A de novo enzyme catalyzes a life-sustaining reaction in Escherichia coli.

Producing novel enzymes that are catalytically active in vitro and biologically functional in vivo is a key goal of synthetic biology. Here we describe Syn-F4, the first de novo protein that meets both criteria. Purified Syn-F4 hydrolyzes the siderophore ferric enterobactin, and expression of Syn-F4 allows an inviable strain of Escherichia coli to grow in iron-limited medium. These findings demonstrate that entirely new sequences can provide life-sustaining enzymatic functions in living organisms.

A protein constructed de novo enables cell growth by altering gene regulation.

Recent advances in protein design rely on rational and computational approaches to create novel sequences that fold and function. In contrast, natural systems selected functional proteins without any design a priori. In an attempt to mimic nature, we used large libraries of novel sequences and selected for functional proteins that rescue Escherichia coli cells in which a conditionally essential gene has been deleted. In this way, the de novo protein SynSerB3 was selected as a rescuer of cells in which serB, which encodes phosphoserine phosphatase, an enzyme essential for serine biosynthesis, was deleted. However, SynSerB3 does not rescue the deleted activity by catalyzing hydrolysis of phosphoserine. Instead, SynSerB3 up-regulates hisB, a gene encoding histidinol phosphate phosphatase. This endogenous E. coli phosphatase has promiscuous activity that, when overexpressed, compensates for the deletion of phosphoserine phosphatase. Thus, the de novo protein SynSerB3 rescues the deletion of serB by altering the natural regulation of the His operon.

Co-opting the E3 ligase KLHDC2 for targeted protein degradation by small molecules.

Targeted protein degradation (TPD) by PROTAC (proteolysis-targeting chimera) and molecular glue small molecules is an emerging therapeutic strategy. To expand the roster of E3 ligases that can be utilized for TPD, we describe the discovery and biochemical characterization of small-molecule ligands targeting the E3 ligase KLHDC2. Furthermore, we functionalize these KLHDC2-targeting ligands into KLHDC2-based BET-family and AR PROTAC degraders and demonstrate KLHDC2-dependent target-protein degradation. Additionally, we offer insight into the assembly of the KLHDC2 E3 ligase complex. Using biochemical binding studies, X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM, we show that the KLHDC2 E3 ligase assembles into a dynamic tetramer held together via its own C terminus, and that this assembly can be modulated by substrate and ligand engagement.

Oral Estrogen Receptor PROTAC Vepdegestrant (ARV-471) Is Highly Efficacious as Monotherapy and in Combination with CDK4/6 or PI3K/mTOR Pathway Inhibitors in Preclinical ER+ Breast Cancer Models.

PURPOSE: Estrogen receptor (ER) alpha signaling is a known driver of ER-positive (ER+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) breast cancer. Combining endocrine therapy (ET) such as fulvestrant with CDK4/6, mTOR, or PI3K inhibitors has become a central strategy in the treatment of ER+ advanced breast cancer. However, suboptimal ER inhibition and resistance resulting from the ESR1 mutation dictates that new therapies are needed. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A medicinal chemistry campaign identified vepdegestrant (ARV-471), a selective, orally bioavailable, and potent small molecule PROteolysis-TArgeting Chimera (PROTAC) degrader of ER. We used biochemical and intracellular target engagement assays to demonstrate the mechanism of action of vepdegestrant, and ESR1 wild-type (WT) and mutant ER+ preclinical breast cancer models to demonstrate ER degradation-mediated tumor growth inhibition (TGI). RESULTS: Vepdegestrant induced ≥90% degradation of wild-type and mutant ER, inhibited ER-dependent breast cancer cell line proliferation in vitro, and achieved substantial TGI (87%-123%) in MCF7 orthotopic xenograft models, better than those of the ET agent fulvestrant (31%-80% TGI). In the hormone independent (HI) mutant ER Y537S patient-derived xenograft (PDX) breast cancer model ST941/HI, vepdegestrant achieved tumor regression and was similarly efficacious in the ST941/HI/PBR palbociclib-resistant model (102% TGI). Vepdegestrant-induced robust tumor regressions in combination with each of the CDK4/6 inhibitors palbociclib, abemaciclib, and ribociclib; the mTOR inhibitor everolimus; and the PI3K inhibitors alpelisib and inavolisib. CONCLUSIONS: Vepdegestrant achieved greater ER degradation in vivo compared with fulvestrant, which correlated with improved TGI, suggesting vepdegestrant could be a more effective backbone ET for patients with ER+/HER2- breast cancer.

Push-pull macrocycles: donor-acceptor compounds with paired linearly conjugated or cross-conjugated pathways.

Two-dimensional π-systems are of current interest in the design of functional organic molecules, exhibiting unique behavior for applications in organic electronics, single-molecule devices, and sensing. Here we describe the synthesis and characterization of "push-pull macrocycles": electron-rich and electron-poor moieties linked by a pair of (matched) conjugated bridges. We have developed a two-component macrocyclization strategy that allows these structures to be synthesized with efficiencies comparable to acyclic donor-bridge-acceptor systems. Compounds with both cross-conjugated (m-phenylene) and linearly conjugated (2,5-thiophene) bridges have been prepared. As expected, the compounds undergo excitation to locally excited states followed by fluorescence from charge-transfer states. The m-phenylene-based systems exhibit slower charge-recombination rates presumably due to reduced electronic coupling through the cross-conjugated bridges. Interestingly, pairing the linearly conjugated 2,5-thiophene bridges also slows charge recombination. DFT calculations of frontier molecular orbitals show that the direct HOMO-LUMO transition is polarized orthogonal to the axis of charge transfer for these symmetrical macrocyclic architectures, reducing the electronic coupling. We believe the push-pull macrocycle design may be useful in engineering functional frontier molecular orbital symmetries.

