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Schloßhauer JL, Tholen L, Körner A, Kubick S, Chatzopoulou S, Hönow A, Zemella A. Promoting the production of challenging proteins via induced expression in CHO cells and modified cell-free lysates harboring T7 RNA polymerase and mutant eIF2α. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2024; 9:416-424. [PMID: 38601208 PMCID: PMC11004649 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2024.03.011] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are crucial in biopharmaceutical production due to their scalability and capacity for human-like post-translational modifications. However, toxic proteins and membrane proteins are often difficult-to-express in living cells. Alternatively, cell-free protein synthesis can be employed. This study explores innovative strategies for enhancing the production of challenging proteins through the modification of CHO cells by investigating both, cell-based and cell-free approaches. A major result in our study involves the integration of a mutant eIF2 translation initiation factor and T7 RNA polymerase into CHO cell lysates for cell-free protein synthesis. This resulted in elevated yields, while eliminating the necessity for exogenous additions during cell-free production, thereby substantially enhancing efficiency. Additionally, we explore the potential of the Rosa26 genomic site for the integration of T7 RNA polymerase and cell-based tetracycline-controlled protein expression. These findings provide promising advancements in bioproduction technologies, offering flexibility to switch between cell-free and cell-based protein production as needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey L. Schloßhauer
- Fraunhofer Project Group PZ-Syn of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology-IZI, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses-IZI-BB, Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology-IZI, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses-IZI-BB, Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lena Tholen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology-IZI, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses-IZI-BB, Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Alexander Körner
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology-IZI, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses-IZI-BB, Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology-IZI, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses-IZI-BB, Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus –Senftenberg, The Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sofia Chatzopoulou
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology-IZI, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses-IZI-BB, Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anja Hönow
- New/era/mabs GmbH, August-Bebel-Str. 89, 14482, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology-IZI, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses-IZI-BB, Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
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Ramm F, Kaser D, König I, Fellendorf J, Wenzel D, Zemella A, Papatheodorou P, Barth H, Schmidt H. Synthesis of biologically active Shiga toxins in cell-free systems. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6043. [PMID: 38472311 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56190-3] [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: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxins (Stx) produced by pathogenic bacteria can cause mild to severe diseases in humans. Thus, the analysis of such toxins is of utmost importance. As an AB5 toxin, Stx consist of a catalytic A-subunit acting as a ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) and a B-pentamer binding domain. In this study we synthesized the subunits and holotoxins from Stx and Stx2a using different cell-free systems, namely an E. coli- and CHO-based cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) system. The functional activity of the protein toxins was analyzed in two ways. First, activity of the A-subunits was assessed using an in vitro protein inhibition assay. StxA produced in an E. coli cell-free system showed significant RIP activity at concentrations of 0.02 nM, whereas toxins synthesized in a CHO cell-free system revealed significant activity at concentrations of 0.2 nM. Cell-free synthesized StxA2a was compared to StxA2a expressed in E. coli cells. Cell-based StxA2a had to be added at concentrations of 20 to 200 nM to yield a significant RIP activity. Furthermore, holotoxin analysis on cultured HeLa cells using an O-propargyl-puromycin assay showed significant protein translation reduction at concentrations of 10 nM and 5 nM for cell-free synthesized toxins derived from E. coli and CHO systems, respectively. Overall, these results show that Stx can be synthesized using different cell-free systems while remaining functionally active. In addition, we were able to use CFPS to assess the activity of different Stx variants which can further be used for RIPs in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Ramm
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Danny Kaser
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Nutritional Science - Nutritional Toxicology, University of Potsdam, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Irina König
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacology of Natural Products, Ulm University Medical Center, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Juliane Fellendorf
- Department of Food Microbiology and Hygiene, Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 28, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Dana Wenzel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Panagiotis Papatheodorou
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacology of Natural Products, Ulm University Medical Center, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Holger Barth
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacology of Natural Products, Ulm University Medical Center, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Herbert Schmidt
- Department of Food Microbiology and Hygiene, Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 28, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany.
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Zemella A, Beer K, Ramm F, Wenzel D, Düx A, Merkel K, Calvignac-Spencer S, Stern D, Dorner MB, Dorner BG, Widulin N, Schnalke T, Walter C, Wolbert A, Schmid BG, Mankertz A, Santibanez S. Vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies bind to the H protein of a historical measles virus. Int J Med Microbiol 2024; 314:151607. [PMID: 38367508 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2024.151607] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Measles is a highly contagious airborne viral disease. It can lead to serious complications and death and is preventable by vaccination. The live-attenuated measles vaccine (LAMV) derived from a measles virus (MV) isolated in 1954 has been in use globally for six decades and protects effectively by providing a durable humoral and cell-mediated immunity. Our study addresses the temporal stability of epitopes on the viral surface glycoprotein hemagglutinin (H) which is the major target of MV-neutralizing antibodies. We investigated the binding of seven vaccine-induced MV-H-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to cell-free synthesized MV-H proteins derived from the H gene sequences obtained from a lung specimen of a fatal case of measles pneumonia in 1912 and an isolate from a current case. The binding of four out of seven mAbs to the H protein of both MV strains provides evidence of epitopes that are stable for more than 100 years. The binding of the universally neutralizing mAbs RKI-MV-12b and RKI-MV-34c to the H protein of the 1912 MV suggests the long-term stability of highly conserved epitopes on the MV surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, D-14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Kerstin Beer
- WHO Measles/Rubella European RRL and NRC Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Robert Koch-Institut, Seestr. 10, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Franziska Ramm
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, D-14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Dana Wenzel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, D-14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ariane Düx
- Viral Evolution, Robert Koch-Institut, Seestr. 10, D-13353 Berlin, Germany; Helmholtz Institute for One Health, Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Kevin Merkel
- Viral Evolution, Robert Koch-Institut, Seestr. 10, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer
- Viral Evolution, Robert Koch-Institut, Seestr. 10, D-13353 Berlin, Germany; Helmholtz Institute for One Health, Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 17489 Greifswald, Germany; Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Daniel Stern
- Biological Toxins (ZBS3), Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch-Institut, Seestr. 10, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin B Dorner
- Biological Toxins (ZBS3), Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch-Institut, Seestr. 10, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Brigitte G Dorner
- Biological Toxins (ZBS3), Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch-Institut, Seestr. 10, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Cornelia Walter
- WHO Measles/Rubella European RRL and NRC Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Robert Koch-Institut, Seestr. 10, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Wolbert
- WHO Measles/Rubella European RRL and NRC Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Robert Koch-Institut, Seestr. 10, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernhard G Schmid
- WHO Measles/Rubella European RRL and NRC Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Robert Koch-Institut, Seestr. 10, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Annette Mankertz
- WHO Measles/Rubella European RRL and NRC Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Robert Koch-Institut, Seestr. 10, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabine Santibanez
- WHO Measles/Rubella European RRL and NRC Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Robert Koch-Institut, Seestr. 10, D-13353 Berlin, Germany.
