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Köck Z, Schnelle K, Persechino M, Umbach S, Schihada H, Januliene D, Parey K, Pockes S, Kolb P, Dötsch V, Möller A, Hilger D, Bernhard F. Cryo-EM structure of cell-free synthesized human histamine 2 receptor/G s complex in nanodisc environment. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1831. [PMID: 38418462 PMCID: PMC10901899 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46096-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Here we describe the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the human histamine 2 receptor (H2R) in an active conformation with bound histamine and in complex with Gs heterotrimeric protein at an overall resolution of 3.4 Å. The complex was generated by cotranslational insertion of the receptor into preformed nanodisc membranes using cell-free synthesis in E. coli lysates. Structural comparison with the inactive conformation of H2R and the inactive and Gq-coupled active state of H1R together with structure-guided functional experiments reveal molecular insights into the specificity of ligand binding and G protein coupling for this receptor family. We demonstrate lipid-modulated folding of cell-free synthesized H2R, its agonist-dependent internalization and its interaction with endogenously synthesized H1R and H2R in HEK293 cells by applying a recently developed nanotransfer technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Köck
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Kilian Schnelle
- Department of Biology/Chemistry, Structural Biology section, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
- Center of Cellular Nanoanalytic Osnabrück (CellNanOs), University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | | | - Simon Umbach
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Dovile Januliene
- Department of Biology/Chemistry, Structural Biology section, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
- Center of Cellular Nanoanalytic Osnabrück (CellNanOs), University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Kristian Parey
- Department of Biology/Chemistry, Structural Biology section, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
- Center of Cellular Nanoanalytic Osnabrück (CellNanOs), University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Steffen Pockes
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Peter Kolb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Volker Dötsch
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Arne Möller
- Department of Biology/Chemistry, Structural Biology section, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.
- Center of Cellular Nanoanalytic Osnabrück (CellNanOs), University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.
| | - Daniel Hilger
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt, Germany.
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2
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Steinkühler J, Peruzzi JA, Krüger A, Villaseñor CG, Jacobs ML, Jewett MC, Kamat NP. Improving Cell-Free Expression of Model Membrane Proteins by Tuning Ribosome Cotranslational Membrane Association and Nascent Chain Aggregation. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:129-140. [PMID: 38150067 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Cell-free gene expression (CFE) systems are powerful tools for transcribing and translating genes outside of a living cell. Synthesis of membrane proteins is of particular interest, but their yield in CFE is substantially lower than that for soluble proteins. In this paper, we study the CFE of membrane proteins and develop a quantitative kinetic model. We identify that ribosome stalling during the translation of membrane proteins is a strong predictor of membrane protein synthesis due to aggregation between the ribosome nascent chains. Synthesis can be improved by the addition of lipid membranes, which incorporate protein nascent chains and, therefore, kinetically compete with aggregation. We show that the balance between peptide-membrane association and peptide aggregation rates determines the yield of the synthesized membrane protein. We define a membrane protein expression score that can be used to rationalize the engineering of lipid composition and the N-terminal domain of a native and computationally designed membrane proteins produced through CFE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Steinkühler
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Bio-Inspired Computation, Kiel University, Kaiserstraße 2, 24143 Kiel, Germany
- Kiel Nano, Surface and Interface Science KiNSIS, Kiel University, Christian-Albrechts-Platz 4, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Justin A Peruzzi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Antje Krüger
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Citlayi G Villaseñor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Miranda L Jacobs
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Michael C Jewett
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Neha P Kamat
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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3
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Cho S, Lee H, Han YH, Park TS, Seo SW, Park TH. Design of an effective small expression tag to enhance GPCR production in E. coli-based cell-free and whole cell expression systems. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4839. [PMID: 37967042 PMCID: PMC10682694 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play crucial roles in sensory, immune, and tumor metastasis processes, making them valuable targets for pharmacological and sensing applications in various industries. However, most GPCRs have low production yields in Escherichia coli (E. coli) expression systems. To overcome this limitation, we introduced AT10 tag, an effective fusion tag that could significantly enhance expression levels of various GPCRs in E. coli and its derived cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) system. This AT10 tag consisted of an A/T-rich gene sequence designed via optimization of translation initiation rate. It is translated into a short peptide sequence of 10 amino acids at the N-terminus of GPCRs. Additionally, effector proteins could be utilized to suppress cytotoxicity caused by membrane protein expression, further boosting GPCR production in E. coli. Enhanced expression of various GPCRs using this AT10 tag is a promising approach for large-scale production of functional GPCRs in E. coli-based CFPS and whole cell systems, enabling their potential utilization across a wide range of industrial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seongyeon Cho
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Institute of Chemical ProcessSeoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Haein Lee
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Institute of Chemical ProcessSeoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Yong Hee Han
- Interdisciplinary Program in BioengineeringSeoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Tae Shin Park
- Receptech Research Institute, Receptech Inc.SiheungRepublic of Korea
| | - Sang Woo Seo
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Institute of Chemical ProcessSeoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in BioengineeringSeoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Tai Hyun Park
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Institute of Chemical ProcessSeoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in BioengineeringSeoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
- Department of Nutritional Science and Food ManagementEwha Womans UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
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4
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Mezhyrova J, Martin J, Börnsen C, Dötsch V, Frangakis AS, Morgner N, Bernhard F. In vitro characterization of the phage lysis protein MS2-L. MICROBIOME RESEARCH REPORTS 2023; 2:28. [PMID: 38045926 PMCID: PMC10688784 DOI: 10.20517/mrr.2023.28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Background: The peptide MS2-L represents toxins of the ssRNA Leviviridae phage family and consists of a predicted N-terminal soluble domain followed by a transmembrane domain. MS2-L mediates bacterial cell lysis through the formation of large lesions in the cell envelope, but further details of this mechanism as a prerequisite for applied bioengineering studies are lacking. The chaperone DnaJ is proposed to modulate MS2-L activity, whereas other cellular targets of MS2-L are unknown. Methods: Here, we provide a combined in vitro and in vivo overexpression approach to reveal molecular insights into MS2-L action and its interaction with DnaJ. Full-length MS2-L and truncated derivatives were synthesized cell-free and co-translationally inserted into nanodiscs or solubilized in detergent micelles. By native liquid bead ion desorption mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that MS2-L assembles into high oligomeric states after membrane insertion. Results: Oligomerization is directed by the transmembrane domain and is impaired in detergent environments. Studies with truncated MS2-L derivatives provide evidence that the soluble domain acts as a modulator of oligomer formation. DnaJ strongly interacts with MS2-L in membranes as well as in detergent environments. However, this interaction affects neither the MS2-L membrane insertion efficiency nor its oligomerization in nanodisc membranes. In accordance with the in vitro data, the assembly of MS2-L derivatives into large membrane located clusters was monitored by overexpression of corresponding fusions with fluorescent monitors in E. coli cells. Analysis by cryo-electron microscopy indicates that lesion formation is initiated in the outer membrane, followed by disruption of the peptidoglycan layer and disintegration of the inner membrane. Conclusion: MS2-L forms oligomeric complexes similar to the related phage toxin ΦX174-E. The oligomeric interface of both peptides is located within their transmembrane domains. We propose a potential function of the higher-order assembly of small phage toxins in membrane disintegration and cell lysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julija Mezhyrova
