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Buzas D, Sun H, Toelzer C, Yadav SKN, Borucu U, Gautam G, Gupta K, Bufton JC, Capin J, Sessions RB, Garzoni F, Berger I, Schaffitzel C. Engineering the ADDobody protein scaffold for generation of high-avidity ADDomer super-binders. Structure 2024; 32:342-351.e6. [PMID: 38198950 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.12.010] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Adenovirus-derived nanoparticles (ADDomer) comprise 60 copies of adenovirus penton base protein (PBP). ADDomer is thermostable, rendering the storage, transport, and deployment of ADDomer-based therapeutics independent of a cold chain. To expand the scope of ADDomers for new applications, we engineered ADDobodies, representing PBP crown domain, genetically separated from PBP multimerization domain. We inserted heterologous sequences into hyper-variable loops, resulting in monomeric, thermostable ADDobodies expressed at high yields in Escherichia coli. The X-ray structure of an ADDobody prototype validated our design. ADDobodies can be used in ribosome display experiments to select a specific binder against a target, with an enrichment factor of ∼104-fold per round. ADDobodies can be re-converted into ADDomers by genetically reconnecting the selected ADDobody with the PBP multimerization domain from a different species, giving rise to a multivalent nanoparticle, called Chimera, confirmed by a 2.2 Å electron cryo-microscopy structure. Chimera comprises 60 binding sites, resulting in ultra-high, picomolar avidity to the target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dora Buzas
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK; Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Huan Sun
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK; Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Christine Toelzer
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Sathish K N Yadav
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Ufuk Borucu
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Gunjan Gautam
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Kapil Gupta
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK; Imophoron Ltd, Science Creates Old Market, Midland Road, Bristol BS2 0JZ, UK
| | - Joshua C Bufton
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Julien Capin
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Richard B Sessions
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Frederic Garzoni
- Imophoron Ltd, Science Creates Old Market, Midland Road, Bristol BS2 0JZ, UK
| | - Imre Berger
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK; Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK; School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.
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Buzas D, Bunzel AH, Staufer O, Milodowski EJ, Edmunds GL, Bufton JC, Vidana Mateo BV, Yadav SKN, Gupta K, Fletcher C, Williamson MK, Harrison A, Borucu U, Capin J, Francis O, Balchin G, Hall S, Vega MV, Durbesson F, Lingappa S, Vincentelli R, Roe J, Wooldridge L, Burt R, Anderson RJL, Mulholland AJ, Bristol UNCOVER Group, Hare J, Bailey M, Davidson AD, Finn A, Morgan D, Mann J, Spatz J, Garzoni F, Schaffitzel C, Berger I. In vitro generated antibodies guide thermostable ADDomer nanoparticle design for nasal vaccination and passive immunization against SARS-CoV-2. Antib Ther 2023; 6:277-297. [PMID: 38075238 PMCID: PMC10702856 DOI: 10.1093/abt/tbad024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Due to COVID-19, pandemic preparedness emerges as a key imperative, necessitating new approaches to accelerate development of reagents against infectious pathogens. Methods Here, we developed an integrated approach combining synthetic, computational and structural methods with in vitro antibody selection and in vivo immunization to design, produce and validate nature-inspired nanoparticle-based reagents against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Results Our approach resulted in two innovations: (i) a thermostable nasal vaccine called ADDoCoV, displaying multiple copies of a SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding motif derived epitope and (ii) a multivalent nanoparticle superbinder, called Gigabody, against SARS-CoV-2 including immune-evasive variants of concern (VOCs). In vitro generated neutralizing nanobodies and electron cryo-microscopy established authenticity and accessibility of epitopes displayed by ADDoCoV. Gigabody comprising multimerized nanobodies prevented SARS-CoV-2 virion attachment with picomolar EC50. Vaccinating mice resulted in antibodies cross-reacting with VOCs including Delta and Omicron. Conclusion Our study elucidates Adenovirus-derived dodecamer (ADDomer)-based nanoparticles for use in active and passive immunization and provides a blueprint for crafting reagents to combat respiratory viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dora Buzas
- Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Adrian H Bunzel
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Oskar Staufer
- Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
- Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken 66123, Germany
| | | | - Grace L Edmunds
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS40 5DUUK
| | - Joshua C Bufton
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | | | | | - Kapil Gupta
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- Imophoron Ltd, Science Creates Old Market, Midland Rd, Bristol BS2 0JZUK
| | | | - Maia K Williamson
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | | | - Ufuk Borucu