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Schloßhauer JL, Dondapati SK, Kubick S, Zemella A. A Cost-Effective Pichia pastoris Cell-Free System Driven by Glycolytic Intermediates Enables the Production of Complex Eukaryotic Proteins. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:92. [PMID: 38247969 PMCID: PMC10813726 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11010092] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell-free systems are particularly attractive for screening applications and the production of difficult-to-express proteins. However, the production of cell lysates is difficult to implement on a larger scale due to large time requirements, cultivation costs, and the supplementation of cell-free reactions with energy regeneration systems. Consequently, the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris, which is widely used in recombinant protein production, was utilized in the present study to realize cell-free synthesis in a cost-effective manner. Sensitive disruption conditions were evaluated, and appropriate signal sequences for translocation into ER vesicles were identified. An alternative energy regeneration system based on fructose-1,6-bisphosphate was developed and a ~2-fold increase in protein production was observed. Using a statistical experiment design, the optimal composition of the cell-free reaction milieu was determined. Moreover, functional ion channels could be produced, and a G-protein-coupled receptor was site-specifically modified using the novel cell-free system. Finally, the established P. pastoris cell-free protein production system can economically produce complex proteins for biotechnological applications in a short time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey L. Schloßhauer
- Fraunhofer Project Group PZ-Syn of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Located at the Institute of Biotechnology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, 01968 Senftenberg, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg, 14476 Potsdam, Germany (S.K.)
- Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, Institute for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Srujan Kumar Dondapati
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg, 14476 Potsdam, Germany (S.K.)
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg, 14476 Potsdam, Germany (S.K.)
- Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, Institute for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, The Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, University of Potsdam, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg, 14476 Potsdam, Germany (S.K.)
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5
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Knauer JF, Schulz C, Zemella A, Wüstenhagen DA, Walter RM, Küpper JH, Kubick S. Synthesis of mono Cytochrome P450 in a modified CHO-CPR cell-free protein production platform. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1271. [PMID: 38218994 PMCID: PMC10787779 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51781-6] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) are a group of monooxygenases that can be found in almost all kinds of organisms. For CYPs to receive electrons from co-substrate NADPH, the activity of NADPH-Cytochrome-P450-oxidoreductase (CPR) is required as well. In humans, CYPs are an integral part of liver-based phase-1 biotransformation, which is essential for the metabolization of multiple xenobiotics and drugs. Consequently, CYPs are important players during drug development and therefore these enzymes are implemented in diverse screening applications. For these applications it is usually advantageous to use mono CYP microsomes containing only the CYP of interest. The generation of mono-CYP containing mammalian cells and vesicles is difficult since endogenous CYPs are present in many cell types that contain the necessary co-factors. By obtaining translationally active lysates from a modified CHO-CPR cell line, it is now possible to generate mono CYPs in a cell-free protein synthesis process in a straightforward manner. As a proof of principle, the synthesis of active human CYPs from three different CYP450 gene families (CYP1A2, CYP2B6 and CYP3A4), which are of outstanding interest in industry and academia was demonstrated. Luciferase based activity assays confirm the activity of the produced CYPs and enable the individual adaptation of the synthesis process for efficient cell-free enzyme production. Furthermore, they allow for substrate and inhibitor screenings not only for wild-type CYPs but also for mutants and further CYP isoforms and variants. As an example, the turnover of selected CYP substrates by cell-free synthesized CYPs was demonstrated via an indirect luciferase assay-based screening setup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Felix Knauer
- Fraunhofer Project Group PZ-Syn of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry - Biochemistry, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Schulz
- Fraunhofer Project Group PZ-Syn of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Biotechnology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Doreen A Wüstenhagen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ruben Magnus Walter
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jan-Heiner Küpper
- Institute of Biotechnology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry - Biochemistry, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus -Senftenberg, the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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Ullrich J, Haueis L, Ohlhoff C, Zemella A, Kubick S, Stech M. Solubilization of Oligomeric Cell-Free Synthesized Proteins Using SMA Copolymers. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2762:293-308. [PMID: 38315373 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3666-4_18] [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: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Although membrane proteins are abundant in nature, their investigation is limited due to bottlenecks in heterologous overexpression and consequently restricted accessibility for downstream applications. In this chapter, we address these challenges by presenting a fast and straightforward synthesis platform based on eukaryotic cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) and an efficient solubilization strategy using styrene-maleic acid (SMA) copolymers. We demonstrate CFPS of TWIK-1, a dimeric ion channel, based on Sf21 (Spodoptera frugiperda) insect lysate showing homooligomerization and N-glycosylation enabled by endoplasmic reticulum-derived microsomes. Furthermore, we employ SMA copolymers for protein solubilization, which preserves the native-like microsomal environment. This approach not only retains the solubilized protein's suitability for downstream applications but also maintains the oligomerization and glycosylation of TWIK-1 post-solubilization. We validate the solubilization procedure using autoradiography, particle size analysis, and biomolecular fluorescence assay and confirm the very efficient, structurally intact solubilization of cell-free synthesized TWIK-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Ullrich
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lisa Haueis
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Carsten Ohlhoff
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, The Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Marlitt Stech
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany.