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
| | - Janosch Martin
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
| | - Clara Börnsen
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences & Institute of Biophysics, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
| | - Volker Dötsch
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
| | - Achilleas Stefanos Frangakis
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences & Institute of Biophysics, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
| | - Nina Morgner
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
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Yue K, Chen J, Li Y, Kai L. Advancing synthetic biology through cell-free protein synthesis. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:2899-2908. [PMID: 37216017 PMCID: PMC10196276 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid development of synthetic biology has enabled the production of compounds with revolutionary improvements in biotechnology. DNA manipulation tools have expedited the engineering of cellular systems for this purpose. Nonetheless, the inherent constraints of cellular systems persist, imposing an upper limit on mass and energy conversion efficiencies. Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) has demonstrated its potential to overcome these inherent constraints and has been instrumental in the further advancement of synthetic biology. Via the removal of the cell membranes and redundant parts of cells, CFPS has provided flexibility in directly dissecting and manipulating the Central Dogma with rapid feedback. This mini-review summarizes recent achievements of the CFPS technique and its application to a wide range of synthetic biology projects, such as minimal cell assembly, metabolic engineering, and recombinant protein production for therapeutics, as well as biosensor development for in vitro diagnostics. In addition, current challenges and future perspectives in developing a generalized cell-free synthetic biology are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Yue
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 22116, China
| | - Junyu Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 22116, China
| | - Yingqiu Li
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 22116, China
| | - Lei Kai
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 22116, China
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6
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Umbach S, Levin R, Neumann S, Steinmetzer T, Dötsch V, Bernhard F. Transfer mechanism of cell-free synthesized membrane proteins into mammalian cells. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:906295. [PMID: 35935506 PMCID: PMC9355040 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.906295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanodiscs are emerging to serve as transfer vectors for the insertion of recombinant membrane proteins into membranes of living cells. In combination with cell-free expression technologies, this novel process opens new perspectives to analyze the effects of even problematic targets such as toxic, hard-to-express, or artificially modified membrane proteins in complex cellular environments of different cell lines. Furthermore, transferred cells must not be genetically engineered and primary cell lines or cancer cells could be implemented as well. We have systematically analyzed the basic parameters of the nanotransfer approach and compared the transfer efficiencies from nanodiscs with that from Salipro particles. The transfer of five membrane proteins was analyzed: the prokaryotic proton pump proteorhodopsin, the human class A family G-protein coupled receptors for endothelin type B, prostacyclin, free fatty acids type 2, and the orphan GPRC5B receptor as a class C family member. The membrane proteins were cell-free synthesized with a detergent-free strategy by their cotranslational insertion into preformed nanoparticles containing defined lipid environments. The purified membrane protein/nanoparticles were then incubated with mammalian cells. We demonstrate that nanodiscs disassemble and only lipids and membrane proteins, not the scaffold protein, are transferred into cell membranes. The process is detectable within minutes, independent of the nanoparticle lipid composition, and the transfer efficiency directly correlates with the membrane protein concentration in the transfer mixture and with the incubation time. Transferred membrane proteins insert in both orientations, N-terminus in and N-terminus out, in the cell membrane, and the ratio can be modulated by engineering. The viability of cells is not notably affected by the transfer procedure, and transferred membrane proteins stay detectable in the cell membrane for up to 3 days. Transferred G-protein coupled receptors retained their functionality in the cell environment as shown by ligand binding, induction of internalization, and specific protein interactions. In comparison to transfection, the cellular membrane protein concentration is better controllable and more uniformly distributed within the analyzed cell population. A further notable difference to transfection is the accumulation of transferred membrane proteins in clusters, presumably determined by microdomain structures in the cell membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Umbach
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Roman Levin
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sebastian Neumann
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Torsten Steinmetzer
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Volker Dötsch
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- *Correspondence: Frank Bernhard,
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7
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Köck Z, Ermel U, Martin J, Morgner N, Achilleas Frangakis S, Dötsch V, Hilger D, Bernhard F. Biochemical characterization of cell-free synthesized human β 1 adrenergic receptor cotranslationally inserted into nanodiscs. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167687. [PMID: 35717996 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Cell-free expression enables direct cotranslational insertion of G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and other membrane proteins into the defined membrane environments of nanodiscs. This technique avoids GPCR contacts with detergents and allows rapid identification of lipid effects on GPCR function as well as fast screening of receptor derivatives. Critical steps of conventional GPCR preparation from cellular membranes followed by detergent-based reconstitution into nanodisc membranes are thus eliminated. We report the efficient cotranslational insertion of full-length human β1-adrenergic receptor and of a truncated derivative into preformed nanodisc membranes. Their biochemical characterization revealed significant differences in lipid requirements, dimer formation and ligand binding activity. The truncated receptor showed a higher affinity to most tested ligands, in particular in presence of choline-containing lipids. However, introducing the naturally occurring G389R polymorphism in the full-length receptor resulted into an increased affinity to the antagonists alprenolol and carvedilol. Receptor quality was generally improved by coexpression with the agonist isoproterenol and the percentage of the ligand binding active fraction was twofold increased. Specific coupling of full-length and truncated human receptors in nanodisc membranes to Mini-Gαs protein as well as to purified Gs heterotrimer could be demonstrated and homogeneity of purified GPCR/Gs protein complexes in nanodiscs was demonstrated by negative stain single particle analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Köck
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main
| | - Utz Ermel
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Institute for Biophysics, Goethe University of Frankfurt/Main
| | - Janosch Martin
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University of Frankfurt/Main
| | - Nina Morgner
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University of Frankfurt/Main
| | - S Achilleas Frangakis
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Institute for Biophysics, Goethe University of Frankfurt/Main
| | - Volker Dötsch
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main
| | - Daniel Hilger
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main.