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Julien Capin
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Ore Francis
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS40 5DUUK
| | - Georgia Balchin
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Sophie Hall
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Mirella V Vega
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Fabien Durbesson
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, UMR 7257, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | | | - Renaud Vincentelli
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, UMR 7257, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Joe Roe
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS40 5DUUK
| | - Linda Wooldridge
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS40 5DUUK
| | - Rachel Burt
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS40 5DUUK
| | | | | | | | - Jonathan Hare
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Mick Bailey
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS40 5DUUK
| | - Andrew D Davidson
- Imophoron Ltd, Science Creates Old Market, Midland Rd, Bristol BS2 0JZUK
| | - Adam Finn
- Bristol University COVID-19 Emergency Research Group, Bristol BS8 1TH, UK
- Children's Vaccine Centre, Bristol Medical School, Bristol BS2 8EFUK
| | - David Morgan
- Imophoron Ltd, Science Creates Old Market, Midland Rd, Bristol BS2 0JZUK
| | - Jamie Mann
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS40 5DUUK
| | - Joachim Spatz
- Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Frederic Garzoni
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Christiane Schaffitzel
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- Bristol University COVID-19 Emergency Research Group, Bristol BS8 1TH, UK
| | - Imre Berger
- Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
- Bristol University COVID-19 Emergency Research Group, Bristol BS8 1TH, UK
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Toelzer C, Gupta K, Yadav SKN, Hodgson L, Williamson MK, Buzas D, Borucu U, Powers K, Stenner R, Vasileiou K, Garzoni F, Fitzgerald D, Payré C, Gautam G, Lambeau G, Davidson AD, Verkade P, Frank M, Berger I, Schaffitzel C. The free fatty acid-binding pocket is a conserved hallmark in pathogenic β-coronavirus spike proteins from SARS-CoV to Omicron. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eadc9179. [PMID: 36417532 PMCID: PMC9683698 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adc9179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) persists, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) emerge, accumulating spike (S) glycoprotein mutations. S receptor binding domain (RBD) comprises a free fatty acid (FFA)-binding pocket. FFA binding stabilizes a locked S conformation, interfering with virus infectivity. We provide evidence that the pocket is conserved in pathogenic β-coronaviruses (β-CoVs) infecting humans. SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and VOCs bind the essential FFA linoleic acid (LA), while binding is abolished by one mutation in common cold-causing HCoV-HKU1. In the SARS-CoV S structure, LA stabilizes the locked conformation, while the open, infectious conformation is devoid of LA. Electron tomography of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells reveals that LA treatment inhibits viral replication, resulting in fewer deformed virions. Our results establish FFA binding as a hallmark of pathogenic β-CoV infection and replication, setting the stage for FFA-based antiviral strategies to overcome COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Toelzer
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Kapil Gupta
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- Imophoron Ltd., St. Philips Central, Albert Rd, Bristol BS2 0XJ, UK
| | - Sathish K. N. Yadav
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Lorna Hodgson
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | | | - Dora Buzas
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Ufuk Borucu
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Kyle Powers
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Richard Stenner
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Kate Vasileiou
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Frederic Garzoni
- Imophoron Ltd., St. Philips Central, Albert Rd, Bristol BS2 0XJ, UK
| | - Daniel Fitzgerald
- Halo Therapeutics Ltd., St. Philips Central, Albert Rd, Bristol BS2 0XJ, UK
| | - Christine Payré
- Université Côte d’Azur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Gunjan Gautam
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Gérard Lambeau
- Université Côte d’Azur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Andrew D. Davidson
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Paul Verkade
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | | | - Imre Berger
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
- Halo Therapeutics Ltd., St. Philips Central, Albert Rd, Bristol BS2 0XJ, UK
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Christiane Schaffitzel
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- Halo Therapeutics Ltd., St. Philips Central, Albert Rd, Bristol BS2 0XJ, UK
