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| <li> <a href="https://www.rosettacommons.org/demos/latest/tutorials/prepare_ligand/prepare_ligand_tutorial"> </a>“.params”-file: </br> | | <li> <a href="https://www.rosettacommons.org/demos/latest/tutorials/prepare_ligand/prepare_ligand_tutorial"> </a>“.params”-file: </br> |
| A conformer ensemble has to be generated using information about the ligand, as the non-canonical amino acids are not generally available in databases like <a href=""http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/home/home.do>PDB</a>, making it necessary to build them manually | | A conformer ensemble has to be generated using information about the ligand, as the non-canonical amino acids are not generally available in databases like <a href=""http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/home/home.do>PDB</a>, making it necessary to build them manually |
− | using tools like <a href="https://pymol.org/2/">pymol</a><a href="https://avogadro.cc/">Avogadro</a> or <a href="http://www.cambridgesoft.com/software/overview.aspx">Chemdraw</a>. Using these tools, | + | using tools like <a href="https://pymol.org/2/">pymol</a>, <a href="https://avogadro.cc/">Avogadro</a> or <a href="http://www.cambridgesoft.com/software/overview.aspx">Chemdraw</a>. Using these tools, |
| files can be saved in the desired format. The ligand needs to be specified in the “.sdf”, “.mol” or “.mol2” file format. Such a | | files can be saved in the desired format. The ligand needs to be specified in the “.sdf”, “.mol” or “.mol2” file format. Such a |
| file can be obtained automatically by converting the relevant information from a “.pdb” file, if available. This conversion process usually also involves augmenting the data with hydrogen atoms | | file can be obtained automatically by converting the relevant information from a “.pdb” file, if available. This conversion process usually also involves augmenting the data with hydrogen atoms |
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| stores all bonds between the individual atoms, including the binding angles and binding distances. Rosetta cannot generate the conformer ensemble by itself, so an additional tool is needed. | | stores all bonds between the individual atoms, including the binding angles and binding distances. Rosetta cannot generate the conformer ensemble by itself, so an additional tool is needed. |
| Different tools are capable of creating the conformer ensemble automatically, but it is best to manually define constraints for the chi1, chi2 and backbone psi torsion angles that define the | | Different tools are capable of creating the conformer ensemble automatically, but it is best to manually define constraints for the chi1, chi2 and backbone psi torsion angles that define the |
− | orientation of the ligand in the binding pocket. For this, we know of three tools: The first is OpenEye Omega, but the full license is very costly and the free version is hard to obtain. | + | orientation of the ligand in the binding pocket. For this, we know of three tools: The first is <a href="https://www.eyesopen.com/omega">OpenEye Omega</a>, but the full license is very costly and the academic free version is hard to obtain. |
− | The second tool is Accelrys Discovery Studio, but Accerlys does not provide a free license. The third tool is TINKER, which is free, but poorly documented and depends on a specific keyfile, | + | The second tool is <a href="http://accelrys.com/">Accelrys Discovery Studio</a>, but Accerlys does not provide a free license. The third tool is <a href="https://dasher.wustl.edu/tinker/">TINKER</a>, which is free, but poorly documented and depends on a specific keyfile, |
− | which requires a high amount of chemical expertise to generate. Conformers might also be generated without constrains, for which different tools are available, in our case, we used ConFlex. | + | which requires a high amount of chemical expertise to generate. Conformers might also be generated without constrains, for which different tools are available, in our case, we used <a href="http://www.conflex.net/">ConFlex</a>. |
| Conformers need to be stored in one file (“.sdf”, “.mol”, or “.mol2”). | | Conformers need to be stored in one file (“.sdf”, “.mol”, or “.mol2”). |
| <li> “.pdb”-file: </br> | | <li> “.pdb”-file: </br> |
| The input-file for the scaffold, in our case the tRNA synthetase, can be downloaded in PDB format from Protein Data Bank (PDB). It is then necessary to delete the natural ligand from the PDB-file, | | The input-file for the scaffold, in our case the tRNA synthetase, can be downloaded in PDB format from Protein Data Bank (PDB). It is then necessary to delete the natural ligand from the PDB-file, |
