A chimeric viral platform for directed evolution in mammalian cells

Abstract Directed evolution is a process of mutation and artificial selection to breed biomolecules with new or improved activity. Directed evolution platforms are primarily prokaryotic or yeast-based, and stable mammalian systems have been challenging to establish and apply. To this end, we develop...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Alexander J. Cole, Christopher E. Denes, Cesar L. Moreno, Lise Hunault, Thomas Dobson, Daniel Hesselson, G. Gregory Neely
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59438-2
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850278115279896576
author Alexander J. Cole
Christopher E. Denes
Cesar L. Moreno
Lise Hunault
Thomas Dobson
Daniel Hesselson
G. Gregory Neely
author_facet Alexander J. Cole
Christopher E. Denes
Cesar L. Moreno
Lise Hunault
Thomas Dobson
Daniel Hesselson
G. Gregory Neely
author_sort Alexander J. Cole
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Directed evolution is a process of mutation and artificial selection to breed biomolecules with new or improved activity. Directed evolution platforms are primarily prokaryotic or yeast-based, and stable mammalian systems have been challenging to establish and apply. To this end, we develop PROTein Evolution Using Selection (PROTEUS), a platform that uses chimeric virus-like vesicles to enable extended mammalian directed evolution campaigns without loss of system integrity. This platform is stable and can generate sufficient diversity for directed evolution in mammalian systems. Using PROTEUS, we alter the doxycycline responsiveness of tetracycline-controlled transactivators, generating a more sensitive TetON-4G tool for gene regulation with mammalian-specific adaptations. PROTEUS is also compatible with intracellular nanobody evolution, and we use it to evolve a DNA damage-responsive anti-p53 nanobody. Overall, PROTEUS is an efficient and stable platform to direct evolution of biomolecules within mammalian cells.
format Article
id doaj-art-91ae947ea7a04f6ab29f4f96a6b2781e
institution OA Journals
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-91ae947ea7a04f6ab29f4f96a6b2781e2025-08-20T01:49:37ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-05-0116111310.1038/s41467-025-59438-2A chimeric viral platform for directed evolution in mammalian cellsAlexander J. Cole0Christopher E. Denes1Cesar L. Moreno2Lise Hunault3Thomas Dobson4Daniel Hesselson5G. Gregory Neely6Centenary Institute and Faculty of Medicine and Health, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of SydneyThe Dr. John and Anne Chong Lab for Functional Genomics, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of SydneyThe Dr. John and Anne Chong Lab for Functional Genomics, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of SydneyCentenary Institute and Faculty of Medicine and Health, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of SydneyCentenary Institute and Faculty of Medicine and Health, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of SydneyCentenary Institute and Faculty of Medicine and Health, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of SydneyThe Dr. John and Anne Chong Lab for Functional Genomics, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of SydneyAbstract Directed evolution is a process of mutation and artificial selection to breed biomolecules with new or improved activity. Directed evolution platforms are primarily prokaryotic or yeast-based, and stable mammalian systems have been challenging to establish and apply. To this end, we develop PROTein Evolution Using Selection (PROTEUS), a platform that uses chimeric virus-like vesicles to enable extended mammalian directed evolution campaigns without loss of system integrity. This platform is stable and can generate sufficient diversity for directed evolution in mammalian systems. Using PROTEUS, we alter the doxycycline responsiveness of tetracycline-controlled transactivators, generating a more sensitive TetON-4G tool for gene regulation with mammalian-specific adaptations. PROTEUS is also compatible with intracellular nanobody evolution, and we use it to evolve a DNA damage-responsive anti-p53 nanobody. Overall, PROTEUS is an efficient and stable platform to direct evolution of biomolecules within mammalian cells.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59438-2
spellingShingle Alexander J. Cole
Christopher E. Denes
Cesar L. Moreno
Lise Hunault
Thomas Dobson
Daniel Hesselson
G. Gregory Neely
A chimeric viral platform for directed evolution in mammalian cells
Nature Communications
title A chimeric viral platform for directed evolution in mammalian cells
title_full A chimeric viral platform for directed evolution in mammalian cells
title_fullStr A chimeric viral platform for directed evolution in mammalian cells
title_full_unstemmed A chimeric viral platform for directed evolution in mammalian cells
title_short A chimeric viral platform for directed evolution in mammalian cells
title_sort chimeric viral platform for directed evolution in mammalian cells
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59438-2
work_keys_str_mv AT alexanderjcole achimericviralplatformfordirectedevolutioninmammaliancells
AT christopheredenes achimericviralplatformfordirectedevolutioninmammaliancells
AT cesarlmoreno achimericviralplatformfordirectedevolutioninmammaliancells
AT lisehunault achimericviralplatformfordirectedevolutioninmammaliancells
AT thomasdobson achimericviralplatformfordirectedevolutioninmammaliancells
AT danielhesselson achimericviralplatformfordirectedevolutioninmammaliancells
AT ggregoryneely achimericviralplatformfordirectedevolutioninmammaliancells
AT alexanderjcole chimericviralplatformfordirectedevolutioninmammaliancells
AT christopheredenes chimericviralplatformfordirectedevolutioninmammaliancells
AT cesarlmoreno chimericviralplatformfordirectedevolutioninmammaliancells
AT lisehunault chimericviralplatformfordirectedevolutioninmammaliancells
AT thomasdobson chimericviralplatformfordirectedevolutioninmammaliancells
AT danielhesselson chimericviralplatformfordirectedevolutioninmammaliancells
AT ggregoryneely chimericviralplatformfordirectedevolutioninmammaliancells