Project description:A comprehensive analysis of the phosphoproteome is essential for understanding molecular mechanisms of human diseases. However, current tools to enrich phosphotyrosine are limited in their applicability and scope. Here, we engineered new superbinder SH2 domains that enrich diverse sets of phosphotyrosine peptides. We used phage display to select a Fes SH2 domain variant with high affinity for phosphotyrosine (superFes-SH2, sFes1) and solved the structure of sFes1 bound to a phosphopeptide. We performed systematic structure-function analyses of the superbinding mechanisms of sFes1 and superSrc-SH2 (sSrc1), another SH2-superbinder. We grafted the superbinder motifs from sFes1 and sSrc1 into 17 additional SH2 domains and confirmed increased binding affinity for specific phosphopeptides. Using mass spectrometry, we demonstrated that SH2 superbinders have distinct specificity profiles and superior capabilities to enrich phosphotyrosine peptides. Finally, combinations of SH2 superbinders as affinity purification tools showed that unique subsets of phosphopeptides can be enriched with unparalleled depth and coverage.
Project description:Mirror-image proteins, composed of D-amino acids, are an attractive therapeutic modality, as they exhibit high metabolic stability and lack immunogenicity. Development of mirror-image binding proteins is achieved through chemical synthesis of D-target proteins, phage display library selection of L-binders and chemical synthesis of (mirror-image) D binders that consequently bind the physiological L-targets. Monobodies are well-established synthetic (L )binding proteins and their small size (~90 residues) and lack of endogenous cysteine residues make them particularly accessible to chemical synthesis. Here, we developed monobodies with nanomolar binding affinities against the D-SH2 domain of the leukemic tyrosine kinase BCR::ABL1. Two crystal structures of heterochiral monobody-SH2 complexes revealed targeting of the pY binding pocket by an unconventional binding mode. We then prepared potent D-monobodies by either ligating two chemically synthesized D-peptides or by self-assembly without ligation. Their proper folding and stability were determined and high affinity binding to the L-target was shown. D-monobodies were protease-resistant, showed long-term plasma stability, inhibited BCR::ABL1 kinase activity and bound BCR::ABL1 in cells and (to some extent in) cell lysates with high selectivity. Hence, we demonstrate that functional D monobodies can be developed readily. Our work represents an important step towards the possible future therapeutic use of D-monobodies when combined with emerging methods to enable cytoplasmic delivery of monobodies.