Directed evolution of L-asparaginase for improving in vivo stability

• Grant number: 19/09354-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: September 16, 2019
• End date: March 01, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Gisele Monteiro
• Grantee: Guilherme Meira Lima
• Supervisor: Ratmir Derda
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Alberta, Canada
• Associated to the scholarship: 18/15041-8 - Expression of L-asparaginase from Erwinia chrysanthemi in cell-free protein synthesis technology, BP.MS

Abstract

L-Asparaginase (L-ASNase) is a key component in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The introduction of this biopharmaceutical product in pediatric medical protocols improved ALL survival rates to approximately 90%. However, most L-ASNases in the market, especially the L-ASNase isolated from Erwinia chrysanthemi, display a relatively high immunogenicity and a short half-life, making ALL treatment difficult, particularly to adult patients. Drug clearance mechanisms such as antibody formation and protein degradation by lysosomal proteases are one of the main reasons responsible for the mentioned drawbacks. A L-ASNase with enhanced in vivo stability is therefore needed. Directed evolution could be used as an engineering strategy to design improved versions of L-ASNase. In this context, we propose to create novel L-ASNase mutants from E. chrysanthemi expressed in cell-free protein synthesis platform with improved biological stability through iterative rounds of mutations followed by in vitro and in vivo artificial selections. A library of L-ASNase gene variants created previously by our lab will be used and each expressed variant will be selected accordingly to their enzymatic activity, level of expression and stability on human serum. Finally, each viable L-ASNase mutant will be chemically modified and ligated to M13 phages. The resulting products will be combined and injected into mice, where the most stable variant will be selected and used as a starting point for the next round of mutations through site-directed mutagenesis. The strategy could elucidate important protein structure properties of L-ASNase and create variants better suited for medical applications in the future. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

LIMA, GUILHERME M.; ATRAZHEV, ALEXEY; SARKAR, SUSMITA; SOJITRA, MIRAT; REDDY, REVATHI; TORRES-OBREQUE, KARIN; RANGEL-YAGUI, CARLOTA DE OLIVEIRA; MACAULEY, MATTHEW S.; MONTEIRO, GISELE; DERDA, RATMIR. DNA-Encoded Multivalent Display of Chemically Modified Protein Tetramers on Phage: Synthesis and in Vivo Applications. ACS Chemical Biology, DEC 2021. (13/08617-7, 16/22065-5, 18/15041-8, 19/09354-6, 18/15104-0)

LIMA, GUILHERME M.; ATRAZHEV, ALEXEY; SARKAR, SUSMITA; SOJITRA, MIRAT; REDDY, REVATHI; TORRES-OBREQUE, KARIN; RANGEL-YAGUI, CARLOTA DE OLIVEIRA; MACAULEY, MATTHEW S.; MONTEIRO, GISELE; DERDA, RATMIR. DNA-Encoded Multivalent Display of Chemically Modified Protein Tetramers on Phage: Synthesis and in Vivo Applications. ACS Chemical Biology, v. 17, n. 11, p. 12-pg., 2022-11-18. (19/09354-6, 16/22065-5, 18/15041-8, 13/08617-7, 18/15104-0)