Sandrine Madeleine Suzanne Georgeon

De novo design of protein interactions with learned surface fingerprints

Michael Bronstein, Stephen M Buckley, Bruno Emanuel Ferreira De Sousa Correia, Beat Fierz, Pablo Gainza Cirauqui, Sandrine Madeleine Suzanne Georgeon, Casper Alexander Goverde, Zander Harteveld, Anthony Marchand, Jane Marsden, Dongchun Ni, Elisa Oricchio, Aaron Simone Petruzzella, Charlène Mireille Raymonde Raclot, Stéphane Rosset, Andreas Scheck, Henning Paul-Julius Stahlberg, Freyr Sverrisson, Alexandra Teslenko, Didier Trono, Priscilla Turelli, Alexandra Krina Van Hall-Beauvais, Sarah Wehrle

Physical interactions between proteins are essential for most biological processes governing life. However, the molecular determinants of such interactions have been challenging to understand, even as genomic, proteomic and structural data increase. This knowledge gap has been a major obstacle for the comprehensive understanding of cellular protein–protein interaction networks and for the de novo design of protein binders that are crucial for synthetic biology and translational applications. Here we use a geometric deep-learning framework operating on protein surfaces that generates fingerprints to describe geometric and chemical features that are critical to drive protein–protein interactions10. We hypothesized that these fingerprints capture the key aspects of molecular recognition that represent a new paradigm in the computational design of novel protein interactions. As a proof of principle, we computationally designed several de novo protein binders to engage four protein targets: SARS-CoV-2 spike, PD-1, PD-L1 and CTLA-4. Several designs were experimentally optimized, whereas others were generated purely in silico, reaching nanomolar affinity with structural and mutational characterization showing highly accurate predictions. Overall, our surface-centric approach captures the physical and chemical determinants of molecular recognition, enabling an approach for the de novo design of protein interactions and, more broadly, of artificial proteins with function.

2023

Rational Design of Chemically Controlled Antibodies and Protein Therapeutics

Lucia Bonati, Bruno Emanuel Ferreira De Sousa Correia, Pablo Gainza Cirauqui, Sandrine Madeleine Suzanne Georgeon, Anthony Marchand, Stéphane Rosset, Leo Scheller, Sailan Shui, Li Tang

Protein-based therapeutics, such as monoclonal antibodies and cytokines, are important therapies for various pathophysiological conditions such as oncology, autoimmune disorders, and viral infections. However, the wide application of such protein therapeutics is often hindered by dose-limiting toxicities and adverse effects, namely, cytokine storm syndrome, organ failure, and others. Therefore, spatiotemporal control of the activities of these proteins is crucial to further expand their application. Here, we report the design and application of small-molecule-controlled switchable protein therapeutics by taking advantage of a previously engineered OFF-switch system. We used the Rosetta modeling suite to computationally optimize the affinity between B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein and a previously developed computationally designed protein partner (LD3) to obtain a fast and efficient heterodimer disruption upon the addition of a competing drug (Venetoclax). The incorporation of the engineered OFF-switch system into anti-CTLA4, anti-HER2 antibodies, or an Fc-fused IL-15 cytokine demonstrated an efficient disruption in vitro, as well as fast clearance in vivo upon the addition of the competing drug Venetoclax. These results provide a proof-of-concept for the rational design of controllable biologics by introducing a drug-induced OFF-switch into existing protein-based therapeutics.

2023

Bottom-up de novo design of functional proteins with complex structural features

Luciano Andres Abriata, Jaume Bonet Martinez, Bruno Emanuel Ferreira De Sousa Correia, Sandrine Madeleine Suzanne Georgeon, Stéphane Rosset, Leo Scheller, Fabian Sesterhenn, Eva Anna van Aalen, Che Yang

De novo protein design has enabled the creation of new protein structures. However, the design of functional proteins has proved challenging, in part due to the difficulty of transplanting structurally complex functional sites to available protein structures. Here, we used a bottom-up approach to build de novo proteins tailored to accommodate structurally complex functional motifs. We applied the bottom-up strategy to successfully design five folds for four distinct binding motifs, including a bifunctionalized protein with two motifs. Crystal structures confirmed the atomic-level accuracy of the computational designs. These de novo proteins were functional as components of biosensors to monitor antibody responses and as orthogonal ligands to modulate synthetic signaling receptors in engineered mammalian cells. Our work demonstrates the potential of bottom-up approaches to accommodate complex structural motifs, which will be essential to endow de novo proteins with elaborate biochemical functions, such as molecular recognition or catalysis.

