改进酶稳定性的定向进化技术

酶作为一种生物催化剂,以其独特的优良特性,在绿色化学和清洁生产中得到了广泛的应用。随着酶定向进化技术的建立和发展,通过定向进化改进酶稳定性的研究越来越多。详细综述了各种定向进化方法的特点及在提高酶稳定性方面的应用,并从结构和功能的角度进一步解释了相关机理。     

Colorimetric Assays for Quantitative Analysis and Screening of Epoxide Hydrolase Activity

Focusing on directed evolution to tailor enzymes as usable biocatalysts for fine chemistry, we have studied in detail several colorimetric assays for quantitative analysis of epoxide hydrolase (EH) activity. In particular, two assays have been optimized to characterize variants issued from the directed evolution of the EH from Aspergillus niger. Assays described in this paper are sufficiently reliable for quantitative screening of EH activity in microtiter plates and are low cost alternatives to GC or MS analysis. Moreover, they are usable for various epoxides and not restricted to a type of substrate, such as those amenable to assay by UV absorbancy. They can be used to assay EH activity on any epoxide and to directly assay enantioselectivity when both (R) and (S) substrates are available. The advantages and drawbacks of these two methods to assay EH activity of a large number of natural samples are summarized.     

Unbiased libraries in protein directed evolution

Directed evolution is a powerful approach to study the molecular basis of protein evolution and to engineer proteins for a wide range of applications in synthetic organic chemistry and biotechnology. There are many methods based on random or focused mutagenesis to engineer successfully any protein trait. Focused approaches such as site-directed and saturation mutagenesis have become methods of choice for improving protein activity, selectivity, stability and many other traits because the screening step can be practically handled (bottleneck in directed evolution). Although novel mutagenesis methods based on CRISPR or solid-phase gene synthesis can eliminate bias when creating protein libraries, traditional PCR approaches, although imperfect, remain widely used due to their ease and low cost. One of the most common approaches in focused mutagenesis relies on NNK mutagenesis, however, the primer-based 22c-trick and small-intelligent methods have emerged as key tools for constructing less biased and unbiased libraries when all 20 canonical amino acids are needed for various reasons. In this minireview, we assess studies employing such methods for library creation and their areas of application. We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both methods and provide a perspective for creating smarter libraries.     

"PCR-karyotype" of human chromosomes in somatic cell hybrids

Amplification of human DNA sequences in 16 monochromosomal somatic cell hybrids containing different human chromosomes were performed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primer directed at human-specific regions of Alu or L1, the two major classes of interspersed repetitive sequences (IRS-PCR). A chromosome-specific pattern of amplification products was observed on agarose gels run with ethidium bromide, producing a "PCR-karyotype." This simple gel analysis provides a rapid method for identifying and monitoring the human chromosomal content of monochromosomal somatic cell hybrids without conventional cytogenetic analysis. Hybrids containing multiple human chromosome produce complex gel patterns, but identification of chromosome content can be achieved by hybridization of PCR products against a reference panel of monochromosomal or highly reduced hybrids representing each human chromosome. This dot-blot method also enables identification of human marker chromosomes or translocated pieces in hybrids that are not identifiable by cytogenetic methods. These IRS-PCR methods should greatly reduce the need for more laborious cytogenetic, isozyme, and Southern blot characterizations of human-rodent cell hybrids.     

奎尼酸的生物合成与应用

奎尼酸是一种具有极高价值的精细化工产品和医药中间体,在医药、食品、化工等行业均有广泛的应用价值。奎尼酸广泛存在于多种植物中,其咖啡酰类衍生物在抗病毒、治疗心血管疾病等研究中得到越来越多的关注和应用。目前获得奎尼酸的方法主要有4种,即植物提取法、化学合成法、酶工程法和微生物发酵法。随着分子生物学的不断发展,结合现代生物技术,应用基因工程方法,必将成为获得奎尼酸的重要途径。本文综述奎尼酸的分布、生物合成及其应用。     

Harnessing biocompatible chemistry for developing improved and novel microbial cell factories