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7
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Schloßhauer JL, Zemella A, Dondapati SK, Thoring L, Meyer M, Kubick S. Enhancing the performance of a mutant pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase to create a highly versatile eukaryotic cell-free protein synthesis tool. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15236. [PMID: 37709815 PMCID: PMC10502014 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42198-8] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Modification of proteins with a broad range of chemical functionalities enables the investigation of protein structure and activity by manipulating polypeptides at single amino acid resolution. Indeed, various functional groups including bulky non-canonical amino acids like strained cyclooctenes could be introduced by the unique features of the binding pocket of the double mutant pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (Y306A, Y384F), but the instable nature of the enzyme limits its application in vivo. Here, we constructed a cell-free protein production system, which increased the overall enzyme stability by combining different reaction compartments. Moreover, a co-expression approach in a one-pot reaction allowed straightforward site-specific fluorescent labeling of the functional complex membrane protein cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator. Our work provides a versatile platform for introducing various non-canonical amino acids into difficult-to-express proteins for structural and fluorescence based investigation of proteins activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey L Schloßhauer
- Fraunhofer Project Group PZ-Syn of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Institute of Biotechnology,, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
- Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, Institute for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Srujan K Dondapati
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Lena Thoring
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Manpreet Meyer
- Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, Institute for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus -Senftenberg, The Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, Institute for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195, Berlin, Germany
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8
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Pouyan P, Zemella A, Schloßhauer JL, Walter RM, Haag R, Kubick S. One to one comparison of cell-free synthesized erythropoietin conjugates modified with linear polyglycerol and polyethylene glycol. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6394. [PMID: 37076514 PMCID: PMC10115831 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33463-x] [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: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
With more than 20 Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) modified drugs on the market, PEG is the gold standard polymer in bioconjugation. The coupling improves stability, efficiency and can prolong blood circulation time of therapeutic proteins. Even though PEGylation is described as non-toxic and non-immunogenic, reports accumulate with data showing allergic reactions to PEG. Since PEG is not only applied in therapeutics, but can also be found in foods and cosmetics, anti-PEG-antibodies can occur even without a medical treatment. Hypersensitivity to PEG thereby can lead to a reduced drug efficiency, fast blood clearance and in rare cases anaphylactic reactions. Therefore, finding alternatives for PEG is crucial. In this study, we present linear polyglycerol (LPG) for bioconjugation as an alternative polymer to PEG. We report the conjugation of LPG and PEG by click-chemistry to the glycoprotein erythropoietin (EPO), synthesized in a eukaryotic cell-free protein synthesis system. Furthermore, the influence of the polymers on EPOs stability and activity on a growth hormone dependent cell-line was evaluated. The similar characteristics of both bioconjugates show that LPGylation can be a promising alternative to PEGylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paria Pouyan
- Institut for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Jeffrey L Schloßhauer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry-Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ruben M Walter
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rainer Haag
- Institut for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 3, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry-Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, oint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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9
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Ullrich J, Ohlhoff C, Dondapati SK, Zemella A, Kubick S. Evaluation of the Ion Channel Assembly in a Eukaryotic Cell-Free System Focusing on Two-Pore Domain Potassium Channels K2P. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076299. [PMID: 37047271 PMCID: PMC10094441 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076299] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Oligomeric ion channels are abundant in nature. However, the recombinant expression in cell culture-based systems remains tedious and challenging due to negative side effects, limiting the understanding of their role in health and disease. Accordingly, in this work, we demonstrate the cell-free synthesis (CFS) as an alternative platform to study the assembly of two-pore domain potassium channels (K2P) within endogenous endoplasmic reticulum-derived microsomes. Exploiting the open nature of CFS, we investigate the cotranslational translocation of TREK-2 into the microsomes and suggest a cotranslational assembly with typical single-channel behavior in planar lipid-bilayer electrophysiology. The heteromeric assembly of K2P channels is a contentious matter, accordingly we prove the successful assembly of TREK-2 with TWIK-1 using a biomolecular fluorescence complementation assay, Western blot analysis and autoradiography. The results demonstrate that TREK-2 homodimer assembly is the initial step, followed by heterodimer formation with the nascent TWIK-1, providing evidence of the intergroup heterodimerization of TREK-2 and TWIK-1 in eukaryotic CFS. Since K2P channels are involved in various pathophysiological conditions, including pain and nociception, CFS paves the way for in-depth functional studies and related pharmacological interventions. This study highlights the versatility of the eukaryotic CFS platform for investigating ion channel assembly in a native-like environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Ullrich
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Carsten Ohlhoff
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Srujan Kumar Dondapati
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
- Correspondence:
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
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10
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Haueis L, Stech M, Schneider E, Lanz T, Hebel N, Zemella A, Kubick S. Rapid One-Step Capturing of Native, Cell-Free Synthesized and Membrane-Embedded GLP-1R. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032808. [PMID: 36769142 PMCID: PMC9917595 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032808] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are of outstanding pharmacological interest as they are abundant in cell membranes where they perform diverse functions that are closely related to the vitality of cells. The analysis of GPCRs in natural membranes is laborious, as established methods are almost exclusively cell culture-based and only a few methods for immobilization in a natural membrane outside the cell are known. Within this study, we present a one-step, fast and robust immobilization strategy of the GPCR glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R). GLP-1R was synthesized in eukaryotic lysates harboring endogenous endoplasmic reticulum-derived microsomes enabling the embedment of GLP-1R in a natural membrane. Interestingly, we found that these microsomes spontaneously adsorbed to magnetic Neutravidin beads thus providing immobilized membrane protein preparations which required no additional manipulation of the target receptor or its supporting membrane. The accessibility of the extracellular domain of membrane-embedded and bead-immobilized GLP-1R was demonstrated by bead-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using GLP-1R-specific monoclonal antibodies. In addition, ligand binding of immobilized GLP-1R was verified in a radioligand binding assay. In summary, we present an easy and straightforward synthesis and immobilization methodology of an active GPCR which can be beneficial for studying membrane proteins in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Haueis
