Authors: 3. B. Buchmuller, J. Dröden, H. Singh, S. Palei, M. Drescher, R. Linser, D. Summerer
Vol: 144 Pages: 2987?2993
Journal: J. Am. Chem. Soc. Year: 2022 Posted: 12 Aug 2024
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5-Methylcytosine (mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (hmC), the two main epigenetic modifications of mammalian DNA, exist in symmetric and asymmetric combinations in the two strands of CpG dyads. However, revealing such combinations in single DNA duplexes is a significant challenge. Here, we evolve methyl-CpG-binding domains (MBDs) derived from MeCP2 by bacterial cell surface display, resulting in the first affinity probes for hmC\/mC CpGs. One mutant has low nanomolar affinity for a single hmC\/mC CpG, discriminates against all 14 other modified CpG dyads, and rivals the selectivity of wild-type MeCP2. Structural studies indicate that this protein has a conserved scaffold and recognizes hmC and mC with two dedicated sets of residues. The mutant allows us to selectively address and enrich hmC\/mC-containing DNA fragments from genomic DNA backgrounds. We anticipate that this novel probe will be a versatile tool to unravel the function of hmC\/mC marks in diverse aspects of chromatin biology.<\/p>")"> Abstract
Authors: T-C Lin, S. Palei, D. Summerer
Vol: 17 Pages: 1844-1852
Journal: ACS Chem. Bio. Year: 2022 Posted: 12 Aug 2024
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Methyl-CpG binding domain (MBD) proteins and ten-eleven-translocation (TET) dioxygenases are the readers and erasers of 5-methylcytosine (5mC), the central epigenetic mark of mammalian DNA. We employ light-activatable human TET1 controlled by a genetically encoded photocaged serine to enable in vivo kinetic studies of their interplay at the common substrate methylated cytosine–guanine (mCpG). We identify the multidomain reader MBD1 to negatively regulate TET1-catalyzed 5mC oxidation kinetics via its mCpG-binding MBD domain. However, we also identify the third Cys-x-x-Cys (CXXC3) domain of MBD1 to promote oxidation kinetics by TET1, dependent on its ability to bind nonmethylated CpG, the final product of TET-mediated mCpG oxidation and active demethylation. In contrast, we do not observe differences in TET1 regulation for MBD1 variants with or without the transcriptional repressor domain. Our approach reveals a complex, domain-dependent interplay of these readers and erasers of 5mC with different domain-specific contributions of MBD1 to the overall kinetics of TET1-catalyzed global 5mC oxidation kinetics that contribute to a better understanding of dynamic methylome shaping.<\/p>")"> Abstract
Authors: 1. S. Palei*, J. Weisner*, M. Vogt, R. Gontala, B. Buchmuller, C. Ehrt, T. Grabe, S. Kleinbölting, M. Müller, G. H. Clever, D. Rauh, D. Summerer
Vol: 13 Pages: 1540–1548
Journal: RSC Med. Chem. Year: 2022 Posted: 12 Aug 2024
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Ten-eleven translocation dioxygenases (TETs) are the erasers of 5-methylcytosine (mC), the central epigenetic regulator of mammalian DNA. TETs convert mC to three oxidized derivatives with unique physicochemical properties and inherent regulatory potential, and it initializes active demethylation by the base excision repair pathway. Potent small molecule inhibitors would be useful tools to study TET functions by conditional control. To facilitate the discovery of such tools, we here report a high-throughput screening pipeline and its application to screen and validate 31.5k compounds for inhibition of TET2. Using a homogenous fluorescence assay, we discover a novel quinoline-based scaffold that we further validate with an orthogonal semi-high throughput MALDI-MS assay for direct monitoring of substrate turnover. Structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies involving >20 derivatives of this scaffold led to the identification of optimized inhibitors, and together with computational studies suggested a plausible model for its mode of action.<\/p>")"> Abstract
Authors: S. Palei, H. D. Mootz
Vol: 57 Pages: 4194-4197
Journal: Chem. Commun. Year: 2021 Posted: 12 Aug 2024
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A dual-intein approach for the preparation of head-to-tail macrocyclic peptides is reported, where synthetic and genetically encoded fragments are ligated by two native peptide bonds. A split intein ligates the synthetic and genetically encoded peptides via protein trans-splicing and is followed by intramolecular cyclization through an expressed protein ligation step mediated with a cis-intein. We identified a suitable pair of orthogonal inteins and optimized the conditions for a one-pot cyclization protocol. We report the semisynthesis of model macrocyles with various ring sizes and of the natural product sunflower trypsin inhibitor (SFTI) along with its ornithine analog.<\/p>")"> Abstract
Authors: 5. J. Wolffgramm, B. Buchmuller, S. Palei, A. Munoz-Lopez, J. Kane, P. Janning, M. Schweiger, Daniel Summerer
Vol: 60 Pages: 13507–13512
Journal: Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Year: 2021 Posted: 12 Aug 2024