NATURE RESEARCH2021

Btk SH2-kinase interface is critical for allosteric kinase activation and its targeting inhibits B-cell neoplasms

Matteo Dal Peraro, Sandrine Madeleine Suzanne Georgeon, Oliver Hantschel, Tim Kükenshöner, Grégory La Sala, Allan Joaquim Lamontanara, Maria Josefina Marcaida Lopez, Daniel Pereira Duarte, Florence Pojer

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) is critical for B-cell maturation and activation. Btk loss-of-function mutations cause human X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA). In contrast, Btk signaling sustains growth of several B-cell neoplasms which may be treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Here, we uncovered the structural mechanism by which certain XLA mutations in the SH2 domain strongly perturb Btk activation. Using a combination of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), we discovered an allosteric interface between the SH2 and kinase domain required for Btk activation and to which multiple XLA mutations map. As allosteric interactions provide unique targeting opportunities, we developed an engineered repebody protein binding to the SH2 domain and able to disrupt the SH2-kinase interaction. The repebody prevents activation of wild-type and TKI-resistant Btk, inhibiting Btk-dependent signaling and proliferation of malignant B-cells. Therefore, the SH2-kinase interface is critical for Btk activation and a targetable site for allosteric inhibition. Constitutive Btk signaling drives several B-cell cancers. Here the authors demonstrate key allosteric intramolecular interactions between the SH2 domain and the kinase domain of Btk, and propose an alternative approach for inhibition of both wild-type and tyrosine kinase inhibitor-resistant Btk.

NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP2020

Computational design of anti-CRISPR proteins with improved inhibition potency

Bruno Emanuel Ferreira De Sousa Correia, Sandrine Madeleine Suzanne Georgeon, Zander Harteveld, Stéphane Rosset, Andreas Scheck, Wei Sun, Julius Valten Upmeier Zu Belzen, Yimeng Wang

Anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins are powerful tools to control CRISPR-Cas technologies. However, the available Acr repertoire is limited to naturally occurring variants. Here, we applied structure-based design on AcrIIC1, a broad-spectrum CRISPR-Cas9 inhibitor, to improve its efficacy on different targets. We first show that inserting exogenous protein domains into a selected AcrIIC1 surface site dramatically enhances inhibition of Neisseria meningitidis (Nme)Cas9. Then, applying structure-guided design to the Cas9-binding surface, we converted AcrIIC1 into AcrIIC1X, a potent inhibitor of the Staphylococcus aureus (Sau)Cas9, an orthologue widely applied for in vivo genome editing. Finally, to demonstrate the utility of AcrIIC1X for genome engineering applications, we implemented a hepatocyte-specific SauCas9 ON-switch by placing AcrIIC1X expression under regulation of microRNA-122. Our work introduces designer Acrs as important biotechnological tools and provides an innovative strategy to safeguard CRISPR technologies.

NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP2020

De novo protein design enables the precise induction of RSV-neutralizing antibodies

Luciano Andres Abriata, Jaume Bonet Martinez, Patricia Corthésy Henrioud, Elie Charles Eugène Dheilly, Bruno Emanuel Ferreira De Sousa Correia, Sandrine Madeleine Suzanne Georgeon, Elisa Oricchio, Stéphane Rosset, Fabian Sesterhenn, Mélanie Evelyne Villard, Sabrina Susan Vollers, Yimeng Wang, Che Yang

De novo protein design has been successful in expanding the natural protein repertoire. However, most de novo proteins lack biological function, presenting a major methodological challenge. In vaccinology, the induction of precise antibody responses remains a cornerstone for next-generation vaccines. Here, we present a protein design algorithm called TopoBuilder, with which we engineered epitope-focused immunogens displaying complex structural motifs. In both mice and nonhuman primates, cocktails of three de novo-designed immunogens induced robust neutralizing responses against the respiratory syncytial virus. Furthermore, the immunogens refocused preexisting antibody responses toward defined neutralization epitopes. Overall, our design approach opens the possibility of targeting specific epitopes for the development of vaccines and therapeutic antibodies and, more generally, will be applicable to the design of de novo proteins displaying complex functional motifs.