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24–25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Marlitt Stech
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
- Correspondence:
| | | | - Thorsten Lanz
- 3B Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Magnusstraße 11, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nicole Hebel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg, the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
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11
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Walter RM, Zemella A, Schramm M, Kiebist J, Kubick S. Vesicle-based cell-free synthesis of short and long unspecific peroxygenases. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:964396. [PMID: 36394036 PMCID: PMC9663805 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.964396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs, EC 1.11.2.1) are fungal enzymes that catalyze the oxyfunctionalization of non-activated hydrocarbons, making them valuable biocatalysts. Despite the increasing interest in UPOs that has led to the identification of thousands of putative UPO genes, only a few of these have been successfully expressed and characterized. There is currently no universal expression system in place to explore their full potential. Cell-free protein synthesis has proven to be a sophisticated technique for the synthesis of difficult-to-express proteins. In this work, we aimed to establish an insect-based cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) platform to produce UPOs. CFPS relies on translationally active cell lysates rather than living cells. The system parameters can thus be directly manipulated without having to account for cell viability, thereby making it highly adaptable. The insect-based lysate contains translocationally active, ER-derived vesicles, called microsomes. These microsomes have been shown to allow efficient translocation of proteins into their lumen, promoting post-translational modifications such as disulfide bridge formation and N-glycosylations. In this study the ability of a redox optimized, vesicle-based, eukaryotic CFPS system to synthesize functional UPOs was explored. The influence of different reaction parameters as well as the influence of translocation on enzyme activity was evaluated for a short UPO from Marasmius rotula and a long UPO from Agrocybe aegerita. The capability of the CFPS system described here was demonstrated by the successful synthesis of a novel UPO from Podospora anserina, thus qualifying CFPS as a promising tool for the identification and evaluation of novel UPOs and variants thereof.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Magnus Walter
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Marina Schramm
- Institute of Biotechnology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
| | - Jan Kiebist
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Biotechnology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry – Biochemistry, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus – Senftenberg, The Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- *Correspondence: Stefan Kubick,
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12
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Knauer JF, Liers C, Hahn S, Wuestenhagen DA, Zemella A, Kellner H, Haueis L, Hofrichter M, Kubick S. Cell-free production of the bifunctional glycoside hydrolase GH78 from Xylaria polymorpha. Enzyme Microb Technol 2022; 161:110110. [PMID: 35939898 DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2022.110110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The ability to catalyze diverse reactions with relevance for chemical and pharmaceutical research and industry has led to an increasing interest in fungal enzymes. There is still an enormous potential considering the sheer amount of new enzymes from the huge diversity of fungi. Most of these fungal enzymes have not been characterized yet due to the lack of high throughput synthesis and analysis methods. This bottleneck could be overcome by means of cell-free protein synthesis. In this study, cell-free protein synthesis based on eukaryotic cell lysates was utilized to produce a functional glycoside hydrolase (GH78) from the soft-rot fungus Xylaria polymorpha (Ascomycota). The enzyme was successfully synthesized under different reaction conditions. We characterized its enzymatic activities and immobilized the protein via FLAG-Tag interaction. Alteration of several conditions including reaction temperature, template design and lysate supplementation had an influence on the activity of cell-free synthesized GH78. Consequently this led to a production of purified GH78 with a specific activity of 15.4 U mg- 1. The results of this study may be foundational for future high throughput fungal enzyme screenings, including substrate spectra analysis and mutant screenings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Felix Knauer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry - Biochemistry, Takustr. 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christiane Liers
- Technische Universität Dresden, Internationales Hochschulinstitut Zittau, Markt 23, 02763 Zittau
| | - Stephanie Hahn
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; Berliner Hochschule für Technik, Luxemburger Str. 10, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Doreen A Wuestenhagen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Harald Kellner
- Technische Universität Dresden, Internationales Hochschulinstitut Zittau, Markt 23, 02763 Zittau
| | - Lisa Haueis
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Martin Hofrichter
- Technische Universität Dresden, Internationales Hochschulinstitut Zittau, Markt 23, 02763 Zittau
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry - Biochemistry, Takustr. 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus - Senftenberg, the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
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13
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Krebs SK, Rakotoarinoro N, Stech M, Zemella A, Kubick S. A CHO-Based Cell-Free Dual Fluorescence Reporter System for the Straightforward Assessment of Amber Suppression and scFv Functionality. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:873906. [PMID: 35573244 PMCID: PMC9098822 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.873906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Incorporation of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) with bioorthogonal reactive groups by amber suppression allows the generation of synthetic proteins with desired novel properties. Such modified molecules are in high demand for basic research and therapeutic applications such as cancer treatment and in vivo imaging. The positioning of the ncAA-responsive codon within the protein’s coding sequence is critical in order to maintain protein function, achieve high yields of ncAA-containing protein, and allow effective conjugation. Cell-free ncAA incorporation is of particular interest due to the open nature of cell-free systems and their concurrent ease of manipulation. In this study, we report a straightforward workflow to inquire ncAA positions in regard to incorporation efficiency and protein functionality in a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell-free system. As a model, the well-established orthogonal translation components Escherichia coli tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS) and tRNATyrCUA were used to site-specifically incorporate the ncAA p-azido-l-phenylalanine (AzF) in response to UAG codons. A total of seven ncAA sites within an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) single-chain variable fragment (scFv) N-terminally fused to the red fluorescent protein mRFP1 and C-terminally fused to the green fluorescent protein sfGFP were investigated for ncAA incorporation efficiency and impact on antigen binding. The characterized cell-free dual fluorescence reporter system allows screening for ncAA incorporation sites with high incorporation efficiency that maintain protein activity. It is parallelizable, scalable, and easy to operate. We propose that the established CHO-based cell-free dual fluorescence reporter system can be of particular interest for the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon K. Krebs
