Many biologically active peptide secondary metabolites of bacteria are produced by modular enzyme complexes, the non-ribosomal peptide synthetases. Substrate selection occurs through an adenylation (A) domain, which activates the cognate amino acid with high fidelity. The recently discovered A domain of an Anabaenopeptin synthetase from Planktothrix agardhii (ApnA A1) is capable of activating two chemically distinct amino acids (Arg and Tyr). Crystal structures of the A domain reveal how both substrates fit into to binding pocket of the enzyme. Analysis of the binding pocket led to the identification of three residues that are critical for substrate recognition. Systematic mutagenesis of these residues created A domains that were monospecific, or changed the substrate specificity to tryptophan. The non-natural amino acid 4-azidophenylalanine is also efficiently activated by a mutant A domain, thus enabling the production of diversified non-ribosomal peptides for bioorthogonal labeling.

Enzymatic transfer of 4-vinylbenzyl to the mRNA 5′-cap gives access to the fluorogenic photoclick and the inverse electron-demand Diels–Alder reaction.

Trimethylguanosine synthase from Giardia lamblia (GlaTgs2) naturally catalyzes methyl transfer from S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) to the exocyclic N(2) atom of the 5'-cap--a hallmark of eukaryotic mRNAs. The wild-type enzyme shows substrate promiscuity and can also use the AdoMet-analog AdoPropen for allyl transfer. Here we report on engineering GlaTgs2 to enhance the activity on AdoPropen. A mutational analysis, involving an alanine scan of 10 residues located around the active site, was performed. Positions V34 and S38 were identified as mutational hot spots and analyzed in greater detail by testing NNK libraries. Kinetic analysis and thermostability measurements revealed V34A as the best variant of GlaTgs2, with a ∼10-fold improved specificity for AdoPropen. Double mutants did not yield additional improvements due to low catalytic efficiencies and thermal destabilization. Homologous Tgs enzymes from Homo sapiens and G. intestinalis were also investigated regarding their catalytic activity on AdoPropen. While neither the human wild-type (WT) enzyme nor any of its variants showed activity on AdoPropen, the homologue from G. intestinalis (GinTgs) was remarkably active on AdoPropen. Introducing the best substitution at the homologous position led to variant T34A with ∼40-fold higher specificity for AdoPropen than the original GlaTgs2 WT.