Yu Heng Lau

A Click Fluorophore Sensor that Can Distinguish CuII and HgII via Selective Anion‐Induced Demetallation

A cyclam-based fluorescent sensor featuring a novel triazole pendant arm has been synthesised using click chemistry. The sensor is highly responsive to both Cu(II) and Hg(II) in neutral aqueous solution and displays excellent selectivity in the presence of various competing metal ions in 50-fold excess. The addition of specific anions such as I(-) and S(2)O(3)(2-) causes a complete revival of fluorescence only in the case of Hg(II), providing a simple and effective method for distinguishing solutions containing Cu(II), Hg(II) or a mixture of both ions, even in doped seawater samples. X-ray crystal structures of both the Hg(II) sensor complex and a model Cu(II) complex show that pendant triazole coordination occurs through the central nitrogen atom (N2), providing to the best of our knowledge the first reported examples of this unusual coordination mode in macrocycles. Fluorescence, mass spectrometry and (1)H NMR experiments reveal that the mechanism of anion-induced fluorescence revival involves either displacement of pendant coordination or complete removal of the Hg(II) from the macrocycle, depending on the anion.

Double Strain‐Promoted Macrocyclization for the Rapid Selection of Cell‐Active Stapled Peptides

Peptide stapling is a method for designing macrocyclic alpha-helical inhibitors of protein-protein interactions. However, obtaining a cell-active inhibitor can require significant optimization. We report a novel stapling technique based on a double strain-promoted azide-alkyne reaction, and exploit its biocompatibility to accelerate the discovery of cell-active stapled peptides. As a proof of concept, MDM2-binding peptides were stapled in parallel, directly in cell culture medium in 96-well plates, and simultaneously evaluated in a p53 reporter assay. This in situ stapling/screening process gave an optimal candidate that showed improved proteolytic stability and nanomolar binding to MDM2 in subsequent biophysical assays. α-Helicity was confirmed by a crystal structure of the MDM2-peptide complex. This work introduces in situ stapling as a versatile biocompatible technique with many other potential high-throughput biological applications.

Linear Aliphatic Dialkynes as Alternative Linkers for Double-Click Stapling of p53-Derived Peptides

We investigated linear aliphatic dialkynes as a new structural class of i,i+7 linkers for the double‐click stapling of p53‐based peptides. The optimal combination of azido amino acids and dialkynyl linker length for MDM2 binding was determined. In a direct comparison between aliphatic and aromatic staple scaffolds, the aliphatic staples resulted in superior binding to MDM2 in vitro and superior p53‐activating capability in cells when using a diazidopeptide derived from phage display. This work demonstrates that the nature of the staple scaffold is an important factor that can affect peptide bioactivity in cells.

Macrocyclized Extended Peptides: Inhibiting the Substrate-Recognition Domain of Tankyrase

We report a double-click macrocyclization approach for the design of constrained peptide inhibitors having non-helical or extended conformations. Our targets are the tankyrase proteins (TNKS), poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP) that regulate Wnt signaling by targeting Axin for degradation. TNKS are deregulated in many different cancer types, and inhibition of TNKS therefore represents an attractive therapeutic strategy. However, clinical development of TNKS-specific PARP catalytic inhibitors is challenging due to off-target effects and cellular toxicity. We instead targeted the substrate-recognition domain of TNKS, as it is unique among PARP family members. We employed a two-component strategy, allowing peptide and linker to be separately engineered and then assembled in a combinatorial fashion via click chemistry. Using the consensus substrate-peptide sequence as a starting point, we optimized the length and rigidity of the linker and its position along the peptide. Optimization was further guided by high-resolution crystal structures of two of the macrocyclized peptides in complex with TNKS. This approach led to macrocyclized peptides with submicromolar affinities for TNKS and high proteolytic stability that are able to disrupt the interaction between TNKS and Axin substrate and to inhibit Wnt signaling in a dose-dependent manner. The peptides therefore represent a promising starting point for a new class of substrate-competitive inhibitors of TNKS with potential for suppressing Wnt signaling in cancer. Moreover, by demonstrating the application of the double-click macrocyclization approach to non-helical, extended, or irregularly structured peptides, we greatly extend its potential and scope, especially given the frequency with which such motifs mediate protein–protein interactions.

