Farid J. Ghadessy

Directed evolution of polymerase function by compartmentalized self-replication

We describe compartmentalized self-replication (CSR), a strategy for the directed evolution of enzymes, especially polymerases. CSR is based on a simple feedback loop consisting of a polymerase that replicates only its own encoding gene. Compartmentalization serves to isolate individual self-replication reactions from each other. In such a system, adaptive gains directly (and proportionally) translate into genetic amplification of the encoding gene. CSR has applications in the evolution of polymerases with novel and useful properties. By using three cycles of CSR, we obtained variants of Taq DNA polymerase with 11-fold higher thermostability than the wild-type enzyme or with a >130-fold increased resistance to the potent inhibitor heparin. Insertion of an extra stage into the CSR cycle before the polymerase reaction allows its application to enzymes other than polymerases. We show that nucleoside diphosphate kinase and Taq polymerase can form such a cooperative CSR cycle based on reciprocal catalysis, whereby nucleoside diphosphate kinase produces the substrates required for the replication of its own gene. We also find that in CSR the polymerase genes themselves evolve toward more efficient replication. Thus, polymerase genes and their encoded polypeptides cooperate to maximize postselection copy number. CSR should prove useful for the directed evolution of enzymes, particularly DNA or RNA polymerases, as well as for the design and study of in vitro self-replicating systems mimicking prebiotic evolution and viral replication.

The XPF-ERCC1 endonuclease and homologous recombination contribute to the repair of minor groove DNA interstrand crosslinks in mammalian cells produced by the pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine dimer SJG-136

SJG-136, a pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine (PBD) dimer, is a highly efficient interstrand crosslinking agent that reacts with guanine bases in a 5′-GATC-3′ sequence in the DNA minor groove. SJG-136 crosslinks form rapidly and persist compared to those produced by conventional crosslinking agents such as nitrogen mustard, melphalan or cisplatin which bind in the DNA major groove. A panel of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells with defined defects in specific DNA repair pathways were exposed to the bi-functional agents SJG-136 and melphalan, and to their mono-functional analogues mmy-SJG and mono-functional melphalan. SJG-136 was >100 times more cytotoxic than melphalan, and the bi-functional agents were much more cytotoxic than their respective mono-functional analogues. Cellular sensitivity of both SJG-136 and melphalan was dependent on the XPF-ERCC1 heterodimer, and homologous recombination repair factors XRCC2 and XRCC3. The relative level of sensitivity of these repair mutant cell lines to SJG-136 was, however, significantly less than with major groove crosslinking agents. In contrast to melphalan, there was no clear correlation between sensitivity to SJG-136 and crosslink unhooking capacity measured using a modified comet assay. Furthermore, repair of SJG-136 crosslinks did not involve the formation of DNA double-strand breaks. SJG-136 cytotoxicity is likely to result from the poor recognition of DNA damage by repair proteins resulting in the slow repair of both mono-adducts and more importantly crosslinks in the minor groove.

Mdm2 and p53 are highly conserved from placozoans to man.

The p53 protein is the most commonly mutated tumor suppressor gene in man. Understanding of its evolutionary origins have been enhanced by the recent discovery of p53 family genes in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. This amino acid sequence conservation has been reflected in biological activity since the early p53 proteins, like their human counterparts, are responsible for DNA damage-induced cellular apoptosis, albeit restricted to the germ cell compartment in model organisms such as the nematode and fruit fly. In vertebrates from zebrafish to man the function of p53 is tightly and absolutely constrained by a negative regulator Mdm2. However the Mdm2 gene has not been detected in the genome of the model nematode (C. elegans) and insect (D. melanogaster) species. We have found that the p53 gene and the Mdm2 gene are present in Placozoans, one of the simplest of all free living multi-cellular organisms, implying that both proteins arose much earlier in evolution than previously thought. Detailed sequence analysis shows the exceptional retention of key features of both proteins from man to placazoan implying that the p53-Mdm2 interaction and its regulation have been conserved from a basal eumetazoan since the pre-cambrian era over one billion years ago.

