular level? We adopt the perspective of biophysicists interested in light-dependent signal transduction in nature and the three-dimensional structures that underpin signaling. Six classes of photoreceptors are known: light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) sensors, xanthopsins, phytochromes, blue-light sensors using flavin adenine dinucleotide (BLUF), cryptochromes, and rhodopsins. All are water-soluble proteins except rhodopsins, which are integral membrane proteins; all are based on a modular architecture except cryptochromes and rhodopsins; and each displays a distinct, light-dependent chemical process based on the photochemistry of their nonprotein chromophore, such as isomerization about a double bond (xanthopsins, phytochromes, and rhodopsins), formation or rupture of a covalent bond (LOV sensors), or electron transfer (BLUF sensors and cryptochromes).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Möglich
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
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48
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Ayers RA, Möglich A, Moffat K. Molecular mechanisms of signal transduction by PAS sensor proteins. FASEB J 2009. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.lb282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Ayers
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of ChicagoChicagoIL
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of ChicagoChicagoIL
| | - Keith Moffat
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of ChicagoChicagoIL
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Möglich A, Ayers RA, Moffat K. Design and signaling mechanism of light‐regulated histidine kinases. FASEB J 2009. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.lb275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Keith Moffat
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
- Consortium for Advanced Radiation Sources (CARS)University of ChicagoChicagoIL
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50
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Möglich A, Ayers RA, Moffat K. Design and Signaling Mechanism of Light-Regulated Histidine Kinases. Biophys J 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2008.12.2706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
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