Large-scale recoding of a bacterial genome by iterative recombineering of synthetic DNA

Abstract The ability to rewrite large stretches of genomic DNA enables the creation of new organisms with customized functions. However, few methods currently exist for accumulating such widespread genomic changes in a single organism. In this study, we demonstrate a rapid approach for rewriting bacterial genomes with modified synthetic DNA. We recode 200 kb of the Salmonella typhimurium LT2 genome through a process we term SIRCAS (stepwise integration of rolling circle amplified segments), towards constructing an attenuated and genetically isolated bacterial chassis. The SIRCAS process involves direct iterative recombineering of 10–25 kb synthetic DNA constructs which are assembled in yeast and amplified by rolling circle amplification. Using SIRCAS, we create a Salmonella with 1557 synonymous leucine codon replacements across 176 genes, the largest number of cumulative recoding changes in a single bacterial strain to date. We demonstrate reproducibility over sixteen two-day cycles of integration and parallelization for hierarchical construction of a synthetic genome by conjugation. The resulting recoded strain grows at a similar rate to the wild-type strain and does not exhibit any major growth defects. This work is the first instance of synthetic bacterial recoding beyond the Escherichia coli genome, and reveals that Salmonella is remarkably amenable to genome-scale modification.

Development of a Multifunctional Benzophenone Linker for Peptide Stapling and Photoaffinity Labelling

Photoaffinity labelling is a useful method for studying how proteins interact with ligands and biomolecules, and can help identify and characterise new targets for the development of new therapeutics. We present the design and synthesis of a novel multifunctional benzophenone linker that serves as both a photo‐crosslinking motif and a peptide stapling reagent. Using double‐click stapling, we attached the benzophenone to the peptide via the staple linker, rather than by modifying the peptide sequence with a photo‐crosslinking amino acid. When applied to a p53‐derived peptide, the resulting photoreactive stapled peptide was able to preferentially crosslink with MDM2 in the presence of competing protein. This multifunctional linker also features an extra alkyne handle for downstream applications such as pull‐down assays, and can be used to investigate the target selectivity of stapled peptides.

Prokaryotic nanocompartments form synthetic organelles in a eukaryote

Compartmentalization of proteins into organelles is a promising strategy for enhancing the productivity of engineered eukaryotic organisms. However, approaches that co-opt endogenous organelles may be limited by the potential for unwanted crosstalk and disruption of native metabolic functions. Here, we present the construction of synthetic non-endogenous organelles in the eukaryotic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, based on the prokaryotic family of self-assembling proteins known as encapsulins. We establish that encapsulins self-assemble to form nanoscale compartments in yeast, and that heterologous proteins can be selectively targeted for compartmentalization. Housing destabilized proteins within encapsulin compartments afford protection against proteolytic degradation in vivo, while the interaction between split protein components is enhanced upon co-localization within the compartment interior. Furthermore, encapsulin compartments can support enzymatic catalysis, with substrate turnover observed for an encapsulated yeast enzyme. Encapsulin compartments therefore represent a modular platform, orthogonal to existing organelles, for programming synthetic compartmentalization in eukaryotes.Compartmentalization of proteins can potentially increase the productivity of engineered metabolic pathways. Here the authors use encapsulins to build non-endogenous organelles in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Synthetic genome recoding: new genetic codes for new features

Full genome recoding, or rewriting codon meaning, through chemical synthesis of entire bacterial chromosomes has become feasible in the past several years. Recoding an organism can impart new properties including non-natural amino acid incorporation, virus resistance, and biocontainment. The estimated cost of construction that includes DNA synthesis, assembly by recombination, and troubleshooting, is now comparable to costs of early stage development of drugs or other high-tech products. Here, we discuss several recently published assembly methods and provide some thoughts on the future, including how synthetic efforts might benefit from the analysis of natural recoding processes and organisms that use alternative genetic codes.

Rapid genome recoding by iterative recombineering of synthetic DNA

Genome recoding will provide a deeper understanding of genetics and transform biotechnology. We bypass the reliance of previous genome recoding methods on site-specific enzymes and demonstrate a rapid recombineering based strategy for writing genomes by Stepwise Integration of Rolling Circle Amplified Segments (SIRCAS). We installed the largest number of codon substitutions in a single organism yet published, creating a strain of Salmonella typhimurium with 1557 leucine codon changes across 200 kb of the genome.