Site-saturation mutagenesis is more efficient than DNA shuffling for the directed evolution of beta-fucosidase from beta-galactosidase.
Protein engineers use a variety of mutagenic strategies to adapt enzymes to novel substrates. Directed evolution techniques (random mutagenesis and high-throughput screening) offer a systematic approach to the management of protein complexity. This sub-discipline was galvanized by the invention of DNA shuffling, a procedure that randomly recombines point mutations in vitro. In one influential study, Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase (BGAL) variants with enhanced beta-fucosidase activity (tenfold increase in k(cat)/K(M) in reactions with the novel para-nitrophenyl-beta-d-fucopyranoside substrate; 39-fold decrease in reactivity with the "native"para-nitrophenyl-beta-d-galactopyranoside substrate) were evolved in seven rounds of DNA shuffling and screening. Here, we show that a single round of site-saturation mutagenesis and screening enabled the identification of beta-fucosidases that are significantly more active (180-fold increase in k(cat)/K(M) in reactions with the novel substrate) and specific (700,000-fold inversion of specificity) than the best variants in the previous study. Site-saturation mutagenesis thus proved faster, less resource-intensive and more effective than DNA shuffling for this particular evolutionary pathway.
Parikh
Monal R
MR
Department of Biochemistry, Center for Fundamental and Molecular Evolution, Emory University School of Medicine, Rollins Research Center, Room 4119, 1510 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Matsumura
Ichiro
I
D001483:Base Sequence; D032621:DNA Shuffling; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D019020:Directed Molecular Evolution / Q000379:methods*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D007700:Kinetics; D008958:Models, Molecular; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D015202:Protein Engineering / Q000379:methods; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D005644:alpha-L-Fucosidase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; D005644:alpha-L-Fucosidase