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Sari‐Ak D, Bufton J, Gupta K, Garzoni F, Fitzgerald D, Schaffitzel C, Berger I. VLP-factory™ and ADDomer © : Self-assembling Virus-Like Particle (VLP) Technologies for Multiple Protein and Peptide Epitope Display. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e55. [PMID: 33729713 PMCID: PMC9733710 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs) play a prominent role in vaccination as safe and highly versatile alternatives to attenuated or inactivated viruses or subunit vaccines. We present here two innovations, VLP-factory™ and ADDomer© , for creating VLPs displaying entire proteins or peptide epitopes as antigens, respectively, to enable efficient vaccination. For producing these VLPs, we use MultiBac, a baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) that we developed for producing complex protein biologics in insect cells transfected with an engineered baculovirus. VLPs are protein assemblies that share features with viruses but are devoid of genetic material, and thus considered safe. VLP-factory™ represents a customized MultiBac baculovirus tailored to produce enveloped VLPs based on the M1 capsid protein of influenza virus. We apply VLP-factory™ to create an array of influenza-derived VLPs presenting functional mutant influenza hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein variants. Moreover, we describe MultiBac-based production of ADDomer© , a synthetic self-assembling adenovirus-derived protein-based VLP platform designed to display multiple copies of pathogenic epitopes at the same time on one particle for highly efficient vaccination. © 2021 The Authors. Basic Protocol 1: VLP-factory™ baculoviral genome generation Basic Protocol 2: Influenza VLP array generation using VLP-factory™ Basic Protocol 3: Influenza VLP purification Basic Protocol 4: ADDomer© BioBrick design, expression, and purification Basic Protocol 5: ADDomer© candidate vaccines against infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duygu Sari‐Ak
- Department of Medical Biology, School of MedicineUniversity of Health SciencesIstanbulTurkey
| | - Joshua Bufton
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBioUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom,School of Biochemistry, Biomedical SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | - Kapil Gupta
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBioUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom,School of Biochemistry, Biomedical SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | - Frederic Garzoni
- Imophoron Ltd, St. Philips CentralSt. PhilipsBristolUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Christiane Schaffitzel
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBioUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom,School of Biochemistry, Biomedical SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | - Imre Berger
- Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBioUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom,School of Biochemistry, Biomedical SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom,School of ChemistryUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom,Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal BiologyUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
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5
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Toelzer C, Gupta K, Yadav SKN, Borucu U, Davidson AD, Kavanagh Williamson M, Shoemark DK, Garzoni F, Staufer O, Milligan R, Capin J, Mulholland AJ, Spatz J, Fitzgerald D, Berger I, Schaffitzel C. Free fatty acid binding pocket in the locked structure of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Science 2020; 370:725-730. [PMID: 32958580 PMCID: PMC8050947 DOI: 10.1126/science.abd3255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 269] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Many efforts to develop therapies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are focused on the spike (S) protein trimer that binds to the host receptor. Structures of trimeric S protein show its receptor-binding domain in either an up or a down conformation. Toelzer et al. produced SARS-CoV-2 S in insect cells and determined the structure by cryo–electron microscopy. In their dataset, the closed form was predominant and was stabilized by binding linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid. A similar binding pocket appears to be present in previous highly pathogenic coronaviruses, and past studies suggested links between viral infection and fatty acid metabolism. The pocket could be exploited to develop inhibitors that trap S protein in the closed conformation. Science, this issue p. 725 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), represents a global crisis. Key to SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic development is unraveling the mechanisms that drive high infectivity, broad tissue tropism, and severe pathology. Our 2.85-angstrom cryo–electron microscopy structure of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) glycoprotein reveals that the receptor binding domains tightly bind the essential free fatty acid linoleic acid (LA) in three composite binding pockets. A similar pocket also appears to be present in the highly pathogenic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). LA binding stabilizes a locked S conformation, resulting in reduced angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) interaction in vitro. In human cells, LA supplementation synergizes with the COVID-19 drug remdesivir, suppressing SARS-CoV-2 replication. Our structure directly links LA and S, setting the stage for intervention strategies that target LA binding by SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Toelzer
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard's Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.,Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave., Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Kapil Gupta
