Mutations enabling displacement of tryptophan by 4-fluorotryptophan as a canonical amino acid of the genetic code

The 20 canonical amino acids of the genetic code have been invariant over 3 billion years of biological evolution. Although various aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases can charge their cognate tRNAs with amino acid analogs, there has been no known displacement of any canonical amino acid from the code. Experimental departure from this universal protein alphabet comprising the canonical amino acids was first achieved in the mutants of the Bacillus subtilis QB928 strain, which after serial selection and mutagenesis led to the HR23 strain that could use 4-fluorotryptophan (4FTrp) but not canonical tryptophan (Trp) for propagation. To gain insight into this displacement of Trp from the genetic code by 4FTrp, genome sequencing was performed on LC33 (a precursor strain of HR23), HR23, and TR7 (a revertant of HR23 that regained the capacity to propagate on Trp). Compared with QB928, the negative regulator mtrB of Trp transport was found to be knocked out in LC33, HR23, and TR7, and sigma factor sigB was mutated in HR23 and TR7. Moreover, rpoBC encoding RNA polymerase subunits were mutated in three independent isolates of TR7 relative to HR23. Increased expression of sigB was also observed in HR23 and in TR7 growing under 4FTrp. These findings indicated that stabilization of the genetic code can be provided by just a small number of analog-sensitive proteins, forming an oligogenic barrier that safeguards the canonical amino acids throughout biological evolution.

Behavioral effects of alpha-alkylated amino acid analogs in the C57BL/6J mouse

Although a series of amino acid analogs have been shown to modulate brain function, information on the pharmacology of alpha-alkylated amino acids (AAAA) is limited. In particular there is no information on the effect of these amino acid analogs (AAA) on the elevated plus maze, the tail suspension test and the forced swim test. It was therefore the aim of the study to test a series of AAAA in these paradigms in order to explore behavioral activities of this compound class. 10 male mice per group aged between 10 and 14 weeks were used. Vehicle-treated controls were used in addition to intraperitoneal injections of 1, 10 and 100mg/kg body weight of each, alpha-amino-isobutyic acid (AIB), isovaline (IVA), alpha-propyl-alanine (APA), alpha-butyl-alanine (ABA), alpha-pentyl-alanine (APnA), alpha-ethylphenylglycine (AEPG) and alpha-methyl-valine (AMV). The elevated plus maze (EPM), the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swim test (FST) were used for behavioral testing. There were dose-dependent results: all compounds increased time and pathlength in the open arm of the EPM at least at one dose administered. In the TST and in the FST only the 100mg dose was showing an effect. The results show pharmacological activity modifying the EPM in low doses suggesting the use in treatment of behavioral traits and symptoms represented by or linked to the EPM including anxiety-related behavior including depression. Compounds acting at higher doses may be used to induce behavioral changes and thus serve as neurobiological-neuropharmacological tools.

Lipid and sulfur substituted prenylcysteine analogs as human Icmt inhibitors

Inhibition of isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase (Icmt) offers a promising strategy for K-Ras driven cancers. We describe the synthesis and inhibitory activity of substrate-based analogs derived from several novel scaffolds. Modifications of both the prenyl group and thioether of N-acetyl-S-farnesyl-L-cysteine (AFC), a substrate for human Icmt (hIcmt), have resulted in low micromolar inhibitors of Icmt and have given insights into the nature of the prenyl binding site of hIcmt.

Residue-specific bioincorporation of non-natural, biologically active amino acids into proteins as possible drug carriers: structure and stability of the per-thiaproline mutant of annexin V

Residue-specific bioincorporation of 1,3-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid [thiaproline, Pro(S)], a non-natural amino acid analog of proline, into human recombinant annexin V was achieved with a proline-auxotrophic Escherichia coli strain by fermentation procedures in minimal medium. Quantitative replacement of proline with thiaproline was confirmed by mass-spectrometric, amino acid, and x-ray crystallographic analyses. The wild-type protein and its per-Pro(S) mutant were found to crystallize isomorphously and to show identical three-dimensional structures in crystals. In solution the dichroic properties of the wild-type and per-Pro(S) protein confirmed nearly identical overall folds. From thermal denaturation experiments, however, a reduced Tm (-4.5 K) value was determined whereas the van't Hoff enthalpy and entropy were not significantly affected. Therefore, protein mutants containing bioactive amino acid analogs like thiaproline at multiple sites would be expected to fully retain their functional properties, including immunogenicity, and thus could serve as promising vehicles for targeted drug delivery.

Degradation of abnormal proteins in Escherichia coli (protein breakdown-protein structure-mistranslation-amino acid analogs-puromycin)

Evidence is presented that E. coli contains a mechanism for selective degradation of abnormal proteins. Unfinished polypeptides containing puromycin, proteins containing frequent errors in translation, such as those synthesized by strains containing a ram mutation or a missense suppressor, and proteins containing amino-acid analogs were degraded more rapidly than were normal cell proteins. The degradation of analog- or puromycin-containing proteins appears to be an energy-dependent process. Unlike normal proteins, such proteins were degraded at similar rates by growing and by nongrowing cells.