Structures of N,N-dialkoxyamides: pyramidal anomeric amides with low amidicity.

The first X-ray structures of two anomeric N,N-dialkoxyamides (2 and 3) have been obtained, which confirm that they are highly pyramidalized at nitrogen and have long N-CO bonds, a characteristic of other anomeric amides and a consequence of drastically reduced amidicity. The crystals also demonstrate chirality at the amide nitrogen in the solid state. The structures are well-predicted by density functional calculations using N,N-dimethoxyacetamide as a model. The amidicity of N,N-dimethoxyacetamide has been estimated by two independent methods, COSNAR and a new transamidation method, which give almost identical resonance stabilization energies of -8.6 kcal mol(-1) and only 47% that of N,N-dimethylacetamide computed at the same level. The total destabilization is composed of a resonance and an inductive contribution, which we have evaluated separately. The electronegative oxygens at nitrogen are responsible for localization of the nitrogen lone pair on the amide nitrogen, a factor that contributes to a loss of resonance over and above the impact of pyramidalization at nitrogen, as well as the fact that N,N-dimethoxyacetamide is predicted to protonate on the carbonyl oxygen in preference to nitrogen.

Synthesis and thermal decomposition of N,N-dialkoxyamides.

N,N-dialkoxyamides 1c, a virtually unstudied member of the new class of anomeric amides, amides bearing two electronegative atoms at nitrogen, have been synthesised in useful yields directly from hydroxamic esters using phenyliodine(III)bis(trifluoroacetate) (PIFA). Infrared carbonyl stretch frequencies and carbonyl (13)C NMR properties have been reported, which support strong inhibition of amide resonance in these amides. Their thermal decomposition reactions in mesitylene at 155 °C proceed by homolysis to form alkoxyamidyl and alkoxyl free radicals in preference to HERON rearrangements to esters. The reactions follow first-order kinetics and for a series of N,N-dimethoxy-4-substituted benzamides, activation energies of 125-135 kJ mol(-1) have been determined together with weakly negative entropies of activation.

MxB Restricts HIV-1 by Targeting the Tri-hexamer Interface of the Viral Capsid.

The human antiviral protein MxB is a restriction factor that fights HIV infection. Previous experiments have demonstrated that MxB targets the HIV capsid, a protein shell that protects the viral genome. To make the conical-shaped capsid, HIV CA proteins are organized into a lattice composed of hexamer and pentamer building blocks, providing many interfaces for host proteins to recognize. Through extensive biochemical and biophysical studies and molecular dynamics simulations, we show that MxB is targeting the HIV capsid by recognizing the region created at the intersection of three CA hexamers. We are further able to map this interaction to a few CA residues, located in a negatively charged well at the interface between the three CA hexamers. This work provides detailed residue-level mapping of the targeted capsid interface and how MxB interacts. This information could inspire the development of capsid-targeting therapies for HIV.

Modular HIV-1 Capsid Assemblies Reveal Diverse Host-Capsid Recognition Mechanisms.

The HIV-1 capsid is an ordered protein shell that houses the viral genome during early infection. Its expansive surface consists of an ordered and interfacing array of capsid protein hexamers and pentamers that are recognized by numerous cellular proteins. Many of these proteins recognize specific, assembled capsid interfaces not present in unassembled capsid subunits. We used protein-engineering tools to capture diverse capsid assembly intermediates. We built a repertoire of capsid assemblies (ranging from two to 42 capsid protein molecules) that recreate the various surfaces in infectious capsids. These assemblies reveal unique capsid-targeting mechanisms for each of the anti-HIV factors, TRIMCyp, MxB, and TRIM5α, linked to inhibition of virus uncoating and nuclear entry, as well as the HIV-1 cofactor FEZ1 that facilitates virus intracellular trafficking. This capsid assembly repertoire enables elucidation of capsid recognition modes by known capsid-interacting factors, identification of new capsid-interacting factors, and potentially, development of capsid-targeting therapeutics.

A Non-natural Protein Rescues Cells Deleted for a Key Enzyme in Central Metabolism.

An important goal of synthetic biology is to create novel proteins that provide life-sustaining functions in living organisms. Recent attempts to produce novel proteins have focused largely on rational design involving significant computational efforts. In contrast, nature does not design sequences a priori. Instead, nature relies on Darwinian evolution to select biologically functional sequences from nondesigned sequence space. To mimic natural selection in the laboratory, we combed through libraries of novel sequences and selected proteins that rescue E. coli cells deleted for conditionally essential genes. One such gene, gltA, encodes citrate synthase, the enzyme responsible for metabolic entry into the citric acid cycle. The de novo protein SynGltA was isolated as a rescuer of ΔgltA. However, SynGltA is not an enzyme. Instead, SynGltA allows cells to recover from a defect in central carbon and energy metabolism by altering the regulation of an alternative metabolic pathway. Specifically, SynGltA dramatically enhances the expression of prpC, a gene encoding methylcitrate synthase in the propionate degradation pathway. This endogenous protein has promiscuous catalytic activity, which when overexpressed, compensates for the deletion of citrate synthase. While the molecular details responsible for this overexpression have not been elucidated, the results clearly demonstrate that non-natural proteins-unrelated to sequences in nature-can provide life-sustaining functions by altering gene regulation in natural organisms.