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard's Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.,Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave., Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Sathish K N Yadav
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard's Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.,Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave., Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Ufuk Borucu
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard's Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.,Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave., Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Andrew D Davidson
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Maia Kavanagh Williamson
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Deborah K Shoemark
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard's Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.,Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave., Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Frederic Garzoni
- Imophoron Ltd., St. Philips Central, Albert Rd., St. Philips, Bristol BS2 0XJ, UK
| | - Oskar Staufer
- Department for Cellular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstraße 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Institute for Physical Chemistry, Department for Biophysical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 253, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Max Planck School Matter to Life, Jahnstraße 29, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Rachel Milligan
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Julien Capin
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard's Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.,Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave., Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Adrian J Mulholland
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Joachim Spatz
- Department for Cellular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstraße 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Institute for Physical Chemistry, Department for Biophysical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 253, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Max Planck School Matter to Life, Jahnstraße 29, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Daniel Fitzgerald
- Geneva Biotech Sàrl, Avenue de la Roseraie 64, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Imre Berger
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard's Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK. .,Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave., Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.,Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.,School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Christiane Schaffitzel
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, 1 Tankard's Close, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK. .,Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, 24 Tyndall Ave., Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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6
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Sari-Ak D, Bahrami S, Laska MJ, Drncova P, Fitzgerald DJ, Schaffitzel C, Garzoni F, Berger I. High-Throughput Production of Influenza Virus-Like Particle (VLP) Array by Using VLP-factory ™, a MultiBac Baculoviral Genome Customized for Enveloped VLP Expression. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 2025:213-226. [PMID: 31267455 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9624-7_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [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: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Baculovirus-based expression of proteins in insect cell cultures has emerged as a powerful technology to produce complex protein biologics for many applications ranging from multiprotein complex structural biology to manufacturing of therapeutic proteins including virus-like particles (VLPs). VLPs are protein assemblies that mimic live viruses but typically do not contain any genetic material, and therefore are safe and attractive alternatives to life attenuated or inactivated viruses for vaccination purposes. MultiBac is an advanced baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) which consists of an engineered viral genome that can be customized for tailored applications. Here we describe the creation of a MultiBac-based VLP-factory™, based on the M1 capsid protein from influenza, and its application to produce in a parallelized fashion an array of influenza-derived VLPs containing functional mutations in influenza hemagglutinin (HA) thought to modulate the immune response elicited by the VLP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duygu Sari-Ak
- The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | | | - Magdalena J Laska
- Department of Biomedicine, Bartholins Allé 6, University of Aarhus, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Petra Drncova
- The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | | | - Christiane Schaffitzel
- School of Biochemistry and Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, University Walk, University of Bristol, Clifton, UK
| | | | - Imre Berger
- School of Biochemistry and Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, University Walk, University of Bristol, Clifton, UK.