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Bruni R, Laguerre A, Kaminska A, McSweeney S, Hendrickson WA, Liu Q. High-throughput cell-free screening of eukaryotic membrane protein expression in lipidic mimetics. Protein Sci 2022; 31:639-651. [PMID: 34910339 PMCID: PMC8862427 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Membrane proteins play essential roles in cellular function and metabolism. Nonetheless, biophysical and structural studies of membrane proteins are impeded by the difficulty of their expression in and purification from heterologous cell-based systems. As an alternative to these cell-based systems, cell-free protein synthesis has proven to be an exquisite method for screening membrane protein targets in a variety of lipidic mimetics. Here we report a high-throughput screening workflow and apply it to screen 61 eukaryotic membrane protein targets. For each target, we tested its expression in lipidic mimetics: two detergents, two liposomes, and two nanodiscs. We show that 35 membrane proteins (57%) can be expressed in a soluble fraction in at least one of the mimetics with the two detergents performing significantly better than nanodiscs and liposomes, in that order. Using the established cell-free workflow, we studied the production and biophysical assays for mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) complexes. Our studies show that the complexes produced in cell-free are functionally competent in complex formation and substrate binding. Our results highlight the utility of using cell-free systems for screening and production of eukaryotic membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato Bruni
- Center on Membrane Protein Production and Analysis (COMPPÅ)New York Structural Biology CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Aisha Laguerre
- Center on Membrane Protein Production and Analysis (COMPPÅ)New York Structural Biology CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA,Present address:
Roche DiagnosticsSanta ClaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Anna‐Maria Kaminska
- Center on Membrane Protein Production and Analysis (COMPPÅ)New York Structural Biology CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA,Present address:
New York Blood CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | | | - Wayne A. Hendrickson
- Center on Membrane Protein Production and Analysis (COMPPÅ)New York Structural Biology CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiophysicsColumbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Qun Liu
- NSLS‐II, Brookhaven National LaboratoryUptonNew YorkUSA,Biology DepartmentBrookhaven National LaboratoryUptonNew YorkUSA
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9
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Mezhyrova J, Mörs K, Glaubitz C, Dötsch V, Bernhard F. Applications of Cell-Free Synthesized Membrane Protein Precipitates. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2406:245-266. [PMID: 35089562 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1859-2_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cell-free protein expression systems are new core platforms for membrane protein synthesis. Expression in the presence of supplied artificial hydrophobic environments such as nanomembranes or micelles allows the co-translational solubilization and folding of membrane proteins. In the absence of hydrophobic compounds, the synthesized membrane proteins quantitatively precipitate, while frequently still retaining a significant part of folded structural elements. This so-called precipitate-forming cell-free (P-CF) expression mode is a very effective and reliable approach for numerous applications. Even from complex membrane proteins such as G-protein coupled receptors or large transporters, significant amounts of such precipitates can be synthesized within few hours. The precipitates can be solubilized in detergents or reconstituted into membranes for subsequent structural or functional analysis. Harsh denaturation and refolding procedures as known from the treatment of bacterial inclusion bodies are usually not required.This strategy is particularly interesting for applications requiring large amounts of membrane protein or fast access to a sample. It is further an excellent tool for the production of membrane protein antigens suitable for antibody generation. The purification of the precipitates in downstream processing is streamlined as only few proteins from the cell-free lysate may co-precipitate with the synthesized membrane protein. For most applications, a one-step affinity chromatography by taking advantage of small purification tags attached to the membrane protein target is sufficient. We give an overview on current applications of P-CF precipitates and describe the underlying techniques in detail. We furthermore provide protocols for the successful crystallization and NMR analysis of P-CF synthesized membrane proteins exemplified with the diacylglycerol kinase (DAGK). In addition, we describe the functional characterization of a P-CF synthesized large eukaryotic transporter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julija Mezhyrova
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University , Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Karsten Mörs
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University , Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Clemens Glaubitz
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University , Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Volker Dötsch
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University , Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University , Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
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10
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McSweeney MA, Styczynski MP. Effective Use of Linear DNA in Cell-Free Expression Systems. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:715328. [PMID: 34354989 PMCID: PMC8329657 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.715328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-free expression systems (CFEs) are cutting-edge research tools used in the investigation of biological phenomena and the engineering of novel biotechnologies. While CFEs have many benefits over in vivo protein synthesis, one particularly significant advantage is that CFEs allow for gene expression from both plasmid DNA and linear expression templates (LETs). This is an important and impactful advantage because functional LETs can be efficiently synthesized in vitro in a few hours without transformation and cloning, thus expediting genetic circuit prototyping and allowing expression of toxic genes that would be difficult to clone through standard approaches. However, native nucleases present in the crude bacterial lysate (the basis for the most affordable form of CFEs) quickly degrade LETs and limit expression yield. Motivated by the significant benefits of using LETs in lieu of plasmid templates, numerous methods to enhance their stability in lysate-based CFEs have been developed. This review describes approaches to LET stabilization used in CFEs, summarizes the advancements that have come from using LETs with these methods, and identifies future applications and development goals that are likely to be impactful to the field. Collectively, continued improvement of LET-based expression and other linear DNA tools in CFEs will help drive scientific discovery and enable a wide range of applications, from diagnostics to synthetic biology research tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A McSweeney
- Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Mark P Styczynski
- Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Atlanta, GA, United States
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11
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Fogeron ML, Lecoq L, Cole L, Harbers M, Böckmann A. Easy Synthesis of Complex Biomolecular Assemblies: Wheat Germ Cell-Free Protein Expression in Structural Biology. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:639587. [PMID: 33842544 PMCID: PMC8027086 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.639587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) systems are gaining more importance as universal tools for basic research, applied sciences, and product development with new technologies emerging for their application. Huge progress was made in the field of synthetic biology using CFPS to develop new proteins for technical applications and therapy. Out of the available CFPS systems, wheat germ cell-free protein synthesis (WG-CFPS) merges the highest yields with the use of a eukaryotic ribosome, making it an excellent approach for the synthesis of complex eukaryotic proteins including, for example, protein complexes and membrane proteins. Separating the translation reaction from other cellular processes, CFPS offers a flexible means to adapt translation reactions to protein needs. There is a large demand for such potent, easy-to-use, rapid protein expression systems, which are optimally serving protein requirements to drive biochemical and structural biology research. We summarize here a general workflow for a wheat germ system providing examples from the literature, as well as applications used for our own studies in structural biology. With this review, we want to highlight the tremendous potential of the rapidly evolving and highly versatile CFPS systems, making them more widely used as common tools to recombinantly prepare particularly challenging recombinant eukaryotic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Laure Fogeron
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Labex Ecofect, UMR 5086 CNRS/Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Lauriane Lecoq
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Labex Ecofect, UMR 5086 CNRS/Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Laura Cole
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Labex Ecofect, UMR 5086 CNRS/Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Matthias Harbers
- CellFree Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama, Japan
| | - Anja Böckmann
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Labex Ecofect, UMR 5086 CNRS/Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
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12
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Imbert L, Lenoir-Capello R, Crublet E, Vallet A, Awad R, Ayala I, Juillan-Binard C, Mayerhofer H, Kerfah R, Gans P, Miclet E, Boisbouvier J. In Vitro Production of Perdeuterated Proteins in H 2O for Biomolecular NMR Studies. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2199:127-149. [PMID: 33125648 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0892-0_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The cell-free synthesis is an efficient strategy to produce in large scale protein samples for structural investigations. In vitro synthesis allows for significant reduction of production time, simplification of purification steps and enables production of both soluble and membrane proteins. The cell-free reaction is an open system and can be performed in presence of many additives such as cofactors, inhibitors, redox systems, chaperones, detergents, lipids, nanodisks, and surfactants to allow for the expression of toxic membrane proteins or intrinsically disordered proteins. In this chapter we present protocols to prepare E. coli S30 cellular extracts, T7 RNA polymerase, and their use for in vitro protein expression. Optimizations of the protocol are presented for preparation of protein samples enriched in deuterium, a prerequisite for the study of high-molecular-weight proteins by NMR spectroscopy. An efficient production of perdeuterated proteins is achieved together with a full protonation of all the amide NMR probes, without suffering from residual protonation on aliphatic carbons. Application to the production of the 468 kDa TET2 protein assembly for NMR investigations is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lionel Imbert
- CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- CNRS, CEA, EMBL, Integrated Structural Biology Grenoble (ISBG), University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Rachel Lenoir-Capello
- CNRS, Laboratoire des biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École normale supérieure, PSL University, Paris, France
| | | | - Alicia Vallet
- CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Rida Awad
- CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Isabel Ayala
- CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Celine Juillan-Binard
- CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- CNRS, CEA, EMBL, Integrated Structural Biology Grenoble (ISBG), University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Hubert Mayerhofer
- CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Pierre Gans
- CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Emeric Miclet
- CNRS, Laboratoire des biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École normale supérieure, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Jerome Boisbouvier
- CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.