White biotechnology relies on the sophisticated chemical machinery inside living cells for producing a broad range of useful compounds in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. However, despite the impressive repertoire of compounds that can be generated using white biotechnology, this approach cannot currently fully replace traditional chemical production, often relying on petroleum as a raw material. One challenge is the limited number of chemical transformations taking place in living organisms. Biocompatible chemistry, that is non-enzymatic chemical reactions taking place under mild conditions compatible with living organisms, could provide a solution. Biocompatible chemistry is not a novel invention, and has since long been used by living organisms. Examples include Fenton chemistry, used by microorganisms for degrading plant materials, and manganese or ketoacids dependent chemistry used for detoxifying reactive oxygen species. However, harnessing biocompatible chemistry for expanding the chemical repertoire of living cells is a relatively novel approach within white biotechnology, and it could potentially be used for producing valuable compounds which living organisms otherwise are not able to generate. In this mini review, we discuss such applications of biocompatible chemistry, and clarify the potential that lies in using biocompatible chemistry in conjunction with metabolically engineered cell factories for cheap substrate utilization, improved cell physiology, efficient pathway construction and novel chemicals production.     

Identification of sites within gp41 that serve as targets for antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity by using human monoclonal antibodies.

In an effort to determine the functional activity of anti-HIV-1 human mAb and to define the epitopes against which they are directed, supernatants from 10 EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines producing mAb to HIV were tested. Five clones producing mAb to gp41 and five producing mAb to p24 were identified. The anti-HIV-1 human mAb were tested in neutralization and cell fusion assays in the form of cell culture supernatants at concentrations ranging from 1.7 to 22.0 micrograms/ml. None of the human mAb were found either to inhibit HIV-1-(IIIB or RF) associated cell fusion or to neutralize HIV-1 (IIIB) infection of AA5 cells. All human mAb were additionally tested in 6 h 51Cr release assays for their ability to direct HIV-1 specific antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). For ADCC assays, PBMC were isolated from healthy seronegative donors and used as effector cells. HIV-1 infected (IIIB, RF, and MN) CEM.NKR cells as well as CEM.NKR cells with purified gp120 adsorbed onto their surface served as targets. None of the anti-p24 mAb mediated ADCC. In contrast, three of the anti-gp41 mAb were able to direct a significant level of ADCC against each of the infected targets, but as expected, failed to lyse gp120 adsorbed cells. To define the specific epitopes against which the anti-gp41 mAb were directed, seven small peptides homologous to regions within the extracellular domain of gp41 were synthesized. Using RIA, two of the mAb could be mapped. The most effective ADCC-directing human mAb bound to a peptide comprising amino acids 644-663, whereas the least effective ADCC directing anti-gp41 human mAb bound to a region within the immunodominant portion of gp41 outlined by amino acids 579-604. Together, these results for the first time assign a functional activity to human mAb directed at specific regions within gp41 by demonstrating that areas within this molecule can serve as targets for ADCC.     

Directed evolution of biocatalytic processes

The benefits of applying biocatalysts to organic synthesis, such as their high chemo-, regio-, and enantio-specificity and selectivity, must be seriously considered, especially where chemical routes are unavailable, complex or prohibitively expensive. In cases where a potential biocatalytic route is not yet efficient enough to compete with chemical synthesis, directed evolution, and/or process engineering could be implemented for improvements. While directed evolution has demonstrated great potential to enhance enzyme properties, there will always be some aspects of biocatalytic processes that it does not address. Even where it can be successfully applied, the resources required for its implementation must currently be weighed against the feasibility of, and resources available for developing a chemical synthesis route. Here, we review the potential of combining directed evolution with process engineering, and recent developments to improve their implementation. Favourable targets for the directed evolution of new biocatalysts are the syntheses of highly complex molecules, especially where chemistry, metabolic engineering or recombineering provide a partial solution. We also review some of the recent advances in the application of these approaches alongside the directed evolution of biocatalysts.     

Mass spectrometry methods in metabolomics

The review deals with metabolomics, a new and rapidly growing area directed to the comprehensive analysis of metabolites of biological objects. Metabolites are characterized by various physical and chemical properties, traditionally studied by methods of analytical chemistry focused on certain groups of chemical substances. However, current progress in mass spectrometry has led to formation of rather unified methods, such as metabolic fingerprinting and metabolomic profiling, which allow defining thousands of metabolites in one biological sample and therefore draw “a modern portrait of metabolomics.” This review describes basic characteristics of these methods, ways of metabolite separation, and analysis of metabolites by mass spectrometry. The examples shown in this review, allow to estimate these methods and to compare their advantages and disadvantages. Besides that, we consider the methods, which are of the most frequent use in metabolomics; these include the methods for data processing and the required resources, such as software for mass spectra processing and metabolite search database. In the conclusion, general suggestions for successful metabolomic experiments are given.     