Molecular Rotors As Conditionally Fluorescent Labels for Rapid Detection of Biomolecular Interactions

We demonstrate the use of fluorescent molecular rotors as probes for detecting biomolecular interactions, specifically peptide-protein interactions. Molecular rotors undergo twisted intramolecular charge transfer upon irradiation, relax via the nonradiative torsional relaxation pathway, and have been typically used as viscosity probes. Their utility as a tool for detecting specific biomolecular interactions has not been explored. Using the well characterized p53-Mdm2 interaction as a model system, we designed a 9-(2-carboxy-2-cyanovinyl) julolidine-based p53 peptide reporter, JP1-R, which fluoresces conditionally only upon Mdm2 binding. The reporter was used in a rapid, homogeneous assay to screen a fragment library for antagonists of the p53-Mdm2 interaction, and several inhibitors were identified. Subsequent validation of these hits using established secondary assays suggests increased sensitivity afforded by JP1-R. The fluorescence of molecular rotors contingent upon target binding makes them a versatile tool for detecting specific biomolecular interactions.

The Mdm2 and p53 genes are conserved in the Arachnids

The p53 protein and its negative regulator the ubiquitin E3 ligase Mdm2 have been shown to be conserved from the Placazoan to man. In common with D.melanogaster and C.elegans, there is a single copy of the p53 gene in T.adhaerens, while in the vertebrates three p53-like genes can be found: p53 , p63 and p73. The Mdm2 gene is not present within the fully sequenced and highly annotated genomes of C.elegans and D.melanogaster. However, it is present in the Placazoan and the presence of multiple distinct p53 genes in the Sea anemone N.vectensis led us to examine the genomes of other phyla for p53 and Mdm2-like genes. We report here the discovery of an Mdm2-like gene and two distinct p53 like genes in the Arachnid Ioxodes scapularis (Northern Deer Tick). The two predicted Deer Tick p53 proteins are much more highly related to the human p53 protein in sequence than are the fruit fly and nematode proteins. One of the Deer tick genes encodes a p53 protein that is initiated within the DNA binding domain of p53 and shows remarkable homology to the newly described N-terminally truncated delta isoforms of human and zebrafish p53.

Inhibition of Nutlin-Resistant HDM2 Mutants by Stapled Peptides

Pharmacological modulation of p53 activity is an attractive therapeutic strategy in cancers with wild-type p53. Presently in clinical trials, the small molecule Nutlin-3A competitively binds to HDM2, a key negative regulator of p53 and blocks its activity. We have described resistance mutations in HDM2 that selectively reduce affinity for Nutlin but not p53. In the present communication, we show that stapled peptides targeting the same region of HDM2 as Nutlin are refractory to these mutations, and display reduced discrimination between the wild-type and mutant HDM2s with regards to functional abrogation of interaction with p53. The larger interaction footprint afforded by stapled peptides suggests that this class of ligands may prove comparatively more resilient to acquired resistance in a clinical setting.

Structure of a stapled peptide antagonist bound to nutlin-resistant Mdm2.

As key negative regulator of the p53 tumour suppressor, Mdm2 is an attractive therapeutic target. Small molecules such as Nutlin have been developed to antagonise Mdm2, resulting in p53-dependent death of tumour cells. We have recently described a mutation in Mdm2 (M62A), which precludes binding of Nutlin, but not p53. This Nutlin-resistant variant is not, however, refractory to binding and inhibition by stapled peptide antagonists targeting the same region of Mdm2. A detailed understanding of how stapled peptides are recalcitrant to Mdm2 mutations conferring Nutlin-resistance will aid in the further development of potent Mdm2 antagonists. Here, we report the 2.00 Å crystal structure of a stapled peptide antagonist bound to Nutlin resistant Mdm2. The stapled peptide relies on an extended network of interactions along the hydrophobic binding cleft of Mdm2 for high affinity binding. Additionally, as seen in other stapled peptide structures, the hydrocarbon staple itself contributes to binding through favourable interactions with Mdm2. The structure highlights the intrinsic plasticity present in both Mdm2 and the hydrocarbon staple moiety, and can be used to guide future iterations of both small molecules and stapled peptides for improved antagonists of Mdm2.