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Krug U, Gloge A, Schmidt P, Becker‐Baldus J, Bernhard F, Kaiser A, Montag C, Gauglitz M, Vishnivetskiy SA, Gurevich VV, Beck‐Sickinger AG, Glaubitz C, Huster D. The Conformational Equilibrium of the Neuropeptide Y2 Receptor in Bilayer Membranes. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:23854-23861. [PMID: 32790043 PMCID: PMC7736470 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202006075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Dynamic structural transitions within the seven-transmembrane bundle represent the mechanism by which G-protein-coupled receptors convert an extracellular chemical signal into an intracellular biological function. Here, the conformational dynamics of the neuropeptide Y receptor type 2 (Y2R) during activation was investigated. The apo, full agonist-, and arrestin-bound states of Y2R were prepared by cell-free expression, functional refolding, and reconstitution into lipid membranes. To study conformational transitions between these states, all six tryptophans of Y2R were 13 C-labeled. NMR-signal assignment was achieved by dynamic-nuclear-polarization enhancement and the individual functional states of the receptor were characterized by monitoring 13 C NMR chemical shifts. Activation of Y2R is mediated by molecular switches involving the toggle switch residue Trp2816.48 of the highly conserved SWLP motif and Trp3277.55 adjacent to the NPxxY motif. Furthermore, a conformationally preserved "cysteine lock"-Trp11623.50 was identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Krug
- Institute of Medical Physics and BiophysicsUniversity of LeipzigHärtelstr. 16–1804107LeipzigGermany
| | - Anika Gloge
- Institute of Medical Physics and BiophysicsUniversity of LeipzigHärtelstr. 16–1804107LeipzigGermany
| | - Peter Schmidt
- Institute of Medical Physics and BiophysicsUniversity of LeipzigHärtelstr. 16–1804107LeipzigGermany
| | - Johanna Becker‐Baldus
- Institute of Biophysical ChemistryGoethe University FrankfurtGermany
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic ResonanceGoethe University FrankfurtGermany
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Institute of Biophysical ChemistryGoethe University FrankfurtGermany
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic ResonanceGoethe University FrankfurtGermany
| | - Anette Kaiser
- Institute of BiochemistryUniversity of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Cindy Montag
- Institute of Medical Physics and BiophysicsUniversity of LeipzigHärtelstr. 16–1804107LeipzigGermany
| | - Marcel Gauglitz
- Institute of Medical Physics and BiophysicsUniversity of LeipzigHärtelstr. 16–1804107LeipzigGermany
- Berlin Joint Electron Paramagnetic Resonance LaboratoryFree University BerlinGermany
| | | | | | | | - Clemens Glaubitz
- Institute of Biophysical ChemistryGoethe University FrankfurtGermany
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic ResonanceGoethe University FrankfurtGermany
| | - Daniel Huster
- Institute of Medical Physics and BiophysicsUniversity of LeipzigHärtelstr. 16–1804107LeipzigGermany
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14
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Krug U, Gloge A, Schmidt P, Becker‐Baldus J, Bernhard F, Kaiser A, Montag C, Gauglitz M, Vishnivetskiy SA, Gurevich VV, Beck‐Sickinger AG, Glaubitz C, Huster D. Das Konformationsgleichgewicht des Neuropeptid‐Y2‐Rezeptors in Lipidmembranen. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202006075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Krug
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik Universität Leipzig Härtelstr. 16–18 04107 Leipzig Deutschland
| | - Anika Gloge
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik Universität Leipzig Härtelstr. 16–18 04107 Leipzig Deutschland
| | - Peter Schmidt
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik Universität Leipzig Härtelstr. 16–18 04107 Leipzig Deutschland
| | - Johanna Becker‐Baldus
- Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main Deutschland
- Zentrum für Biomolekulare Magnetresonanz Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main Deutschland
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main Deutschland
- Zentrum für Biomolekulare Magnetresonanz Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main Deutschland
| | - Anette Kaiser
- Institut für Biochemie Universität Leipzig Deutschland
| | - Cindy Montag
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik Universität Leipzig Härtelstr. 16–18 04107 Leipzig Deutschland
| | - Marcel Gauglitz
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik Universität Leipzig Härtelstr. 16–18 04107 Leipzig Deutschland
- Berlin Joint Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Laboratory Freie Universität Berlin Deutschland
| | | | | | | | - Clemens Glaubitz
- Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main Deutschland
- Zentrum für Biomolekulare Magnetresonanz Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main Deutschland
| | - Daniel Huster
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik Universität Leipzig Härtelstr. 16–18 04107 Leipzig Deutschland
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15
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Mezhyrova J, Martin J, Peetz O, Dötsch V, Morgner N, Ma Y, Bernhard F. Membrane insertion mechanism and molecular assembly of the bacteriophage lysis toxin ΦX174‐E. FEBS J 2020; 288:3300-3316. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.15642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Julija Mezhyrova
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance Goethe University Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Janosch Martin
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Goethe University Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Oliver Peetz
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Goethe University Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Volker Dötsch
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance Goethe University Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Nina Morgner
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Goethe University Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Yi Ma
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering South China University of Technology Guangzhou China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering South China University of Technology Guangzhou China
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance Goethe University Frankfurt am Main Germany
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16
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Pacull EM, Sendker F, Bernhard F, Scheidt HA, Schmidt P, Huster D, Krug U. Integration of Cell-Free Expression and Solid-State NMR to Investigate the Dynamic Properties of Different Sites of the Growth Hormone Secretagogue Receptor. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:562113. [PMID: 33324203 PMCID: PMC7723455 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.562113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell-free expression represents an attractive method to produce large quantities of selectively labeled protein for NMR applications. Here, cell-free expression was used to label specific regions of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) with NMR-active isotopes. The GHSR is a member of the class A family of G protein-coupled receptors. A cell-free expression system was established to produce the GHSR in the precipitated form. The solubilized receptor was refolded in vitro and reconstituted into DMPC lipid membranes. Methionines, arginines, and histidines were chosen for 13C-labeling as they are representative for the transmembrane domains, the loops and flanking regions of the transmembrane α-helices, and the C-terminus of the receptor, respectively. The dynamics of the isotopically labeled residues was characterized by solid-state NMR measuring motionally averaged 1H-13C dipolar couplings, which were converted into molecular order parameters. Separated local field DIPSHIFT experiments under magic-angle spinning conditions using either varying cross polarization contact times or direct excitation provided order parameters for these residues showing that the C-terminus was the segment with the highest motional amplitude. The loop regions and helix ends as well as the transmembrane regions of the GHSR represent relatively rigid segments in the overall very flexible receptor molecule. Although no site resolution could be achieved in the experiments, the previously reported highly dynamic character of the receptor concluded from uniformly 13C labeled receptor samples could be further specified by this segmental labeling approach, leading to a more diversified understanding of the receptor dynamics under equilibrium conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emelyne M Pacull
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Franziska Sendker
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Holger A Scheidt
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Peter Schmidt
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daniel Huster
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ulrike Krug
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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17
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Ki MR, Pack SP. Fusion tags to enhance heterologous protein expression. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:2411-2425. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10402-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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18
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Souza SA, Kurohara DT, Dabalos CL, Ng HL. G Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor Production Using an Escherichia coli Cell-Free Expression System. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 97:e88. [PMID: 31517450 DOI: 10.1002/cpps.88] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Heterologous expression of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) comes with a suite of challenges intrinsic to membrane proteins. This receptor's low expression levels and tendency to form insoluble aggregates in Escherichia coli and yeast make it a difficult receptor-target to study. In this unit, we detail steps to produce monomeric GPER using a precipitation-based cell-free system. We provide information on the DNA construct for expression, the pipetting scheme for the reaction supplements to generate a master mix, and the cell-free reaction setup. In the last portion of this unit, we outline steps for solubilization and purification, and we provide a viable method for qualitatively observing functionality by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry detection. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samson A Souza
