Orthogonal ribosomes (o-ribosomes), also known as specialized ribosomes, are able to selectively translate mRNA not recognized by host ribosomes. As a result, they are powerful tools for investigating translational regulation and probing ribosome structure. To date, efforts directed towards engineering o-ribosomes have involved random mutagenesis-based approaches. As an alternative, we present here a computational method for rationally designing o-ribosomes in bacteria. Working under the assumption that base-pair interactions between the 16S rRNA and mRNA serve as the primary mode for ribosome binding and translational initiation, the algorithm enumerates all possible extended recognition sequences for 16S rRNA and then chooses those candidates that: (i) have a similar binding strength to their target mRNA as the canonical, wild-type ribosome/mRNA pair; (ii) do not bind mRNA with the wild-type, canonical Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence and (iii) minimally interact with host mRNA irrespective of whether a recognizable SD sequence is present. In order to test the algorithm, we experimentally characterized a number of computationally designed o-ribosomes in Escherichia coli.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkn354 | DOI Listing |
J Am Chem Soc
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States.
Lysine demethylases (KDMs) catalyze the oxidative removal of the methyl group from histones using earth-abundant iron and the metabolite 2-oxoglutarate (2OG). KDMs have emerged as master regulators of eukaryotic gene expression and are novel drug targets; small-molecule inhibitors of KDMs are in the clinical pipeline for the treatment of human cancer. Yet, mechanistic insights into the functional heterogeneity of human KDMs are limited, necessitating the development of chemical probes for precision targeting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Synth Biol
December 2024
Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan.
Cell-free systems, which can express an easily detectable output (protein) with a DNA or mRNA template, are promising as foundations of biosensors devoid of cellular constraints. Moreover, by encasing them in membranes such as natural cells to create artificial cells, these systems can avoid the adverse effects of environmental inhibitory molecules. However, the bacterial systems generally used for this purpose do not function well at ambient temperatures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFmSystems
November 2024
Department of Gynecology, Tengzhou Central People's Hospital, Tengzhou, Shandong, China.
Unlabelled: The objectives of this study are to examine the disparities in serum and intestinal tissue metabolites between a perimenopausal rat model and control rats and to analyze the diversity and functionality of intestinal microorganisms to determine the potential correlation between intestinal flora and metabolites. We established a rat model of perimenopausal syndrome (PMS) and performed an integrated analysis of metabolome and microbiome. Orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis scores and replacement tests indicated distinct separations of anion and cation levels between serum and intestinal samples of the model and control groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Psychiatry
September 2024
Basic and Clinical Laboratory of Mental Illness, Hulunbuir Third People's Hospital (Hulunbuir Mental Health Center), Yakeshi, Inner Mongolia, China.
Background: Schizophrenia is a persistent incurable mental disorder and is characterized by the manifestation of negative emotions and behaviors with anxiety and depression, fear and insecurity, self-harm and social withdrawal. The intricate molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain largely elusive. Accumulating evidence points towards the gut microbiota exerting an influence on brain function via the gut-brain axis, potentially contributing to the development of schizophrenia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNucleic Acids Res
November 2024
TESSSI, The European Syndicate of Synthetic Scientists and Industrialists, 75002 Paris, France.
All known bacterial tRNAs adopt the canonical cloverleaf 2D and L-shaped 3D structures. We aimed to explore whether alternative tRNA structures could be introduced in bacterial translation. To this end, we crafted a vitamin-based genetic system to evolve Escherichia coli toward activity of structurally non-canonical tRNAs.
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