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute for Biotechnology, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nathanaël Rakotoarinoro
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marlitt Stech
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus - Senftenberg, the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- *Correspondence: Stefan Kubick,
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14
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Ramm F, Dondapati SK, Trinh HA, Wenzel D, Walter RM, Zemella A, Kubick S. The Potential of Eukaryotic Cell-Free Systems as a Rapid Response to Novel Zoonotic Pathogens: Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Viral Proteins. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:896751. [PMID: 35519622 PMCID: PMC9061942 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.896751] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ongoing pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has led to more than 445 million infections and the underlying disease, COVID-19, resulted in more than 6 million deaths worldwide. The scientific world is already predicting future zoonotic diseases. Hence, rapid response systems are needed to tackle future epidemics and pandemics. Here, we present the use of eukaryotic cell-free systems for the rapid response to novel zoonotic diseases represented by SARS-CoV-2. Non-structural, structural and accessory proteins encoded by SARS-CoV-2 were synthesized by cell-free protein synthesis in a fast and efficient manner. The inhibitory effect of the non-structural protein 1 on protein synthesis could be shown in vitro. Structural proteins were quantitatively detected by commercial antibodies, therefore facilitating cell-free systems for the validation of available antibodies. The cytotoxic envelope protein was characterized in electrophysiological planar lipid bilayer measurements. Hence, our study demonstrates the potential of eukaryotic cell-free systems as a rapid response mechanism for the synthesis, functional characterization and antibody validation against a viral pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Ramm
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Srujan K. Dondapati
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Hoai Anh Trinh
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technical University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dana Wenzel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ruben M. Walter
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technical University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg, The Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, The University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- *Correspondence: Stefan Kubick,
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15
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Schloßhauer JL, Cavak N, Zemella A, Thoring L, Kubick S. Cell Engineering and Cultivation of Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells for the Development of Orthogonal Eukaryotic Cell-free Translation Systems. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:832379. [PMID: 35586195 PMCID: PMC9109823 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.832379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The investigation of protein structures, functions and interactions often requires modifications to adapt protein properties to the specific application. Among many possible methods to equip proteins with new chemical groups, the utilization of orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs enables the site-specific incorporation of non-canonical amino acids at defined positions in the protein. The open nature of cell-free protein synthesis reactions provides an optimal environment, as the orthogonal components do not need to be transported across the cell membrane and the impact on cell viability is negligible. In the present work, it was shown that the expression of orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in CHO cells prior to cell disruption enhanced the modification of the pharmaceutically relevant adenosine A2a receptor. For this purpose, in complement to transient transfection of CHO cells, an approach based on CRISPR/Cas9 technology was selected to generate a translationally active cell lysate harboring endogenous orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey L. Schloßhauer
- Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Niño Cavak
- Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Lena Thoring
- Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus –Senftenberg, The Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- *Correspondence: Stefan Kubick,
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16
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Ramm F, Jack L, Kaser D, Schloßhauer JL, Zemella A, Kubick S. Cell-Free Systems Enable the Production of AB5 Toxins for Diagnostic Applications. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14040233. [PMID: 35448842 PMCID: PMC9027097 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14040233] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) represents a versatile key technology for the production of toxic proteins. As a cell lysate, rather than viable cells, is used, the toxic effects on the host organism can be circumvented. The open nature of cell-free systems allows for the addition of supplements affecting protein concentration and folding. Here, we present the cell-free synthesis and functional characterization of two AB5 toxins, namely the cholera toxin (Ctx) and the heat-labile enterotoxin (LT), using two eukaryotic cell-free systems based on Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf21) cells. Through an iterative optimization procedure, the synthesis of the individual AB5 toxins was established, and the formation of multimeric structures could be shown by autoradiography. A functional analysis was performed using cell-based assays, thereby demonstrating that the LT complex induced the characteristic cell elongation of target cells after 24 h. The LT complex induced cell death at higher concentrations, starting at an initial concentration of 5 nM. The initial toxic effects of the Ctx multimer could already be detected at 4 nM. The detection and characterization of such AB5 toxins is of utmost importance, and the monitoring of intracellular trafficking facilitates the further identification of the mechanism of action of these toxins. We showed that the B-subunit of LT (LTB) could be fluorescently labeled using an LTB-Strep fusion protein, which is a proof-of-concept for future Trojan horse applications. Further, we performed a mutational analysis of the CtxA subunit as its template was modified, and an amber stop codon was inserted into CtxA’s active site. Subsequently, a non-canonical amino acid was site-specifically incorporated using bio-orthogonal systems. Finally, a fluorescently labeled CtxA protein was produced using copper-catalyzed click reactions as well as a Staudinger ligation. As expected, the modified Ctx multimer no longer induced toxic effects. In our study, we showed that CFPS could be used to study the active centers of toxins by inserting mutations. Additionally, this methodology can be applied for the design of Trojan horses and targeted toxins, as well as enabling the intracellular trafficking of toxins as a prerequisite for the analysis of the toxin’s mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Ramm
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; (F.R.); (L.J.); (D.K.); (J.L.S.); (A.Z.)
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry—Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lena Jack
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; (F.R.); (L.J.); (D.K.); (J.L.S.); (A.Z.)
| | - Danny Kaser
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; (F.R.); (L.J.); (D.K.); (J.L.S.); (A.Z.)
| | - Jeffrey L. Schloßhauer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; (F.R.); (L.J.); (D.K.); (J.L.S.); (A.Z.)
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry—Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; (F.R.); (L.J.); (D.K.); (J.L.S.); (A.Z.)
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; (F.R.); (L.J.); (D.K.); (J.L.S.); (A.Z.)