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Dane T Kurohara
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i
| | - Chester L Dabalos
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i
| | - Ho Leung Ng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
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19
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Rues RB, Dong F, Dötsch V, Bernhard F. Systematic optimization of cell-free synthesized human endothelin B receptor folding. Methods 2018; 147:73-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2018.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
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20
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Cortes S, Barette C, Beroud R, De Waard M, Schaack B. Functional characterization of cell-free expressed Kv1.3 channel using a voltage-sensitive fluorescent dye. Protein Expr Purif 2018; 145:94-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2018.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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21
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Marino J, Holzhüter K, Kuhn B, Geertsma ER. Efficient Screening and Optimization of Membrane Protein Production in Escherichia coli. Methods Enzymol 2017; 594:139-164. [PMID: 28779839 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2017.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2022]
Abstract
Escherichia coli is one of the most widely used expression hosts for membrane proteins. However, establishing conditions for its recombinant production of membrane proteins remains difficult. Attempts to produce membrane proteins frequently result in either no expression or expression as misfolded aggregates. We developed an efficient pipeline for improving membrane protein overexpression in E. coli that is based on two approaches. The first involves transcriptional fusions, small additional RNA sequences upstream of the target open reading frame, to overcome no or poor overall expression levels. The other is based on a tunable promoter in combination with a fusion to green fluorescent protein serving as a reporter for the folding state of the target membrane protein. The latter combination allows adjusting the membrane protein expression rate to the downstream folding capacity, in order to decrease the formation of protein aggregates. This pipeline has proven successful for the efficient and parallel optimization of a diverse set of membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Benedikt Kuhn
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
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22
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Shilling PJ, Bumbak F, Scott DJ, Bathgate RAD, Gooley PR. Characterisation of a cell-free synthesised G-protein coupled receptor. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1094. [PMID: 28439124 PMCID: PMC5430785 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01227-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
G-protein coupled receptors are the largest family of integral membrane proteins found within the human genome. They function as receptors and modulators to a wide range of ligands and responses which are crucial for human health. GPCR study, specifically the investigation of structure and interaction to cognate ligands, is of high priority. Limitations for structural study can be traced in part, to obtaining suitable quantities of recombinant protein. We sought to address the limitations of traditional recombinant technologies by utilising an Escherichia coli based cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) approach for production of a thermostable neurotensin receptor 1 (en2NTS1). Initial results were promising, with a high amount (up to 2 mg/mL) of en2NTS1 produced, that had attained correct secondary structure. Meanwhile, concurrent experiments indicated that CFPS produced en2NTS1 showed non-competitive binding to the peptide ligand neurotensin8-13 when compared to E. coli produced en2NTS1. 1H-13C HMQC SOFAST NMR spectra were indicative of disrupted tertiary structure for CFPS produced 13CH3-methionine labelled en2NTS1. The results obtained, indicate CFPS produced en2NTS1 is not forming a discrete tertiary structure and that further development of the CFPS technique needs to be carried out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Shilling
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, 30 Flemington Road, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Fabian Bumbak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, 30 Flemington Road, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniel J Scott
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ross A D Bathgate
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul R Gooley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, 30 Flemington Road, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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23
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Sugiki T, Kobayashi N, Fujiwara T. Modern Technologies of Solution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for Three-dimensional Structure Determination of Proteins Open Avenues for Life Scientists. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2017; 15:328-339. [PMID: 28487762 PMCID: PMC5408130 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2017.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Revised: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful technique for structural studies of chemical compounds and biomolecules such as DNA and proteins. Since the NMR signal sensitively reflects the chemical environment and the dynamics of a nuclear spin, NMR experiments provide a wealth of structural and dynamic information about the molecule of interest at atomic resolution. In general, structural biology studies using NMR spectroscopy still require a reasonable understanding of the theory behind the technique and experience on how to recorded NMR data. Owing to the remarkable progress in the past decade, we can easily access suitable and popular analytical resources for NMR structure determination of proteins with high accuracy. Here, we describe the practical aspects, workflow and key points of modern NMR techniques used for solution structure determination of proteins. This review should aid NMR specialists aiming to develop new methods that accelerate the structure determination process, and open avenues for non-specialist and life scientists interested in using NMR spectroscopy to solve protein structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihiko Sugiki
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Naohiro Kobayashi
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Toshimichi Fujiwara
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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24
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Pandey A, Shin K, Patterson RE, Liu XQ, Rainey JK. Current strategies for protein production and purification enabling membrane protein structural biology. Biochem Cell Biol 2016; 94:507-527. [PMID: 27010607 PMCID: PMC5752365 DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2015-0143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane proteins are still heavily under-represented in the protein data bank (PDB), owing to multiple bottlenecks. The typical low abundance of membrane proteins in their natural hosts makes it necessary to overexpress these proteins either in heterologous systems or through in vitro translation/cell-free expression. Heterologous expression of proteins, in turn, leads to multiple obstacles, owing to the unpredictability of compatibility of the target protein for expression in a given host. The highly hydrophobic and (or) amphipathic nature of membrane proteins also leads to challenges in producing a homogeneous, stable, and pure sample for structural studies. Circumventing these hurdles has become possible through the introduction of novel protein production protocols; efficient protein isolation and sample preparation methods; and, improvement in hardware and software for structural characterization. Combined, these advances have made the past 10-15 years very exciting and eventful for the field of membrane protein structural biology, with an exponential growth in the number of solved membrane protein structures. In this review, we focus on both the advances and diversity of protein production and purification methods that have allowed this growth in structural knowledge of membrane proteins through X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Pandey
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Kyungsoo Shin
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Robin E. Patterson
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Xiang-Qin Liu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jan K. Rainey
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
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25
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Wasilewski T, Gębicki J, Kamysz W. Bioelectronic nose: Current status and perspectives. Biosens Bioelectron 2016; 87:480-494. [PMID: 27592240 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2016.08.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A characteristic feature of human and animal organs of smell is the ability to identify hundreds of thousands of odours. It is accompanied by particular smell sensations, which are a basic source of information about odour mixture. The main structural elements of biological smell systems are the olfactory receptors. Small differences in a structure of odorous molecules (odorants) can lead to significant change of odour, which is due to the fact that each of the olfactory receptors is coded with different gene and usually corresponds to different type of odour. Discovery and characterisation of the gene family coding the olfactory receptors contributed to the elaboration and development of the electronic smell systems, the so-called bioelectronic noses. The olfactory receptors are employed as a biological element in this type of instruments. An electronic system includes a converter part, which allows measurement and processing of generated signals. A suitable data analysis system is also required to visualise the results. Application potentialities of the bioelectronic noses are focused on the fields of economy and science where highly selective and sensitive analysis of odorous substances is required. The paper presents a review of the latest achievements and critical evaluation of the state of art in the field of bioelectronic noses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Wasilewski
- Medical University of Gdansk, Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland, Al. Hallera 107, Gdansk 80-416, Poland.
