52 results about "Aminoacylation" patented technology

Methods, compositions, kits, and apparatus are provided wherein the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase system is used to analyze amino acids. The method allows very small devices for quantitative or semi-quantitative analysis of the amino acids in samples or in sequential or complete proteolytic digestions. The methods can be readily applied to the detection and / or quantitation of one or more primary amino acids by using cognate aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase and cognate tRNA. The basis of the method is that each of the 20 synthetases and / or a tRNA specific for a different amino acid is separated spatially or differentially labeled. The reactions catalyzed by all 20 synthetases may be monitored simultaneously, or nearly simultaneously, or in parallel. Each separately positioned synthetase or tRNA will signal its cognate amino acid. The synthetase reactions can be monitored using continuous spectroscopic assays. Alternatively, since elongation factor Tu:GTP (EF-Tu:GTP) specifically binds all AA−tRNAs, the aminoacylation reactions catalyzed by the synthetases can be monitored using ligand assays. Microarrays and microsensors for amino acid analysis are provided. Additionally, amino acid analysis devices are integrated with protease digestions to produce miniaturized enzymatic sequenators capable of generating either N- or C-terminal sequence and composition data for a protein or peptide. The possibility of parallel processing of many samples in an automated manner is discussed.

The drug action mechanisms and core techniques of the present invention are summarized in figure 1. Specifically, the invention provides malignant denatured proteins, such as mutant Huntingtin proteinor alpha-synuclein, stick together to grow into oligomer aggregates (1, 2), fibrillar aggregates (3), and ultimately inclusion bodies (4). Young neuronal cells produce a large quantity of Nt-Arg through N-terminal arginylation (5) of endoplasmic reticulum chaperones, such as BiP, and thereafter, arginylated BiP (R-BiP) comes into the cytoplasm and binds with denatured proteins (6). Nt-Arg of R-BiP, as a ligand, binds with the ZZ domain of p62 (7) to induce the structural activation of p62 (8) while the ordinarily closed inactive form of p62 is changed with an open form thereof, and thus PB1 and LC3-binding domains are exposed. On the basis of oligomerization (9) by the PB1 domain, p62 binds with the denatured protein aggregates to be concentrated to autophagically degradable aggregates, that is, p62 bodies (10). Thereafter, p62 completes autophagy targeting (11) and lysosomal proteolysis through binding with LC3 protruding on the autophagosomal membranes. In young neuronal cells, theautophagic proteolysis occurring through steps 5-11 is strong, and thus the cytotoxic protein aggregates (1-5) do not accumulate, but in aged neuronal cells, the autophagic proteolysis occurring through steps 5-11 is weakened, and thus the protein aggregates (1-5) accumulate, resulting in a vicious cycle. The present invention attempts to effectively remove Huntingtin and alpha-synuclein protein aggregates and the like by artificially activating p62 using low-mass ligands of the p62 ZZ domain (12, 13). Specifically, p62 binding the ligands through step 12 promotes p62-R-BiP-denatured protein oligomerization (9) and autophagy aggregate formation (10). In addition, the ligand-62 conjugates step 13 act as autophagy activators (14), to promote LC3 synthesis, the conversion of LC3-I into LC3-II, and the like, thereby promoting the formation of autophagosomes (15).

An aminoacylation / translation (AIT) system based on the protein synthesis system from the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, was used to screen chemical compounds for identifying inhibitors of protein synthesis. This system includes elongation factors: EF-Tu, EF-Ts and EF-G, aminoacyl tRNA synthetase (aaRS) specific for phenylalanine, PheRS, and ribosomes isolated from cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Compounds identified using this assay have been shown to contain broad spectrum activity against both Gram+ and Gram− pathogens. Methods of using the identified compounds, as well as derivatives and analogues of these compounds, as antimicrobial agents against bacterial infections are described.

The present invention provides modified aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) having increased reactivity with N-methyl amino acids compared to natural aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. The modified aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases according to the present invention can aminoacylate tRNAs with their corresponding N-methyl-substituted amino acids such as N-methyl-phenylalanine, N-methyl-valine, N-methyl-serine, N-methyl-threonine, N-methyl-tryptophan, and N-methyl-leucine more efficiently than natural aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. The present invention enables a more efficient production of polypeptides containing N-methyl amino acids.