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry—Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
- Correspondence:
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Ramm F, Stech M, Zemella A, Frentzel H, Kubick S. The Pore-Forming Hemolysin BL Enterotoxin from Bacillus cereus: Subunit Interactions in Cell-Free Systems. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13110807. [PMID: 34822591 PMCID: PMC8623112 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13110807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The tripartite enterotoxin Hemolysin BL (Hbl) has been widely characterized as a hemolytic and cytotoxic virulence factor involved in foodborne diarrheal illness caused by Bacillus cereus. Previous studies have described the formation of the Hbl complex and aimed to identify the toxin’s mode of action. In this study, we analyzed the assembly of Hbl out of its three individual subunits L1, L2 and B in a soluble as well as a putative membrane bound composition using a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell-free system. Subunits were either coexpressed or synthesized individually in separate cell-free reactions and mixed together afterwards. Hemolytic activity of cell-free synthesized subunits was demonstrated on 5% sheep blood agar and identified both synthesis procedures, coexpression as well as individual synthesis of each subunit, as functional for the synthesis of an active Hbl complex. Hbl’s ability to perforate cell membranes was evaluated using a propidium iodide uptake assay. These data suggested that coexpressed Hbl subunits augmented cytotoxic activity with increasing concentrations. Further, a pre-pore-complex of L1-L2 showed cytotoxic effects suggesting the possibility of an interaction between the cell membrane and the pre-pore-complex. Overall, this study shows that cell-free protein synthesis is a fast and efficient way to study the assembly of multiple protein subunits in soluble as well as vesicular fractions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Ramm
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; (F.R.); (M.S.); (A.Z.)
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marlitt Stech
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; (F.R.); (M.S.); (A.Z.)
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; (F.R.); (M.S.); (A.Z.)
| | - Hendrik Frentzel
- Department of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; (F.R.); (M.S.); (A.Z.)
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-331-58-187-306; Fax: +49-331-58-187-199
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18
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Dhandapani P, Dondapati SK, Zemella A, Bräuer D, Wüstenhagen DA, Mergler S, Kubick S. Targeted esterase-induced dye (TED) loading supports direct calcium imaging in eukaryotic cell-free systems. RSC Adv 2021; 11:16285-16296. [PMID: 35479141 PMCID: PMC9030739 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra08397f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium imaging is an important functional tool for analysing ion channels, transporters and pumps for drug screening in living cells. Depicted eukaryotic cell-free systems utilize microsomes, derived from the endoplasmic reticulum to incorporate the synthesized membrane proteins-like ion channels. Carboxylesterase is required to cleave the acetoxymethyl ester moiety of the chemical calcium indicators in order to ensure its immobility across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Absence or an inadequate amount of carboxylesterase in the endoplasmic reticulum of different eukaryotic cells poses a hindrance to perform calcium imaging in microsomes. In this work, we try to overcome this drawback and adapt the cell-based calcium imaging principle to a cell-free protein synthesis platform. Carboxylesterase synthesized in a Spodoptera frugiperda Sf21 lysate translation system is established as a viable calcium imaging tool in microsomes. Cell-free synthesized carboxylesterase inside microsomes is validated with esterase and dye loading assays. Native proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum, such as ryanodine channels and calcium ATPase, are analysed. Cell-free synthesized transient receptor potential channels are used as model proteins to demonstrate the realization of this concept. Carboxylesterase, the key enzyme to handle ester-based dyes, is synthesized in microsomes using eukaryotic cell-free protein synthesis platform and established as a viable calcium imaging tool to analyze native and cell-free synthesized ion channels.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyavathi Dhandapani
- Fraunhofer Institute of Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch of Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB) Am Muehlenberg 13 Potsdam-Golm Germany
| | - Srujan Kumar Dondapati
- Fraunhofer Institute of Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch of Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB) Am Muehlenberg 13 Potsdam-Golm Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute of Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch of Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB) Am Muehlenberg 13 Potsdam-Golm Germany
| | - Dennis Bräuer
- Fraunhofer Institute of Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch of Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB) Am Muehlenberg 13 Potsdam-Golm Germany
| | - Doreen Anja Wüstenhagen
- Fraunhofer Institute of Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch of Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB) Am Muehlenberg 13 Potsdam-Golm Germany
| | - Stefan Mergler
- Department of Ophthalmology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Virchow-Hospital Berlin Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute of Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch of Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB) Am Muehlenberg 13 Potsdam-Golm Germany .,Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of Brandenburg University of Technology, Cottbus - Senftenberg, Theodor Fontane Medical School of Brandenburg, University of Potsdam Germany
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19
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Abstract
Proteins are the main source of drug targets and some of them possess therapeutic potential themselves. Among them, membrane proteins constitute approximately 50% of the major drug targets. In the drug discovery pipeline, rapid methods for producing different classes of proteins in a simple manner with high quality are important for structural and functional analysis. Cell-free systems are emerging as an attractive alternative for the production of proteins due to their flexible nature without any cell membrane constraints. In a bioproduction context, open systems based on cell lysates derived from different sources, and with batch-to-batch consistency, have acted as a catalyst for cell-free synthesis of target proteins. Most importantly, proteins can be processed for downstream applications like purification and functional analysis without the necessity of transfection, selection, and expansion of clones. In the last 5 years, there has been an increased availability of new cell-free lysates derived from multiple organisms, and their use for the synthesis of a diverse range of proteins. Despite this progress, major challenges still exist in terms of scalability, cost effectiveness, protein folding, and functionality. In this review, we present an overview of different cell-free systems derived from diverse sources and their application in the production of a wide spectrum of proteins. Further, this article discusses some recent progress in cell-free systems derived from Chinese hamster ovary and Sf21 lysates containing endogenous translocationally active microsomes for the synthesis of membrane proteins. We particularly highlight the usage of internal ribosomal entry site sequences for more efficient protein production, and also the significance of site-specific incorporation of non-canonical amino acids for labeling applications and creation of antibody drug conjugates using cell-free systems. We also discuss strategies to overcome the major challenges involved in commercializing cell-free platforms from a laboratory level for future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srujan Kumar Dondapati