| | - Jacek Gębicki
- Gdańsk University of Technology, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Chemical Faculty, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gabriela Narutowicza 11/12 Str., Gdańsk 80-233, Poland
| | - Wojciech Kamysz
- Medical University of Gdansk, Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland, Al. Hallera 107, Gdansk 80-416, Poland
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26
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Focke PJ, Hein C, Hoffmann B, Matulef K, Bernhard F, Dötsch V, Valiyaveetil FI. Combining in Vitro Folding with Cell Free Protein Synthesis for Membrane Protein Expression. Biochemistry 2016; 55:4212-9. [PMID: 27384110 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cell free protein synthesis (CFPS) has emerged as a promising methodology for protein expression. While polypeptide production is very reliable and efficient using CFPS, the correct cotranslational folding of membrane proteins during CFPS is still a challenge. In this contribution, we describe a two-step protocol in which the integral membrane protein is initially expressed by CFPS as a precipitate followed by an in vitro folding procedure using lipid vesicles for converting the protein precipitate to the correctly folded protein. We demonstrate the feasibility of using this approach for the K(+) channels KcsA and MVP and the amino acid transporter LeuT. We determine the crystal structure of the KcsA channel obtained by CFPS and in vitro folding to show the structural similarity to the cellular expressed KcsA channel and to establish the feasibility of using this two-step approach for membrane protein production for structural studies. Our studies show that the correct folding of these membrane proteins with complex topologies can take place in vitro without the involvement of the cellular machinery for membrane protein biogenesis. This indicates that the folding instructions for these complex membrane proteins are contained entirely within the protein sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Focke
- Program in Chemical Biology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health & Science University , 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, United States
| | - Christopher Hein
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University , Max-von-Laue Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Beate Hoffmann
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University , Max-von-Laue Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Kimberly Matulef
- Program in Chemical Biology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health & Science University , 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, United States
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University , Max-von-Laue Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Volker Dötsch
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University , Max-von-Laue Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Francis I Valiyaveetil
- Program in Chemical Biology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health & Science University , 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, United States
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27
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Critical reflections on synthetic gene design for recombinant protein expression. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2016; 38:155-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2016.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Revised: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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28
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Schinn SM, Broadbent A, Bradley WT, Bundy BC. Protein synthesis directly from PCR: progress and applications of cell-free protein synthesis with linear DNA. N Biotechnol 2016; 33:480-7. [PMID: 27085957 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2016.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A rapid, versatile method of protein expression and screening can greatly facilitate the future development of therapeutic biologics, proteomic drug targets and biocatalysts. An attractive candidate is cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS), a cell-lysate-based in vitro expression system, which can utilize linear DNA as expression templates, bypassing time-consuming cloning steps of plasmid-based methods. Traditionally, such linear DNA expression templates (LET) have been vulnerable to degradation by nucleases present in the cell lysate, leading to lower yields. This challenge has been significantly addressed in the recent past, propelling LET-based CFPS as a useful tool for studying, screening and engineering proteins in a high-throughput manner. Currently, LET-based CFPS has promise in fields such as functional proteomics, protein microarrays, and the optimization of complex biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song-Min Schinn
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Andrew Broadbent
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - William T Bradley
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Bradley C Bundy
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA.
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29
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Bocharova OV, Urban AS, Nadezhdin KD, Bocharov EV, Arseniev AS. Cell-free expression of the APP transmembrane fragments with Alzheimer's disease mutations using algal amino acid mixture for structural NMR studies. Protein Expr Purif 2016; 123:105-11. [PMID: 27071311 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2016.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Revised: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Structural investigations need ready supply of the isotope labeled proteins with inserted mutations n the quantities sufficient for the heteronuclear NMR. Though cell-free expression system has been widely used in the past years, high startup cost and complex compound composition prevent many researches from the developing this technique, especially for membrane protein production. Here we demonstrate the utility of a robust, cost-optimized cell-free expression technique for production of the physiologically important transmembrane fragment of amyloid precursor protein, APP686-726, containing Alzheimer's disease mutations in the juxtamembrane (E693G, Arctic form) and the transmembrane parts (V717G, London form, or L723P, Australian form). The protein cost was optimized by varying the FM/RM ratio as well as the amino acid concentration. We obtained the wild-type and mutant transmembrane fragments in the pellet mode of continuous exchange cell-free system consuming only commercial algal mixture of the (13)C,(15)N-labeled amino acids. Scaling up analytical tests, we achieved milligram quantity yields of isotope labeled wild-type and mutant APP686-726 for structural studies by high resolution NMR spectroscopy in membrane mimicking environment. The described approach has from 5 to 23-fold cost advantage over the bacterial expression methods described earlier and 1.5 times exceeds our previous result obtained with the longer APP671-726WT fragment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V Bocharova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Anatoly S Urban
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997, Moscow, Russia; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), 9 Institutskiy per., 141700, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Kirill D Nadezhdin
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997, Moscow, Russia; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), 9 Institutskiy per., 141700, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Eduard V Bocharov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997, Moscow, Russia; National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute", Dept. Complex NBIC-technologies, Akad. Kurchatova pl. 1, 123182, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander S Arseniev
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997, Moscow, Russia; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), 9 Institutskiy per., 141700, Dolgoprudny, Russia
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30
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Rues RB, Dötsch V, Bernhard F. Co-translational formation and pharmacological characterization of beta1-adrenergic receptor/nanodisc complexes with different lipid environments. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2016; 1858:1306-16. [PMID: 26922884 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2016.02.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Revised: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors are of key significance for biomedical research. Streamlined approaches for their efficient recombinant production are of pivotal interest in order to explore their intrinsic conformational dynamics and complex ligand binding behavior. We have systematically optimized the co-translational association and folding of G protein-coupled receptors with defined membranes of nanodiscs by cell-free expression approaches. Each optimization step was quantified and the ligand binding active fraction of the receptor samples could drastically be improved. The strategy was exemplified with a stabilized and a non-stabilized derivative of the turkey beta1-adrenergic receptor. Systematic lipid screens with preformed nanodiscs revealed that generation of ligand binding active conformations of the analyzed beta1-adrenergic receptors strongly depends on lipid charge, flexibility and chain length. The lipid composition of the nanodisc membranes modulates the affinities to a variety of ligands of both receptor derivatives. In addition, the thermostabilization procedure had a significant impact on specific ligand affinities of the receptor and abolished or reduced the binding of certain antagonists. Both receptors were highly stable after purification with optimized nanodisc membranes. The procedure avoids any detergent contact of the receptors and sample production takes less than two days. Moreover, even non-stabilized receptors can be analyzed and their prior purification is not necessary for the formation of nanodisc complexes. The established process appears therefore to be suitable as a new platform for the functional or even structural characterization of recombinant G protein-coupled receptors associated with defined lipid environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf-Bernhardt Rues
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany
| | - Volker Dötsch
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany.