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7
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Sari D, Gupta K, Thimiri Govinda Raj DB, Aubert A, Drncová P, Garzoni F, Fitzgerald D, Berger I. The MultiBac Baculovirus/Insect Cell Expression Vector System for Producing Complex Protein Biologics. Adv Exp Med Biol 2015; 896:199-215. [PMID: 27165327 PMCID: PMC7122245 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-27216-0_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Multiprotein complexes regulate most if not all cellular functions. Elucidating the structure and function of these complex cellular machines is essential for understanding biology. Moreover, multiprotein complexes by themselves constitute powerful reagents as biologics for the prevention and treatment of human diseases. Recombinant production by the baculovirus/insect cell expression system is particularly useful for expressing proteins of eukaryotic origin and their complexes. MultiBac, an advanced baculovirus/insect cell system, has been widely adopted in the last decade to produce multiprotein complexes with many subunits that were hitherto inaccessible, for academic and industrial research and development. The MultiBac system, its development and numerous applications are presented. Future opportunities for utilizing MultiBac to catalyze discovery are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duygu Sari
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, University Grenoble Alpes-EMBL-CNRS, UMI 3265, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Kapil Gupta
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, University Grenoble Alpes-EMBL-CNRS, UMI 3265, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Deepak Balaji Thimiri Govinda Raj
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, University Grenoble Alpes-EMBL-CNRS, UMI 3265, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Alice Aubert
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, University Grenoble Alpes-EMBL-CNRS, UMI 3265, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Petra Drncová
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, University Grenoble Alpes-EMBL-CNRS, UMI 3265, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Frederic Garzoni
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, University Grenoble Alpes-EMBL-CNRS, UMI 3265, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Daniel Fitzgerald
- Geneva Biotech SARL, Avenue de la Roseraie 64, 1205, Genève, Switzerland
| | - Imre Berger
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, University Grenoble Alpes-EMBL-CNRS, UMI 3265, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
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Crépin T, Swale C, Monod A, Garzoni F, Chaillet M, Berger I. Polyproteins in structural biology. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2015; 32:139-46. [PMID: 25996897 PMCID: PMC7125721 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2015.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 04/03/2015] [Revised: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Structures have been determined for natural and recombinant polyproteins. Native HIV Gag polyprotein architecture was revealed by cryo-EM of immature capsids. Recombinant polyprotein technology has resolved sample preparation bottlenecks. The high-resolution structure of influenza polymerase has been solved. Single-molecule analysis of polyproteins revealed their folding characteristics.
Polyproteins are chains of covalently conjoined smaller proteins that occur in nature as versatile means to organize the proteome of viruses including HIV. During maturation, viral polyproteins are typically cleaved into the constituent proteins with different biological functions by highly specific proteases, and structural analyses at defined stages of this maturation process can provide clues for antiviral intervention strategies. Recombinant polyproteins that use similar mechanisms are emerging as powerful tools for producing hitherto inaccessible protein targets such as the influenza polymerase, for high-resolution structure determination by X-ray crystallography. Conversely, covalent linking of individual protein subunits into single polypeptide chains are exploited to overcome sample preparation bottlenecks. Moreover, synthetic polyproteins provide a promising tool to dissect dynamic folding of polypeptide chains into three-dimensional architectures in single-molecule structure analysis by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The recent use of natural and synthetic polyproteins in structural biology and major achievements are highlighted in this contribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibaut Crépin
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, UJF-EMBL-CNRS, UMI 3265, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
| | - Christopher Swale
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, UJF-EMBL-CNRS, UMI 3265, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Alexandre Monod
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, UJF-EMBL-CNRS, UMI 3265, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Frederic Garzoni
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, UJF-EMBL-CNRS, UMI 3265, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France; The European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, BP181, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Maxime Chaillet
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, UJF-EMBL-CNRS, UMI 3265, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France; The European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, BP181, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Imre Berger
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, UJF-EMBL-CNRS, UMI 3265, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France; The European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, BP181, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France; The School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom.
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Abdulrahman W, Radu L, Garzoni F, Kolesnikova O, Gupta K, Osz-Papai J, Berger I, Poterszman A. The production of multiprotein complexes in insect cells using the baculovirus expression system. Methods Mol Biol 2015; 1261:91-114. [PMID: 25502195 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2230-7_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The production of a homogeneous protein sample in sufficient quantities is an essential prerequisite not only for structural investigations but represents also a rate-limiting step for many functional studies. In the cell, a large fraction of eukaryotic proteins exists as large multicomponent assemblies with many subunits, which act in concert to catalyze specific activities. Many of these complexes cannot be obtained from endogenous source material, so recombinant expression and reconstitution are then required to overcome this bottleneck. This chapter describes current strategies and protocols for the efficient production of multiprotein complexes in large quantities and of high quality, using the baculovirus/insect cell expression system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wassim Abdulrahman
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS/INSERM/UDS, BP 163, 67404, Illkirch Cedex, France
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Abstract
Proteomics research revealed the impressive complexity of eukaryotic proteomes in unprecedented detail. It is now a commonly accepted notion that proteins in cells mostly exist not as isolated entities but exert their biological activity in association with many other proteins, in humans ten or more, forming assembly lines in the cell for most if not all vital functions.(1,2) Knowledge of the function and architecture of these multiprotein assemblies requires their provision in superior quality and sufficient quantity for detailed analysis. The paucity of many protein complexes in cells, in particular in eukaryotes, prohibits their extraction from native sources, and necessitates recombinant production. The baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) has proven to be particularly useful for producing eukaryotic proteins, the activity of which often relies on post-translational processing that other commonly used expression systems often cannot support.(3) BEVS use a recombinant baculovirus into which the gene of interest was inserted to infect insect cell cultures which in turn produce the protein of choice. MultiBac is a BEVS that has been particularly tailored for the production of eukaryotic protein complexes that contain many subunits.(4) A vital prerequisite for efficient production of proteins and their complexes are robust protocols for all steps involved in an expression experiment that ideally can be implemented as standard operating procedures (SOPs) and followed also by non-specialist users with comparative ease. The MultiBac platform at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) uses SOPs for all steps involved in a multiprotein complex expression experiment, starting from insertion of the genes into an engineered baculoviral genome optimized for heterologous protein production properties to small-scale analysis of the protein specimens produced.(5-8) The platform is installed in an open-access mode at EMBL Grenoble and has supported many scientists from academia and industry to accelerate protein complex research projects.