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Marlitt Stech
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, The Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
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20
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Ramm F, Dondapati SK, Thoring L, Zemella A, Wüstenhagen DA, Frentzel H, Stech M, Kubick S. Mammalian cell-free protein expression promotes the functional characterization of the tripartite non-hemolytic enterotoxin from Bacillus cereus. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2887. [PMID: 32076011 PMCID: PMC7031377 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59634-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [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: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus is increasingly recognized as an opportunistic pathogen causing local and systemic infections. The causative strains typically produce three pore-forming enterotoxins. This study focusses on the tripartite non-hemolytic enterotoxin (Nhe). Until today, studies have tried to elucidate the structure, complex formation and cell binding mechanisms of the tripartite Nhe toxin. Here, we demonstrate the synthesis of the functional tripartite Nhe toxin using eukaryotic cell-free systems. Single subunits, combinations of two Nhe subunits as well as the complete tripartite toxin were tested. Functional activity was determined by hemolytic activity on sheep blood agar plates, planar lipid bilayer measurements as well as cell viability assessment using the MTT assay. Our results demonstrate that cell-free protein synthesis based on translationally active eukaryotic lysates is a platform technology for the fast and efficient synthesis of functionally active, multicomponent toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Ramm
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.,Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry - Biochemistry, Takustr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Srujan Kumar Dondapati
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Lena Thoring
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Doreen Anja Wüstenhagen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Hendrik Frentzel
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Department of Biological Safety, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marlitt Stech
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany. .,Faculty of Health Sciences, joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus - Senftenberg, the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
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21
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Zaitseva E, Dondapati S, Schloßhauer J, Zemella A, Dhandapani P, Kubick S, Baaken G. Functional Characterization of Ion Channels Expressed in Eukaryotic Cell-Free Systems using Lipid Bilayer Arrays. Biophys J 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.11.3176] [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] Open
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22
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Dondapati SK, Lübberding H, Zemella A, Thoring L, Wüstenhagen DA, Kubick S. Functional Reconstitution of Membrane Proteins Derived From Eukaryotic Cell-Free Systems. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:917. [PMID: 31543813 PMCID: PMC6728924 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) based on eukaryotic Sf21 lysate is gaining interest among researchers due to its ability to handle the synthesis of complex human membrane proteins (MPs). Additionally Sf21 cell-free systems contain endogenous microsomal vesicles originally derived from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). After CFPS, MPs will be translocated into the microsomal vesicles membranes present in the lysates. Thus microsomal membranes offer a natural environment for de novo synthesized MPs. Despite the advantage of synthesizing complex MPs with post translational modifications directly into the microsomal membranes without any additional solubilization supplements, batch based Sf21 cell-free synthesis suffers from low yields. The bottleneck for MPs in particular after the synthesis and incorporation into the microsomal membranes is to analyze their functionality. Apart from low yields of the synthesized MPs with batch based cell-free synthesis, the challenges arise in the form of cytoskeleton elements and peripheral endogenous proteins surrounding the microsomes which may impede the functional analysis of the synthesized proteins. So careful sample processing after the synthesis is particularly important for developing the appropriate functional assays. Here we demonstrate how MPs (native and batch synthesized) from ER derived microsomes can be processed for functional analysis by electrophysiology and radioactive uptake assay methods. Treatment of the microsomal membranes either with a sucrose washing step in the case of human serotonin transporter (hSERT) and sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+/ATPase (SERCA) pump or with mild detergents followed by the preparation of proteoliposomes in the case of the human voltage dependent anionic channel (hVDAC1) helps to analyze the functional properties of MPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srujan Kumar Dondapati
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Henning Lübberding
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Lena Thoring
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Doreen A Wüstenhagen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg, Potsdam, Germany.,Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus - Senftenberg, The Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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23
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Thoring L, Zemella A, Wüstenhagen D, Kubick S. Accelerating the Production of Druggable Targets: Eukaryotic Cell-Free Systems Come into Focus. Methods Protoc 2019; 2:mps2020030. [PMID: 31164610 PMCID: PMC6632147 DOI: 10.3390/mps2020030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In the biopharmaceutical pipeline, protein expression systems are of high importance not only for the production of biotherapeutics but also for the discovery of novel drugs. The vast majority of drug targets are proteins, which need to be characterized and validated prior to the screening of potential hit components and molecules. A broad range of protein expression systems is currently available, mostly based on cellular organisms of prokaryotic and eukaryotic origin. Prokaryotic cell-free systems are often the system of choice for drug target protein production due to the simple generation of expression hosts and low cost of preparation. Limitations in the production of complex mammalian proteins appear due to inefficient protein folding and posttranslational modifications. Alternative protein production systems, so-called eukaryotic cell-free protein synthesis systems based on eukaryotic cell-lysates, close the gap between a fast protein generation system and a high quality of complex mammalian proteins. In this study, we show the production of druggable target proteins in eukaryotic cell-free systems. Functional characterization studies demonstrate the bioactivity of the proteins and underline the potential for eukaryotic cell-free systems to significantly improve drug development pipelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Thoring
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, D-14476 Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, D-14476 Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Doreen Wüstenhagen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, D-14476 Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, D-14476 Potsdam, Germany.
