Conspectus
Heme proteins
have proven to be a convenient platform for the development
of designer proteins with novel functionalities. This is achieved
by substituting the native iron porphyrin cofactor with a heme analogue
that possesses the desired properties. Replacing the iron center of
the porphyrin with another metal provides one inroad to novel protein
function. A less explored approach is substitution of the porphyrin
cofactor with an alternative tetrapyrrole macrocycle or a related
ligand. In general, these ligands exhibit chemical properties and
reactivity that are distinct from those of porphyrins. While these
techniques have most prominently been utilized to develop artificial
metalloenzymes, there are many other applications of this methodology
to problems in biochemistry, health, and medicine. Incorporation of
synthetic cofactors into protein environments represents a facile
way to impart water solubility and biocompatibility. It circumvents
the laborious synthesis of water-soluble cofactors, which often introduces
substantial charge that leads to undesired bioaccumulation. To this
end, the incorporation of unnatural cofactors in heme proteins has
enabled the development of designer proteins as optical oxygen sensors,
MRI contrast agents, spectroscopic probes, tools to interrogate protein
function, antibiotics, and fluorescent proteins.
Incorporation
of an artificial cofactor is frequently accomplished
by denaturing the holoprotein with removal of the heme; the refolded
apoprotein is then reconstituted with the artificial cofactor. This
process often results in substantial protein loss and does not necessarily
guarantee that the refolded protein adopts the native structure. To
circumvent these issues, our laboratory has pioneered the use of the
RP523 strain of E. coli to incorporate artificial
cofactors into heme proteins using expression-based methods. This
strain lacks the ability to biosynthesize heme, and the bacterial
cell wall is permeable to heme and related molecules. In this way,
heme analogues supplemented in the growth medium are incorporated
into heme proteins. This approach can also be leveraged for the direct
expression of the apoprotein for subsequent reconstitution.
These methodologies have been exploited to incorporate non-native
cofactors into heme proteins that are resistant to harsh environmental
conditions: the heme nitric oxide/oxygen binding protein (H-NOX) from Caldanaerobacter subterraneus (Cs) and
the heme acquisition system protein A (HasA) from Pseudomonas
aeruginosa (Pa). The exceptional stability
of these proteins makes them ideal scaffolds for biomedical applications.
Optical oxygen sensing has been accomplished using a phosphorescent
ruthenium porphyrin as the artificial heme cofactor. Paramagnetic
manganese and gadolinium porphyrins yield high-relaxivity, protein-based
MRI contrast agents. A fluorescent phosphorus corrole serves as a
heme analogue to produce fluorescent proteins. Iron complexes of nonporphyrin
cofactors bound to HasA inhibit the growth of pathogenic b...