The invention is directed to methods for the non-radioactive labeling, detection, quantitation and isolation of nascent proteins translated in a cellular or cell-free translation system. tRNA molecules are misaminoacylated with non-radioactive markers which may be non-native amino acids, amino acid analogs or derivatives, or substances recognized by the protein synthesizing machinery. Markers may comprise cleavable moieties, detectable labels, reporter properties wherein markers incorporated into protein can be distinguished from unincorporated markers, or coupling agents which facilitate the detection and isolation of nascent protein from other components of the translation system. The invention also comprises proteins prepared using misaminoacylated tRNAs which can be utilized in pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of diseases and disorders in humans and other mammals, and kits which may be used for the detection of diseases and disorders.

Ribozymes exhibiting tRNA synthetase activity and substrate specificity, as well as methods for engineering and producing the same, are disclosed. The ribozymes of the present disclosure comprise a T-box RNA module fused with a flexizyme module. The flexizyme module provides high promiscuity with respect to amino acid substrates and the T-box module provides tRNA substrate specificity. Systems are also described for aminoacylation of suppressor tRNAs with unnatural amino acids (uAAs), such systems comprising the ribozyme previously mentioned, suppressor tRNA, and the desired uAAs. Methods for incorporating a uAA into a growing polypeptide chain using the ribozyme hereof are also provided.

The invention relates to an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase mutant which is orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase. The amino acid sequence of the synthetase is selected from a group composed of an amino acid sequence presented in SEQ ID NO:4 and conservative variants of the amino acid sequence presented in SEQ ID NO:4, and the conservative variants have enzyme activity the same as the amino acid sequence presented in SEQ ID NO:4. The invention further provides a 3,5-difluoro-tyrosine translation system which comprises (i) 3,5-difluoro-tyrosine, (ii) the orthogonal aminoacyl-tRAN synthetase, (iii) orthogonal tRNA and (iv) nucleic acid of encoded target protein, wherein the orthogonal aminoacyl-tRAN synthetase carries out prior aminoacylation on the orthogonal tRNA through the 3,5-difluoro-tyrosine, and the nucleic acid contains at least one selective codon for specific recognition of the orthogonal tRNA.

Herein is reported a method for the enzymatic production of a polypeptide comprising the step of incubating i) a first polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence LPXTG (SEQ ID NO: 01, wherein X can be any amino acid residue) or LPXTA (SEQ ID NO: 41, wherein X can be any amino acid residue), ii) a second polypeptide that has i) a glycinyl, an alaninyl, or a cysteinyl compound at its N-terminus, or ii) an oligoglycine, or oligoalanine, or a cysteine amino acid residue followed by one to three glycine or alanine amino acid residues at its N-terminus, or iii) a lysine amino acid residue within its 5 N-terminal amino acid residues, and iii) a third polypeptide with sortase A activity, in a deep eutectic solvent and thereby producing a polypeptide.

The invention relates to an aminoacyl-tRNA (transfer ribonucleic acid) synthetase mutant containing an amino acid sequence selected from groups consisting of amino acids shown by SEQ ID NO:4 and conservative variants thereof. The invention provides a CpK (short for N<epsilon>-(1-methylcyclopropyl-2-acrylamide)-lysine) translation system for fixed point specific insertion of N<epsilon>-(1-methylcyclopropyl-2-acrylamide)-lysine in a target protein through pairing of orthogonal tRNA and orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, and a method for fixed point specific insertion of CpK in the target protein by using the translation system. The CpK translation system comprises (i) N<epsilon>-(1-methylcyclopropyl-2-acrylamide)-lysine, (ii) the orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, (iii) the orthogonal tRNA and (iv) a nucleic acid for coding the target protein, wherein the orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase is used for realizing aminoacylation of the orthogonal tRNA preferentially by using CpK, and the nucleic acid contains at least one selective codon specifically identified by the orthogonal tRNA. The invention also relates to an application of a mutant protein for fixed point specific insertion of CpK in protein labeling through a light click reaction with a tetrazole compound.

It is intended to provide a method of chemically synthesizing an aminoacyl tRNA which is completely different from the existing methods, namely, a highly efficient and practically usable method for synthesizing an aminoacyl tRNA whereby any nonnatural amino acid can be conveniently aminoacylated without a need for genetic engineering techniques and detected without resort to a radioactive isotope. The above-described aminoacylation method comprises enclosing a tRNA and an amino acid in the vicinity of the micelle-water interface and bringing them close to each other to thereby react the same, or providing between them a peptide nucleic acid specifically binding to the tRNA as an antisense molecule and bringing them close to each other to thereby react the same.