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Nie Y, Viola C, Bieniossek C, Trowitzsch S, Vijay-Achandran LS, Chaillet M, Garzoni F, Berger I. Getting a grip on complexes. Curr Genomics 2011; 10:558-72. [PMID: 20514218 PMCID: PMC2817887 DOI: 10.2174/138920209789503923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2009] [Revised: 07/15/2009] [Accepted: 07/24/2009] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
We are witnessing tremendous advances in our understanding of the organization of life. Complete genomes are being deciphered with ever increasing speed and accuracy, thereby setting the stage for addressing the entire gene product repertoire of cells, towards understanding whole biological systems. Advances in bioinformatics and mass spectrometric techniques have revealed the multitude of interactions present in the proteome. Multiprotein complexes are emerging as a paramount cornerstone of biological activity, as many proteins appear to participate, stably or transiently, in large multisubunit assemblies. Analysis of the architecture of these assemblies and their manifold interactions is imperative for understanding their function at the molecular level. Structural genomics efforts have fostered the development of many technologies towards achieving the throughput required for studying system-wide single proteins and small interaction motifs at high resolution. The present shift in focus towards large multiprotein complexes, in particular in eukaryotes, now calls for a likewise concerted effort to develop and provide new technologies that are urgently required to produce in quality and quantity the plethora of multiprotein assemblies that form the complexome, and to routinely study their structure and function at the molecular level. Current efforts towards this objective are summarized and reviewed in this contribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Nie
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Grenoble Outstation and Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions (UVHCI), UJF-EMBL-CNRS, UMR 5233, 6 rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble CEDEX 9, France
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12
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Vijayachandran LS, Viola C, Garzoni F, Trowitzsch S, Bieniossek C, Chaillet M, Schaffitzel C, Busso D, Romier C, Poterszman A, Richmond TJ, Berger I. Robots, pipelines, polyproteins: enabling multiprotein expression in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. J Struct Biol 2011; 175:198-208. [PMID: 21419851 PMCID: PMC7128143 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2011.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [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: 12/15/2010] [Revised: 03/11/2011] [Accepted: 03/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Multiprotein complexes catalyze vital biological functions in the cell. A paramount objective of the SPINE2 project was to address the structural molecular biology of these multiprotein complexes, by enlisting and developing enabling technologies for their study. An emerging key prerequisite for studying complex biological specimens is their recombinant overproduction. Novel reagents and streamlined protocols for rapidly assembling co-expression constructs for this purpose have been designed and validated. The high-throughput pipeline implemented at IGBMC Strasbourg and the ACEMBL platform at the EMBL Grenoble utilize recombinant overexpression systems for heterologous expression of proteins and their complexes. Extension of the ACEMBL platform technology to include eukaryotic hosts such as insect and mammalian cells has been achieved. Efficient production of large multicomponent protein complexes for structural studies using the baculovirus/insect cell system can be hampered by a stoichiometric imbalance of the subunits produced. A polyprotein strategy has been developed to overcome this bottleneck and has been successfully implemented in our MultiBac baculovirus expression system for producing multiprotein complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakshmi Sumitra Vijayachandran
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Grenoble Outstation, and Unit of Virus Host Cell Interactions UVHCI, UJF-CNRS-EMBL Unite Mixte International UMI 3265, rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Cristina Viola
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Grenoble Outstation, and Unit of Virus Host Cell Interactions UVHCI, UJF-CNRS-EMBL Unite Mixte International UMI 3265, rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Frederic Garzoni