2020

Rapid Screen for Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Resistance Mutations and Substrate Specificity

Sandrine Madeleine Suzanne Georgeon, Oliver Hantschel, Sina Maren Reckel

We present a rapid and high-throughput yeast and flow cytometry based method for predicting kinase inhibitor resistance mutations and determining kinase peptide substrate specificity. Despite the widespread success of targeted kinase inhibitors as cancer therapeutics, resistance mutations arising within the kinase domain of an oncogenic target present a major impediment to sustained treatment efficacy. Our method, which is based on the previously reported YESS system, recapitulated all validated BCR-ABL1 mutations leading to clinical resistance to the second-generation inhibitor dasatinib, in addition to identifying numerous other mutations which have been previously observed in patients, but not yet validated as drivers of resistance. Further, we were able to demonstrate that the newer inhibitor ponatinib is effective against the majority of known single resistance mutations, but ineffective at inhibiting many compound mutants. These results are consistent with preliminary clinical and in vitro reports, indicating that mutations providing resistance to ponatinib are significantly less common; therefore, predicting ponatinib will be less susceptible to clinical resistance relative to dasatinib. Using the same yeast-based method, but with random substrate libraries, we were able to identify consensus peptide substrate preferences for the SRC and LYN kinases. ABL1 lacked an obvious consensus sequence, so a machine learning algorithm utilizing amino acid covariances was developed which accurately predicts ABL1 kinase peptide substrates.

AMER CHEMICAL SOC2019

Differential signaling networks of Bcr-Abl p210 and p190 kinases in leukemia cells defined by functional proteomics

Sandrine Madeleine Suzanne Georgeon, Romain Hamelin, Oliver Hantschel, Sina Maren Reckel

The two major isoforms of the oncogenic Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase, p210 and p190, are expressed upon the Philadelphia chromosome translocation. p210 is the hallmark of chronic myelogenous leukemia, whereas p190 occurs in the majority of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Differences in protein interactions and activated signaling pathways that may be associated with the different diseases driven by p210 and p190 are unknown. We have performed a quantitative comparative proteomics study of p210 and p190. Strong differences in the interactome and tyrosine phosphoproteome were found and validated. Whereas the AP2 adaptor complex that regulates clathrin-mediated endocytosis interacts preferentially with p190, the phosphatase Sts1 is enriched with p210. Stronger activation of the Stat5 transcription factor and the Erk1/2 kinases is observed with p210, whereas Lyn kinase is activated by p190. Our findings provide a more coherent understanding of Bcr-Abl signaling, mechanisms of leukemic transformation, resulting disease pathobiology and responses to kinase inhibitors.Leukemia accepted article preview online, 23 January 2017. doi:10.1038/leu.2017.36.

Nature Publishing Group2017

Single-molecule kinetic analysis of HP1-chromatin binding reveals a dynamic network of histone modification and DNA interactions

Andreas Linus Bachmann, Louise Catherine Bryan, Georg Fantner, Beat Fierz, Sandrine Madeleine Suzanne Georgeon, Oliver Hantschel, Vassily Hatzimanikatis, Sinan Kilic, Carolin Christine Lechner, Pascal Damian Odermatt, Daniel Robert Weilandt

Chromatin recruitment of effector proteins involved in gene regulation depends on multivalent interaction with histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) and structural features of the chromatin fiber. Due to the complex interactions involved, it is currently not understood how effectors dynamically sample the chromatin landscape. Here, we dissect the dynamic chromatin interactions of a family of multivalent effectors, heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) proteins, using single-molecule fluorescence imaging and computational modeling. We show that the three human HP1 isoforms are recruited and retained on chromatin by a dynamic exchange between histone PTM and DNA bound states. These interactions depend on local chromatin structure, the HP1 isoforms as well as on PTMs on HP1 itself. Of the HP1 isoforms, HP1 alpha exhibits the longest residence times and fastest binding rates due to DNA interactions in addition to PTM binding. HP1 alpha phosphorylation further increases chromatin retention through strengthening of multivalency while reducing DNA binding. As DNA binding in combination with specific PTM recognition is found in many chromatin effectors, we propose a general dynamic capture mechanism for effector recruitment. Multiple weak protein and DNA interactions result in a multivalent interaction network that targets effectors to a specific chromatin modification state, where their activity is required.

Oxford University Press (OUP)2017