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5-Methylcytosine (5mC), the central epigenetic mark of mammalian DNA, plays fundamental roles in chromatin regulation. 5mC is written onto genomes by DNA methyltransferases (DNMT), and perturbation of this process is an early event in carcinogenesis. However, studying 5mC functions is limited by the inability to control individual DNMTs with spatiotemporal resolution in vivo. We report light-control of DNMT catalysis by genetically encoding a photocaged cysteine as a catalytic residue. This enables translation of inactive DNMTs, their rapid activation by light-decaging, and subsequent monitoring of de novo DNA methylation. We provide insights into how cancer-related DNMT mutations alter de novo methylation in vivo, and demonstrate local and tuneable cytosine methylation by light-controlled DNMTs fused to a programmable transcription activator-like effector domain targeting pericentromeric satellite-3 DNA. We further study early events of transcriptome alterations upon DNMT-catalyzed cytosine methylation. Our study sets a basis to dissect the order and kinetics of diverse chromatin-associated events triggered by normal and aberrant DNA methylation.<\/p>")"> Abstract
Authors: 7. S. Palei, B. Buchmuller, J. Wolffgramm, Á. Muñoz-Lopez, S. Jung, P. Czodrowski, D. Summerer
Vol: 142 Pages: 7289-7294
Journal: J. Am. Chem. Soc. Year: 2020 Posted: 12 Aug 2024
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Ten-eleven-translocation (TET) dioxygenases catalyze the oxidation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC), the central epigenetic regulator of mammalian DNA. This activity dynamically reshapes the epigenome and transcriptome by depositing oxidized 5mC derivatives and initiating active DNA demethylation. However, studying this dynamic is hampered by the inability to selectively activate individual TETs with temporal control in cells. We report activation of TETs in mammalian cells by incorporation of genetically encoded 4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzyl-l-serine as a transient active-site block, and its subsequent deprotection with light. Our approach enables precise insights into the impact of cancer-associated TET2 mutations on the kinetics of TET2 catalysis in vivo<\/em>, and allows time-resolved monitoring of target gene activation and transcriptome reorganization. This sets a basis for dissecting the order and kinetics of chromatin-associated events triggered by TET catalysis, ranging from DNA demethylation to chromatin and transcription regulation.<\/p>")"> Abstract
Authors: S. Palei*, K-S Becher*, C. Nienberg, J. Jose, H.D. Mootz
Vol: 20 Pages: 72-77
Journal: ChemBioChem Year: 2019 Posted: 12 Aug 2024
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Semisynthetic cyclic peptides containing both non-proteinogenic building blocks, as the synthetic part, and a genetically encoded sequence amenable to DNA-based randomization hold great potential to expand the chemical space in the quest for novel bioactive peptides. Key to an efficient selection of novel binders to biomacromolecules is a robust method to link their genotype and phenotype. A novel bacterial cell surface display technology has been developed to present cyclic peptides composed of synthetic and genetically encoded fragments in their backbones. The fragments were combined by protein trans-splicing and intramolecular oxime ligation. To this end, a split intein half and an unnatural amino acid were displayed with the genetically encoded part on the surface of Escherichia coli. Addition of the synthetic fragment equipped with the split intein partner and an aminooxy moiety, as well as the application of a pH-shift protocol, resulted in the onsurface formation of the semisynthetic cyclic peptide. This approach will serve for the generation of cyclic peptide libraries suitable for selection by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and more generally enables chemical modification of proteins on the bacterial surface.<\/p>")"> Abstract
Authors: S. Palei, H. D. Mootz
Vol: 17 Pages: 378-382
Journal: ChemBioChem Year: 2016 Posted: 12 Aug 2024
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Cyclic peptides can be highly valuable as bioactive molecules, both for biomedical applications and in basic research. We introduce a new fragment-based approach to access cyclic peptide structures in which one fragment is of synthetic origin and the other is genetically encoded. The synthetic peptide, which can contain one or more non-proteinogenic building blocks, is coupled to the recombinantly expressed peptide through two bonds, one formed by protein trans-splicing with a split intein and the other by oxime ligation. Semisynthetic macrocycles were obtained with high efficiency for various sequences and ring sizes; they can be prepared in quantities sufficient for initial bioactivity tests. We also prepared lipidated and d-amino-acid-containing peptides that were inspired by the peptide antibiotic daptomycin. Such structures are not accessible by other methods that harness the power of simple genetic diversification in the DNA-encoded part of the peptide.<\/p>")"> Abstract