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24
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Zemella A, Thoring L, Hoffmeister C, Šamalíková M, Ehren P, Wüstenhagen DA, Kubick S. Cell-free protein synthesis as a novel tool for directed glycoengineering of active erythropoietin. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8514. [PMID: 29867209 PMCID: PMC5986796 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26936-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As one of the most complex post-translational modification, glycosylation is widely involved in cell adhesion, cell proliferation and immune response. Nevertheless glycoproteins with an identical polypeptide backbone mostly differ in their glycosylation patterns. Due to this heterogeneity, the mapping of different glycosylation patterns to their associated function is nearly impossible. In the last years, glycoengineering tools including cell line engineering, chemoenzymatic remodeling and site-specific glycosylation have attracted increasing interest. The therapeutic hormone erythropoietin (EPO) has been investigated in particular by various groups to establish a production process resulting in a defined glycosylation pattern. However commercially available recombinant human EPO shows batch-to-batch variations in its glycoforms. Therefore we present an alternative method for the synthesis of active glycosylated EPO with an engineered O-glycosylation site by combining eukaryotic cell-free protein synthesis and site-directed incorporation of non-canonical amino acids with subsequent chemoselective modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, Potsdam, 14476, Germany
| | - Lena Thoring
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, Potsdam, 14476, Germany
| | - Christian Hoffmeister
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, Potsdam, 14476, Germany
| | - Mária Šamalíková
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, Potsdam, 14476, Germany
| | - Patricia Ehren
- University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, Potsdam, 14476, Germany
| | - Doreen A Wüstenhagen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, Potsdam, 14476, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, Potsdam, 14476, Germany.
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25
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Sonnabend A, Spahn V, Stech M, Zemella A, Stein C, Kubick S. Production of G protein-coupled receptors in an insect-based cell-free system. Biotechnol Bioeng 2017; 114:2328-2338. [PMID: 28574582 PMCID: PMC5599999 DOI: 10.1002/bit.26346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 07/19/2016] [Revised: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The biochemical analysis of human cell membrane proteins remains a challenging task due to the difficulties in producing sufficient quantities of functional protein. G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent a main class of membrane proteins and drug targets, which are responsible for a huge number of signaling processes regulating various physiological functions in living cells. To circumvent the current bottlenecks in GPCR studies, we propose the synthesis of GPCRs in eukaryotic cell‐free systems based on extracts generated from insect (Sf21) cells. Insect cell lysates harbor the fully active translational and translocational machinery allowing posttranslational modifications, such as glycosylation and phosphorylation of de novo synthesized proteins. Here, we demonstrate the production of several GPCRs in a eukaryotic cell‐free system, performed within a short time and in a cost‐effective manner. We were able to synthesize a variety of GPCRs ranging from 40 to 133 kDa in an insect‐based cell‐free system. Moreover, we have chosen the μ opioid receptor (MOR) as a model protein to analyze the ligand binding affinities of cell‐free synthesized MOR in comparison to MOR expressed in a human cell line by “one‐point” radioligand binding experiments. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 2328–2338. © 2017 The Authors. Biotechnology and Bioengineering Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Sonnabend
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalysis and Bioprocesses Potsdam-Golm (IZI-BB), Am Muehlenberg 13, Potsdam 14476, Germany
| | - Viola Spahn
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marlitt Stech
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalysis and Bioprocesses Potsdam-Golm (IZI-BB), Am Muehlenberg 13, Potsdam 14476, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalysis and Bioprocesses Potsdam-Golm (IZI-BB), Am Muehlenberg 13, Potsdam 14476, Germany
| | - Christoph Stein
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalysis and Bioprocesses Potsdam-Golm (IZI-BB), Am Muehlenberg 13, Potsdam 14476, Germany
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26
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Abstract
Membrane proteins are key elements in cell-mediated processes. In particular, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have attracted increasing interest since they affect cellular signaling. Furthermore, mutations in GPCRs can cause acquired and inheritable diseases. Up to date, there still exist a number of GPCRs that has not been structurally and functionally analyzed due to difficulties in cell-based membrane protein production. A promising approach for membrane protein synthesis and analysis has emerged during the last years and is known as cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS). Here, we describe a simply portable method to synthesize GPCRs and analyze their ligand-binding properties without the requirement of additional supplements such as liposomes or nanodiscs. This method is based on eukaryotic cell lysates containing translocationally active endogenous endoplasmic reticulum-derived microsomes where the insertion of GPCRs into biologically active membranes is supported. In this study we present CFPS in combination with fast fluorescence-based screening methods to determine the localization, orientation and ligand-binding properties of the endothelin B (ET-B) receptor upon expression in an insect-based cell-free system. To determine the functionality of the cell-free synthesized ET-B receptor, we analyzed the binding of its ligand endothelin-1 (ET-1) in a qualitative fluorescence-based assay and in a quantitative radioligand binding assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalysis and Bioprocesses, Potsdam-Golm, Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Solveig Grossmann
- Rudolf-Boehm-Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Medizinische Fakultät, Härtelstraße 16-18, 04107, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Rita Sachse
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalysis and Bioprocesses, Potsdam-Golm, Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Andrei Sonnabend
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalysis and Bioprocesses, Potsdam-Golm, Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Michael Schaefer
- Rudolf-Boehm-Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Medizinische Fakultät, Härtelstraße 16-18, 04107, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalysis and Bioprocesses, Potsdam-Golm, Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.
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27
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Abstract
From its start as a small-scale in vitro system to study fundamental translation processes, cell-free protein synthesis quickly rose to become a potent platform for the high-yield production of proteins. In contrast to classical in vivo protein expression, cell-free systems do not need time-consuming cloning steps, and the open nature provides easy manipulation of reaction conditions as well as high-throughput potential. Especially for the synthesis of difficult to express proteins, such as toxic and transmembrane proteins, cell-free systems are of enormous interest. The modification of the genetic code to incorporate non-canonical amino acids into the target protein in particular provides enormous potential in biotechnology and pharmaceutical research and is in the focus of many cell-free projects. Many sophisticated cell-free systems for manifold applications have been established. This review describes the recent advances in cell-free protein synthesis and details the expanding applications in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses Potsdam-Golm (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Lena Thoring
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses Potsdam-Golm (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Christian Hoffmeister
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses Potsdam-Golm (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses Potsdam-Golm (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.
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Zemella A. [Comparison of castings obtained using 2 impression materials. Van-R reversible hydrocolloid and vinyl polysiloxane 3M Express]. Dent Cadmos 1986; 54:81-8. [PMID: 3556232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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