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31
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Rues RB, Henrich E, Boland C, Caffrey M, Bernhard F. Cell-Free Production of Membrane Proteins in Escherichia coli Lysates for Functional and Structural Studies. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1432:1-21. [PMID: 27485326 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3637-3_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The complexity of membrane protein synthesis is largely reduced in cell-free systems and it results into high success rates of target expression. Protocols for the preparation of bacterial lysates have been optimized in order to ensure reliable efficiencies in membrane protein production that are even sufficient for structural applications. The open accessibility of the semisynthetic cell-free expression reactions allows to adjust membrane protein solubilization conditions according to the optimal folding requirements of individual targets. Two basic strategies will be exemplified. The post-translational solubilization of membrane proteins in detergent micelles is most straightforward for crystallization approaches. The co-translational integration of membrane proteins into preformed nanodiscs will enable their functional characterization in a variety of natural lipid environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf-Bernhardt Rues
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Erik Henrich
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Coilin Boland
- Membrane Structural and Functional Biology Group, School of Medicine and School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Martin Caffrey
- Membrane Structural and Functional Biology Group, School of Medicine and School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
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32
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33
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Abstract
The large-scale production of recombinant G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is one of the major bottlenecks that hamper functional and structural studies of this important class of integral membrane proteins. Heterologous overexpression of GPCRs often results in low yields of active protein, usually due to a combination of several factors, such as low expression levels, protein insolubility, host cell toxicity, and the need to use harsh and often denaturing detergents (e.g., SDS, LDAO, OG, and DDM, among others) to extract the recombinant receptor from the host cell membrane. Many of these problematic issues are inherently linked to cell-based expression systems and can therefore be circumvented by the use of cell-free systems. In this unit, we provide a range of protocols for the production of GPCRs in a cell-free expression system. Using this system, we typically obtain GPCR expression levels of ∼1 mg per ml of reaction mixture in the continuous-exchange configuration. Although the protocols in this unit have been optimized for the cell-free expression of GPCRs, they should provide a good starting point for the production of other classes of membrane proteins, such as ion channels, aquaporins, carrier proteins, membrane-bound enzymes, and even large molecular complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Segers
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium.,Structural Biology Group, Biologics Research Europe, Janssen Research & Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Stefan Masure
- Structural Biology Group, Biologics Research Europe, Janssen Research & Development, Beerse, Belgium
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34
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LaGuerre A, Löhr F, Bernhard F, Dötsch V. Labeling of membrane proteins by cell-free expression. Methods Enzymol 2015; 565:367-88. [PMID: 26577739 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2015.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The particular advantage of the cell-free reaction is that it allows a plethora of supplementation during protein expression and offers complete control over the available amino acid pool in view of concentration and composition. In combination with the fast and reliable production efficiencies of cell-free systems, the labeling and subsequent structural evaluation of very challenging targets, such as membrane proteins, comes into focus. We describe current methods for the isotopic labeling of cell-free synthesized membrane proteins and we review techniques available to the practitioner pursuing structural studies by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Though isotopic labeling of individual amino acid types appears to be relatively straightforward, an ongoing critical issue in most labeling schemes for structural approaches is the selective substitution of deuterons for protons. While few options are available, the continuous refinement of labeling schemes in combination with improved pulse sequences and optimized instrumentation gives promising perspectives for extended applications in the structural evaluation of cell-free synthesized membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisha LaGuerre
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany.
| | - Frank Löhr
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany
| | - Volker Dötsch
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany
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35
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Henrich E, Hein C, Dötsch V, Bernhard F. Membrane protein production in Escherichia coli cell-free lysates. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:1713-22. [PMID: 25937121 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.04.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Revised: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Cell-free protein production has become a core technology in the rapidly spreading field of synthetic biology. In particular the synthesis of membrane proteins, highly problematic proteins in conventional cellular production systems, is an ideal application for cell-free expression. A large variety of artificial as well as natural environments for the optimal co-translational folding and stabilization of membrane proteins can rationally be designed. The high success rate of cell-free membrane protein production allows to focus on individually selected targets and to modulate their functional and structural properties with appropriate supplements. The efficiency and robustness of lysates from Escherichia coli strains allow a wide diversity of applications and we summarize current strategies for the successful production of high quality membrane protein samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Henrich
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany
| | - Christopher Hein
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany
| | - Volker Dötsch
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany.
