Genetic Encoding of Three Distinct Noncanonical Amino Acids Using Reprogrammed Initiator and Nonsense Codons

We recently described an orthogonal initiator tRNA (itRNA(Ty2)) that can initiate protein synthesis with noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) in response to the UAG nonsense codon. Here, we report that a mutant of itRNA(Ty2) (itRNA(AUA)(Ty2)) can efficiently initiate translation in response to the UAU tyrosine codon, giving rise to proteins with an ncAA at their N-terminus. We show that, in cells expressing itRNA(AUA)(Ty2), UAU can function as a dual-use codon that selectively encodes ncAAs at the initiating position and predominantly tyrosine at elongating positions. Using itRNA(AUA)(Ty2), in conjunction with its cognate tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase and two mutually orthogonal pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetases, we demonstrate that UAU can be reassigned along with UAG or UAA to encode two distinct ncAAs in the same protein. Furthermore, by engineering the substrate specificity of one of the pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetases, we developed a triply orthogonal system that enables simultaneous reassignment of UAU, UAG, and UAA to produce proteins containing three distinct ncAAs at precisely defined sites. To showcase the utility of this system, we produced proteins containing two or three ncAAs, with unique bioorthogonal functional groups, and demonstrate that these proteins can be separately modified with multiple fluorescent probes.

Automated summary

In this study, a mutant tRNA was engineered to initiate translation at the UAU tyrosine codon efficiently. By utilizing a specific tRNA system, UAU was reassigned to selectively encode distinct ncAAs, showcasing the potential applications of this system. Additionally, a triply orthogonal system was developed to produce proteins containing three distinct ncAAs at defined sites, demonstrating the versatility and utility of the approach.