− | as we need to incorporate our own aaRS. and,Additionally, it is advised to relax the preferably, the structure should be relaxedin order to allow for flexibility with regards to the simulation outcomes. | + | as we need to incorporate our own aaRS. Additionally, it is advised to relax the preferably, the structure should be relaxed in order to allow for flexibility with regards to the simulation outcomes. |
− | For further details, see the (documentation: https://www.rosettacommons.org/docs/latest/application_documentation/structure_prediction/relax.) | + | For further details, see the <a href="https://www.rosettacommons.org/docs/latest/application_documentation/structure_prediction/relax.">ROSETTA Relaxing documentation.</a> |
| <li> “.cst”-file: </br> | | <li> “.cst”-file: </br> |
| The .cst-file defines the potential hydrogen bonds between the ligand and the amino acid. For example, the code block characterized by the tags “CST::BEGIN” and “CST::END”, specifies the orientation or | | The .cst-file defines the potential hydrogen bonds between the ligand and the amino acid. For example, the code block characterized by the tags “CST::BEGIN” and “CST::END”, specifies the orientation or |
Results
Results in silico
We used this algrithm to simulate the evolution of the tyrosyl-tRNA with the amino acids Nitrophenylalanine and CBT-ASP
We obtained 13 synthetase sequences for CBT-ASP, and 43 sequences for NPA, which fit well into the binding site according to the ROSETTA score.
Results in vivo
In order to test the functionality and specificity of our modeled aaRS, we translated a selection of the most promising amino acid sequences into DNA sequences optimized for E.coli and ordered them via gene synthesis. We then used a positive-negative selection system for characterization. The experiment proceeds as follows:
Due to problems with regards to the protein- and salt-concentration, we retransformed the gensyntheses which had been cloned into pSB1C3. In a next step, these syntheses were cotransformed in E.coli(BL21) with our positive selection plasmid.
With regards to CBT2, only the original colony could be transformed. From CBT4 and CBT5, were used each originally isolated clone and its retransformed counterpart.
Due to the IPTC-induced promoter, we used variants without IPTG, and with 5 mM, 10 mM, and 15 mM added IPTS for all plasmids for the kanamycine resistance.
We chose additional variants with regards to the antibiotics; one variant each of kanamycine, kanamycine and chloramphenicole, and kanamycine, chloramphenicole and tetracycline. The number of resulting colonies for each variant are summarized in figure X. Our in vivo results show that our in silico designed enzymes did not lead to a loss of functioning.
We ordered seven synthetase sequences of NPA via IDT, and four synthetase sequences of CBT-Asparagine by courtesy of Genscript, where we had previously
won a grant of 500€. Due to problems on the part of IDT, the sequences for NPA could not be synthetized. We still provide the sequences for further use below.
All further descriptions therefore refer to the synthetase sequences for CBT-Asparagine.
Unfortunately, we were not able to amplify the four sequences or clone them into the detection system pSB3T5. A test digestion revealed that the length of the
sequence in the plasmid puk57, which was the plasmid delivered by Genscript, did not correspond to the sequence length ordered. Therefore, we disregarded synthetase candidate number 1
for further tests.
For the remaining three sequences, we instead utilized the positive-negative selection plasmids for validation of our syntheses.
After the first, positive selection cycle, colonies formed only if the non-canonical amino acid was present.
Thus, through the positive selection, we could show that the synthetase did not lead to the loss of functioning of the enzyme.
To show specificity, we conducted a negative selection as well. We managed to clone the synthetases into the negative selection plasmid,
but were not able to verify this selection cycle. Therefore, further tests are needed to validate the specificity of the synthetases.
References
Liu, W., Brock, A., Chen, S., Chen, S., Schultz, P. G. ,(2007). Genetic incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins in mammalian cells. Nature methods, 4(3), 239-244.
Richter, F., Leaver-Fay, A., Khare, S. D., Bjelic, S., Baker, D. (2011). De novo enzyme design using Rosetta3. PloS one, 6(5): e19230.
Simons, K. T., Kooperberg, C., Huang, E., Baker, D. (1997). Assembly of protein tertiary structures from fragments with similar local sequences using simulated annealing and Bayesian scoring functions. Journal of molecular biology, 268(1), 209-225.