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Grenoble Outstation, and Unit of Virus Host Cell Interactions UVHCI, UJF-CNRS-EMBL Unite Mixte International UMI 3265, rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Simon Trowitzsch
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Grenoble Outstation, and Unit of Virus Host Cell Interactions UVHCI, UJF-CNRS-EMBL Unite Mixte International UMI 3265, rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Christoph Bieniossek
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Grenoble Outstation, and Unit of Virus Host Cell Interactions UVHCI, UJF-CNRS-EMBL Unite Mixte International UMI 3265, rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Maxime Chaillet
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Grenoble Outstation, and Unit of Virus Host Cell Interactions UVHCI, UJF-CNRS-EMBL Unite Mixte International UMI 3265, rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Christiane Schaffitzel
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Grenoble Outstation, and Unit of Virus Host Cell Interactions UVHCI, UJF-CNRS-EMBL Unite Mixte International UMI 3265, rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Didier Busso
- IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), 1 rue Laurent Fries, BP10142, Illkirch F-67400, France
- Inserm, U964, Illkirch F-67400, France
- CNRS, UMR7104, Illkirch 67400, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Christophe Romier
- IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), 1 rue Laurent Fries, BP10142, Illkirch F-67400, France
- Inserm, U964, Illkirch F-67400, France
- CNRS, UMR7104, Illkirch 67400, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Arnaud Poterszman
- IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), 1 rue Laurent Fries, BP10142, Illkirch F-67400, France
- Inserm, U964, Illkirch F-67400, France
- CNRS, UMR7104, Illkirch 67400, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67000, France
| | - Timothy J. Richmond
- Institute for Molecular Biology and Biophysics IMB, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Hönggerberg, Schafmattstrasse 20, CH 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Imre Berger
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Grenoble Outstation, and Unit of Virus Host Cell Interactions UVHCI, UJF-CNRS-EMBL Unite Mixte International UMI 3265, rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
- Corresponding author. Address: European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL Grenoble), BP 181, 6 rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France. Fax: +33 (0)476207199.
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Trowitzsch S, Bieniossek C, Nie Y, Garzoni F, Berger I. New baculovirus expression tools for recombinant protein complex production. J Struct Biol 2010; 172:45-54. [PMID: 20178849 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2010.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2010] [Revised: 02/12/2010] [Accepted: 02/15/2010] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Most eukaryotic proteins exist as large multicomponent assemblies with many subunits, which act in concert to catalyze specific cellular activities. Many of these molecular machines are only present in low amounts in their native hosts, which impede purification from source material. Unraveling their structure and function at high resolution will often depend on heterologous overproduction. Recombinant expression of multiprotein complexes for structural studies can entail considerable, sometimes inhibitory, investment in both labor and materials, in particular if altering and diversifying of the individual subunits are necessary for successful structure determination. Our laboratory has addressed this challenge by developing technologies that streamline the complex production and diversification process. Here, we review several of these developments for recombinant multiprotein complex production using the MultiBac baculovirus/insect cell expression system which we created. We also addressed parallelization and automation of gene assembly for multiprotein complex expression by developing robotic routines for multigene vector generation. In this contribution, we focus on several improvements of baculovirus expression system performance which we introduced: the modifications of the transfer plasmids, the methods for generation of composite multigene baculoviral DNA, and the simplified and standardized expression procedures which we delineated using our MultiBac system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Trowitzsch
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Grenoble Outstation, and Unit of Virus Host Cell Interactions UVHCI, UMI3265, 6 rue Jules Horowitz, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
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