In Vitro Selection of Mutant HDM2 Resistant to Nutlin Inhibition

HDM2 binds to the p53 tumour suppressor and targets it for proteosomal degradation. Presently in clinical trials, the small molecule Nutlin-3A competitively binds to HDM2 and abrogates its repressive function. Using a novel in vitro selection methodology, we simulated the emergence of resistance by evolving HDM2 mutants capable of binding p53 in the presence of Nutlin concentrations that inhibit the wild-type HDM2-p53 interaction. The in vitro phenotypes were recapitulated in ex vivo assays measuring both p53 transactivation function and the direct p53-HDM2 interaction in the presence of Nutlin. Mutations conferring drug resistance were not confined to the N-terminal p53/Nutlin–binding domain, and were additionally seen in the acidic, zinc finger and RING domains. Mechanistic insights gleaned from this broad spectrum of mutations will aid in future drug design and further our understanding of the complex p53-HDM2 interaction.

The p53–Mdm2 interaction and the E3 ligase activity of Mdm2/Mdm4 are conserved from lampreys to humans

The extant jawless vertebrates, represented by lampreys and hagfish, are the oldest group of vertebrates and provide an interesting genomic evolutionary pivot point between invertebrates and jawed vertebrates. Through genome analysis of one of these jawless vertebrates, the Japanese lamprey (Lethenteron japonicum), we identified all three members of the important p53 transcription factor family--Tp53, Tp63, and Tp73--as well as the Mdm2 and Mdm4 genes. These genes and their products are significant cellular regulators in human cancer, and further examination of their roles in this most distant vertebrate relative sheds light on their origin and coevolution. Their important role in response to DNA damage has been highlighted by the discovery of multiple copies of the Tp53 gene in elephants. Expression of lamprey p53, Mdm2, and Mdm4 proteins in mammalian cells reveals that the p53-Mdm2 interaction and the Mdm2/Mdm4 E3 ligase activity existed in the common ancestor of vertebrates and have been conserved for >500 million years of vertebrate evolution. Lamprey Mdm2 degrades human p53 with great efficiency, but this interaction is not blocked by currently available small molecule inhibitors of the human HDM2 protein, suggesting utility of lamprey Mdm2 in the study of the human p53 signaling pathway.

The fluorescent two-hybrid assay to screen for protein-protein interaction inhibitors in live cells: targeting the interaction of p53 with Mdm2 and Mdm4.

Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) are attractive but challenging targets for drug discovery. To overcome numerous limitations of the currently available cell-based PPI assays, we have recently established a fully reversible microscopy-assisted fluorescent two-hybrid (F2H) assay. The F2H assay offers a fast and straightforward readout: an interaction-dependent co-localization of two distinguishable fluorescent signals at a defined spot in the nucleus of mammalian cells. We developed two reversible F2H assays for the interactions between the tumor suppressor p53 and its negative regulators, Mdm2 and Mdm4. We then performed a pilot F2H screen with a subset of compounds, including small molecules (such as Nutlin-3) and stapled peptides. We identified five cell-penetrating compounds as potent p53–Mdm2 inhibitors. However, none exhibited intracellular activity on p53–Mdm4. Live cell data generated by the F2H assays enable the characterization of stapled peptides based on their ability to penetrate cells and disrupt p53–Mdm2 interaction as well as p53–Mdm4 interaction. Here, we show that the F2H assays enable side-by-side analysis of substances’ dual Mdm2–Mdm4 activity. In addition, they are suitable for testing various types of compounds (e.g., small molecules and peptidic inhibitors) and concurrently provide initial data on cellular toxicity. Furthermore, F2H assays readily allow real-time visualization of PPI dynamics in living cells.