Secondary metabolites as endogenous effectors of microbial cytodifferentiation

The present survey covers the regulatory role of microbial secondary metabolites and related compounds as endogenous signals of cell differentiation of the producing organisms. Several antibiotics have been shown to exert autoregulatory effects on differentiation-associated functions. The mechanisms of self-protection of the producing cells against the autotoxicity of secondary metabolites are discussed in terms of an integral part of the modulation of signal strength. As a further topic, the review deals with the hormone-like interference of particular metabolites with differentiating cells. Conclusive discussion concerns the potential use of microbial signal molecules either as tools for directed manipulations of product syntheses or as pharmaceutics.     

Directed evolution of aldolases for exploitation in synthetic organic chemistry

This review focuses on the directed evolution of aldolases with synthetically useful properties. Directed evolution has been used to address a number of limitations associated with the use of wild-type aldolases as catalysts in synthetic organic chemistry. The generation of aldolase enzymes with a modified or expanded substrate repertoire is described. Particular emphasis is placed on the directed evolution of aldolases with modified stereochemical properties: such enzymes can be useful catalysts in the stereoselective synthesis of biologically active small molecules. The review also describes some of the fundamental insights into mechanistic enzymology that directed evolution can provide.     

基因芯片技术及应用研究进展

采用高速打印或光刻合成技术可在硅片、玻璃或尼龙膜上制造ＤＮＡ微阵列。样品ＤＮＡ／ＲＮＡ通过ＰＣＲ扩增、体外转录等技术掺入荧光标记分子,与微阵列杂交后通过荧光扫描仪器扫描及计算机分析即可获得样品中大量基因序列及表达的信息。该技术可应用于高通量基因表达平行分析、大规模基因发现及序列分析、基因多态性分析和基因组研究等 。     

固体载体支承的双层膜系统

固态载体支承的双层膜的各种制备过程都简便易行,较脂质体等系统有重复性好、其物化性质可严格控制等优越性,并可将膜蛋白质分子镶嵌其中,是研究生物膜的良好模型．由于其研究方法日益成熟,固态载体支承的双层膜系统越来越成为研究生物膜与膜蛋白的有利工具之一．对固态载体支承的双层膜的制备技术和研究方法进行了系统的综述,并列举了一些在膜生物物理化学领域的应用．     

The synthesis of specific enzyme inhibitors

The review deals with directed synthesis of specific enzyme inhibitors. They are classified within the framework of the mechanistic approach, namely, stable analogues of substrates, which form enzyme complexes mimicking the Michaelis complex or those which influence the chemical stages of enzyme catalysis; conformational inhibitors; substrate analogues participating in enzyme reactions and producing modified products; suicide inhibitors; stage inhibitors (inhibitors influencing certain stages of enzyme reaction); transition state analogues; multisubstrate analogues and collected substrates. Types of chemical modification used in synthesis of the specific inhibitors are discussed. Some possibilities of the quantity structure-activity relationship methods, computer modelling and molecular graphics in designing the optimal structure of inhibitors are mentioned.     

Treatment of Tietze's syndrome pain through paced respiration

A paced respiration methodology and self-control procedure was developed to reduce respiratory irregularities associated with disabling Tietze's syndrome pain. A 46-year-old disabled male patient who was diagnosed as having Tietze's syndrome and coronary heart disease was trained in respiratory control during five training sessions. Treatment was directed at producing normal respiratory activity and reducing involuntary deep inspirations. Training led to within- and between-sessions reductions in respiratory irregularity and pain frequency, and to increases in self-reported activity levels. Two- and 5-month follow-up sessions showed that improvements were maintained but at an attenuated level. Possible respiration biofeedback or self-monitoring treatments of this syndrome are also discussed.     

