Biosynthesis and Genetic Incorporation of 3,4-Dihydroxy-L-Phenylalanine into Proteins in Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT: While 20 canonical amino acids are used by most organisms for protein synthesis, the creation of cells that can use noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) as additional protein building blocks holds great promise for preparing novel medicines and for studying complex questions in biological systems. However, only a small number of biosynthetic pathways for ncAAs have been reported to date, greatly restricting our ability to generate cells with ncAA building blocks. In this study, we report the creation of a completely autonomous bacterium that utilizes 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (DOPA) as its 21st amino acid building block. Like canonical amino acids, DOPA can be biosynthesized without exogenous addition and can be genetically incorporated into proteins in a site-specific manner. Equally impo

SUBMITTER: Chen Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9018569 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature