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Site-Directed Mutagenesis to Improve Sensitivity of a Synthetic Two-Component Signaling System.

ABSTRACT: Two-component signaling (2CS) systems enable bacterial cells to respond to changes in their local environment, often using a membrane-bound sensor protein and a cytoplasmic responder protein to regulate gene expression. Previous work has shown that Escherichia coli's natural EnvZ/OmpR 2CS could be modified to construct a light-sensing bacterial photography system. The resulting bacterial photographs, or "coliroids," rely on a phosphotransfer reaction between Cph8, a synthetic version of EnvZ that senses red light, and OmpR. Gene expression changes can be visualized through upregulation of a LacZ reporter gene by phosphorylated OmpR. Unfortunately, basal LacZ expression leads to a detectable reporter signal even when cells are grown in the light, diminishing the contrast of the coliroids. We performed site-directed mutagenesis near the phosphotransfer site of Cph8 to isolate mutants with potentially improved image contrast. Five mutants were examined, but only one of the mutants, T541S, increased the ratio of dark/light gene expression, as measured by ?-galactosidase activity. The ratio changed from 2.57 fold in the starting strain to 5.59 in the T541S mutant. The ratio decreased in the four other mutant strains we examined. The phenotype observed in the T541S mutant strain may arise because the serine sidechain is chemically similar but physically smaller than the threonine sidechain. This may minimally change the protein's local structure, but may be less sterically constrained when compared to threonine, resulting in a higher probability of a phosphotransfer event. Our initial success pairing synthetic biology and site-directed mutagenesis to optimize the bacterial photography system's performance encourages us to imagine further improvements to the performance of this and other synthetic systems, especially those based on 2CS signaling.

SUBMITTER: Olshefsky A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4723039 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Site-Directed Mutagenesis to Improve Sensitivity of a Synthetic Two-Component Signaling System.

Olshefsky Audrey A Shehata Laila L Kuldell Natalie N

PloS one 20160122 1

Two-component signaling (2CS) systems enable bacterial cells to respond to changes in their local environment, often using a membrane-bound sensor protein and a cytoplasmic responder protein to regulate gene expression. Previous work has shown that Escherichia coli's natural EnvZ/OmpR 2CS could be modified to construct a light-sensing bacterial photography system. The resulting bacterial photographs, or "coliroids," rely on a phosphotransfer reaction between Cph8, a synthetic version of EnvZ tha ...[more]

PMID: 26799494

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Soybean (Glycine max) is a major protein crop, because soybean protein has an amino acid score comparable to that of beef and egg white. However, many allergens have been identified among soybean proteins. A decrease in allergenic protein levels would be useful for expanding the market for soybean proteins and processed foods. Recently, the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been adopted as a powerful tool for the site-directed mutagenesis in higher plants. This system is expected to generate hypoallergenic soybean varieties. RESULTS:We used two guide RNAs (gRNAs) and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation for simultaneous site-directed mutagenesis of two genes encoding the major allergens Gly m Bd 28?K and Gly m Bd 30?K in two Japanese soybean varieties, Enrei and Kariyutaka. We obtained two independent T0 Enrei plants and nine T0 Kariyutaka plants. Cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) analysis revealed that mutations were induced in both targeted loci of both soybean varieties. Sequencing analysis showed that deletions were the predominant mutation type in the targeted loci. The Cas9-free plants carrying the mutant alleles of the targeted loci with the transgenes excluded by genetic segregation were obtained in the T2 and T3 generations. Variable mutational spectra were observed in the targeted loci even in T2 and T3 progenies of the same T0 plant. Induction of multiple mutant alleles resulted in six haplotypes in the Cas9-free mutants derived from one T0 plant. Immunoblot analysis revealed that no Gly m Bd 28?K or Gly m Bd 30?K protein accumulated in the seeds of the Cas9-free plants. Whole-genome sequencing confirmed that a Cas9-free mutant had also no the other foreign DNA from the binary vector. Our results demonstrate the applicability of the CRISPR/Cas9 system for the production of hypoallergenic soybean plants. CONCLUSIONS:Simultaneous site-directed mutagenesis by the CRISPR/Cas9 system removed two major allergenic proteins from mature soybean seeds. This system enables rapid and efficient modification of seed components in soybean varieties.

Project description:BACKGROUND: The dengue virus two-component protease NS2B/NS3 mediates processing of the viral polyprotein precursor and is therefore an important determinant of virus replication. The enzyme is now intensively studied with a view to the structure-based development of antiviral inhibitors. Although 3-dimensional structures have now been elucidated for a number of flaviviral proteases, enzyme-substrate interactions are characterized only to a limited extend. The high selectivity of the dengue virus protease for the polyprotein precursor offers the distinct advantage of designing inhibitors with exquisite specificity for the viral enzyme. To identify important determinants of substrate binding and catalysis in the active site of the dengue virus NS3 protease, nine residues, L115, D129, G133, T134, Y150, G151, N152, S163 and I165, located within the S1 and S2 pockets of the enzyme were targeted by alanine substitution mutagenesis and effects on enzyme activity were fluorometrically assayed. METHODS: Alanine substitutions were introduced by site-directed mutagenesis at residues L115, D129, G133, T134, Y150, G151, N152, S163 and I165 and recombinant proteins were purified from overexpressing E. coli. Effects of these substitutions on enzymatic activity of the NS3 protease were assayed by fluorescence release from the synthetic model substrate GRR-amc and kinetic parameters Km, kcat and kcat/Km were determined. RESULTS: Kinetic data for mutant derivatives in the active site of the dengue virus NS3 protease were essentially in agreement with a functional role of the selected residues for substrate binding and/or catalysis. Only the L115A mutant displayed activity comparable to the wild-type enzyme, whereas mutation of residues Y150 and G151 to alanine completely abrogated enzyme activity. A G133A mutant had an approximately 10-fold reduced catalytic efficiency thus suggesting a critical role for this residue seemingly as part of the oxyanion binding hole. CONCLUSIONS: Kinetic data obtained for mutants in the NS3 protease have confirmed predictions for the conformation of the active site S1 and S2 pockets based on earlier observations. The data presented herein will be useful to further explore structure-activity relationships of the flaviviral proteases important for the structure-guided design of novel antiviral therapeutics.

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Site-Directed Mutagenesis to Improve Sensitivity of a Synthetic Two-Component Signaling System.

Publications

Site-Directed Mutagenesis to Improve Sensitivity of a Synthetic Two-Component Signaling System.

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