RepTAGs: universal tags for isolation and labeling of proteins, for labeling live mammalian cells and for drug discovery

Methods for specific immobilization, isolation and labeling of proteins are central to the elucidation of cellular functions. Based on bacterial repressor proteins, which bind to specific target sequences in response to small molecules (macrolide and tetracycline antibiotics) or environmental parameters (temperature), we have developed a set of protein tags (RepTAGs), which enable reversible immobilization of the protein of interest on a solid support for the isolation and quantification as well as for the specific labeling of target proteins with fluorescent dyes for tracking them within a complex protein mixture. Similarly, live mammalian cells were specifically labeled with a fluorescent operator sequence bound to RepTAGs, which were directed towards the cell surface for easy discrimination between transfected and untransfected cell populations. Based on the drug-responsive RepTAG-DNA interactions, it was also possible to quantify or discover antibiotics in environmental samples or compound libraries by means of rapid, sensitive detection methods involving fluorescence polarization and bioluminescence. We believe that the universally applicable RepTAGs will become essential for the analysis and manipulation of proteins in the most diverse areas of protein chemistry and cell biology.     

Modulated Self-Organization in Complex Amphiphilic Systems

Abstract

We discuss novel simulation methods for 3D pattern formation in complex amphiphilic systems. The focus is on the supra-molecular or mesoscopic level. The building blocks consist of sequences of dissimilar monomers, connected in copolymer chain molecules. Internal factors such as composition and architecture of the polymers, but also external factors such as applied shear, embedded reactions and level of confinement control the self-organization phenomena. Specific examples include dynamical pattern formation in polymer surfactant solution, reactive polymer blends and surface directed structure formation in block copolymer liquids. The approach lives in a twilight zone between scientific disciplines. The ambitious goal is the invention of methods for the rational design of truly complex bio-mimicking materials, in which we combine principles from chemical engineering, physics, chemistry and biology. The keyword is self-organization, of course. But do not be mistaken: autonomous self-organization leads to trouble, modulated self-organization leads to beauty.     

应用分子定向进化技术适时检测及预防鳗鱼主要疾病的初步探讨

应用分子定向进化(directedmolecularevolution)技术研究和解决复杂的生物学和化学问题,已成为化学和生物学中最活跃的领域之一。针对目前鳗鱼主要疾病的检测及预防现状和出现的技术难点及不足,初步探讨了分子定向进化技术在这方面的应用及前景。     

Information flow in interaction networks II: channels, path lengths, and potentials

In our previous publication, a framework for information flow in interaction networks based on random walks with damping was formulated with two fundamental modes: emitting and absorbing. While many other network analysis methods based on random walks or equivalent notions have been developed before and after our earlier work, one can show that they can all be mapped to one of the two modes. In addition to these two fundamental modes, a major strength of our earlier formalism was its accommodation of context-specific directed information flow that yielded plausible and meaningful biological interpretation of protein functions and pathways. However, the directed flow from origins to destinations was induced via a potential function that was heuristic. Here, with a theoretically sound approach called the channel mode, we extend our earlier work for directed information flow. This is achieved by constructing a potential function facilitating a purely probabilistic interpretation of the channel mode. For each network node, the channel mode combines the solutions of emitting and absorbing modes in the same context, producing what we call a channel tensor. The entries of the channel tensor at each node can be interpreted as the amount of flow passing through that node from an origin to a destination. Similarly to our earlier model, the channel mode encompasses damping as a free parameter that controls the locality of information flow. Through examples involving the yeast pheromone response pathway, we illustrate the versatility and stability of our new framework.     

Biosurfactants as green stabilizers for the biological synthesis of nanoparticles

Taking into consideration the needs of greener bioprocesses and novel enhancers for synthesis using microbial processes, biosurfactants, and/or biosurfactant producing microbes are emerging as an alternate source for the rapid synthesis of nanoparticles. A microemulsion technique using an oil-water-surfactant mixture was shown to be a promising approach for nanoparticle synthesis. Biosurfactants are natural surfactants derived from microbial origin composed mostly of sugar and fatty acid moieties, they have higher biodegradability, lower toxicity, and excellent biological activities. The biosurfactant mediated process and microbial synthesis of nanoparticles are now emerging as clean, nontoxic, and environmentally acceptable “green chemistry’’ procedures. The biosurfactant-mediated synthesis is superior to the methods of bacterial- or fungal-mediated nanoparticle synthesis, since biosurfactants reduce the formation of aggregates due to the electrostatic forces of attraction and facilitate a uniform morphology of the nanoparticles. In this review, we highlight the biosurfactant mediated synthesis of nanoparticles with relevant details including a greener bioprocess, sources of biosurfactants, and biological synthesized nanoparticles based on the available literature and laboratory findings.