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36
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Milić D, Veprintsev DB. Large-scale production and protein engineering of G protein-coupled receptors for structural studies. Front Pharmacol 2015; 6:66. [PMID: 25873898 PMCID: PMC4379943 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2015.00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Structural studies of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) gave insights into molecular mechanisms of their action and contributed significantly to molecular pharmacology. This is primarily due to technical advances in protein engineering, production and crystallization of these important receptor targets. On the other hand, NMR spectroscopy of GPCRs, which can provide information about their dynamics, still remains challenging due to difficulties in preparation of isotopically labeled receptors and their low long-term stabilities. In this review, we discuss methods used for expression and purification of GPCRs for crystallographic and NMR studies. We also summarize protein engineering methods that played a crucial role in obtaining GPCR crystal structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalibor Milić
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen Switzerland
| | - Dmitry B Veprintsev
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen Switzerland ; Department of Biology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Zürich Switzerland
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37
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Wang Z, Ye C, Zhang X, Wei Y. Cysteine residue is not essential for CPM protein thermal-stability assay. Anal Bioanal Chem 2015; 407:3683-91. [PMID: 25772562 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-015-8587-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Revised: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A popular thermal-stability assay developed especially for the study of membrane proteins uses a thiol-specific probe, 7-diethylamino-3-(4-maleimidophenyl)-4-methylcoumarin (CPM). The fluorescence emission of CPM surges when it forms a covalent bond with the side chain of a free Cys, which becomes more readily accessible upon protein thermal denaturation. Interestingly, the melting temperatures of membrane proteins determined using the CPM assay in literature are closely clustered in the temperature range 45-55 °C. A thorough understanding of the mechanism behind the observed signal change is critical for the accurate interpretation of the protein unfolding. Here we used two α-helical membrane proteins, AqpZ and AcrB, as model systems to investigate the nature of the fluorescence surge in the CPM assay. We found that the transition temperatures measured using circular-dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and the CPM assay were significantly different. To eliminate potential artifact that might arise from the presence of detergent, we monitored the unfolding of two soluble proteins. We found that, contrary to current understanding, the presence of a sulfhydryl group was not a prerequisite for the CPM thermal-stability assay. The observed fluorescence increase is probably caused by binding of the fluorophore to hydrophobic patches exposed upon protein unfolding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoshuai Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, 305 Chemistry-Physics Building, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA
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38
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Lantez V, Nikolaidis I, Rechenmann M, Vernet T, Noirclerc-Savoye M. Rapid automated detergent screening for the solubilization and purification of membrane proteins and complexes. Eng Life Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/elsc.201400187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Violaine Lantez
- Université Grenoble Alpes, IBS; Grenoble France
- CEA, IBS; Grenoble France
- CNRS, IBS; Grenoble France
| | - Ioulia Nikolaidis
- Université Grenoble Alpes, IBS; Grenoble France
- CEA, IBS; Grenoble France
- CNRS, IBS; Grenoble France
- Department of Biochemistry of Membranes; Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University; The Netherlands
| | - Mathias Rechenmann
- Université Grenoble Alpes, IBS; Grenoble France
- CEA, IBS; Grenoble France
- CNRS, IBS; Grenoble France
| | - Thierry Vernet
- Université Grenoble Alpes, IBS; Grenoble France
- CEA, IBS; Grenoble France
- CNRS, IBS; Grenoble France
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39
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Kai L, Orbán E, Henrich E, Proverbio D, Dötsch V, Bernhard F. Co-translational stabilization of insoluble proteins in cell-free expression systems. Methods Mol Biol 2015; 1258:125-143. [PMID: 25447862 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2205-5_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Precipitation, aggregation, and inclusion body (IB) formation are frequently observed problems upon overexpression of recombinant proteins. The open accessibility of cell-free reactions allows addressing such critical steps by the addition of protein stabilizers such as chemical chaperones or detergents directly into the expression reactions. This approach could therefore reduce or even prevent initial protein precipitation already in the translation environment. The strategy might be considered to generally improve protein sample quality and to rescue proteins that are difficult to refold from IBs or from aggregated precipitates. We describe a protocol for the co-translational stabilization of difficult proteins by their expression in the presence of supplements such as alcohols, poly-ions, or detergents. We compile potentially useful compounds together with their recommended stock and working concentrations. Examples of screening experiments in order to systematically identify compounds or compound mixtures that stabilize particular proteins of interest are given. The method can primarily be considered for the production of unstable soluble proteins or of membrane proteins containing larger soluble domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Kai
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, Frankfurt/Main, 60438, Germany
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40
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Henrich E, Dötsch V, Bernhard F. Screening for Lipid Requirements of Membrane Proteins by Combining Cell-Free Expression with Nanodiscs. Methods Enzymol 2015; 556:351-69. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2014.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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41
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Abstract
Cell-free expression has emerged as a new standard for the production of membrane proteins. The reduction of expression complexity in cell-free systems eliminates central bottlenecks and allows the reliable and efficient synthesis of many different types of membrane proteins. Furthermore, the open accessibility of cell-free reactions enables the co-translational solubilization of cell-free expressed membrane proteins in a large variety of supplied additives. Hydrophobic environments can therefore be adjusted according to the requirements of individual membrane protein targets. We present different approaches for the preparative scale cell-free production of G-protein-coupled receptors using the extracts of Escherichia coli cells. We exemplify expression conditions implementing detergents, nanodiscs, or liposomes. The generated protein samples could be directly used for further functional characterization.
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42
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Gagoski D, Mureev S, Giles N, Johnston W, Dahmer-Heath M, Škalamera D, Gonda TJ, Alexandrov K. Gateway-compatible vectors for high-throughput protein expression in pro- and eukaryotic cell-free systems. J Biotechnol 2014; 195:1-7. [PMID: 25529348 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2014.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 12/06/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Although numerous techniques for protein expression and production are available the pace of genome sequencing outstrips our ability to analyze the encoded proteins. To address this bottleneck, we have established a system for parallelized cloning, DNA production and cell-free expression of large numbers of proteins. This system is based on a suite of pCellFree Gateway destination vectors that utilize a Species Independent Translation Initiation Sequence (SITS) that mediates recombinant protein expression in any in vitro translation system. These vectors introduce C or N terminal EGFP and mCherry fluorescent and affinity tags, enabling direct analysis and purification of the expressed proteins. To maximize throughput and minimize the cost of protein production we combined Gateway cloning with Rolling Circle DNA Amplification. We demonstrate that as little as 0.1 ng of plasmid DNA is sufficient for template amplification and production of recombinant human protein in Leishmania tarentolae and Escherichia coli cell-free expression systems. Our experiments indicate that this approach can be applied to large gene libraries as it can be reliably performed in multi-well plates. The resulting protein expression pipeline provides a valuable new tool for applications of the post genomic era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dejan Gagoski
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Sergey Mureev
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Nichole Giles
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Wayne Johnston
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Mareike Dahmer-Heath
- University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Dubravka Škalamera
- University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Thomas J Gonda
- School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Kirill Alexandrov
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Australia.
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43
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Marino J, Hohl M, Seeger MA, Zerbe O, Geertsma ER. Bicistronic mRNAs to enhance membrane protein overexpression. J Mol Biol 2014; 427:943-954. [PMID: 25451035 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2014.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Revised: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Functional overexpression of membrane proteins is essential for their structural and functional characterization. However, functional overexpression is often difficult to achieve, and frequently either no expression or expression as misfolded aggregates is observed. We present an approach for improving the functional overexpression of membrane proteins in Escherichia coli using transcriptional fusions. The method involves the use of a small additional RNA sequence upstream to the RNA sequence of the target membrane protein and results in the production of a bicistronic mRNA. In contrast to the common approach of translational fusions to enhance protein expression, transcriptional fusions do not require protease treatment and subsequent removal of the fusion protein. Using this strategy, we observed improvements in the quantity and/or the quality of the produced material for several membrane proteins to levels compatible with structural studies. Our analysis revealed that translation of the upstream RNA sequence was not essential for increased expression. Rather, the sequence itself had a large impact on protein yields, suggesting that alternative folding of the transcript was responsible for the observed effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Marino
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Hohl
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Markus A Seeger
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Zerbe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Eric R Geertsma
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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44
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Marino J, Bordag N, Keller S, Zerbe O. Mistic's membrane association and its assistance in overexpression of a human GPCR are independent processes. Protein Sci 2014; 24:38-48. [PMID: 25297828 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Revised: 09/15/2014] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The interaction of the Bacillus subtilis protein Mistic with the bacterial membrane and its role in promoting the overexpression of other membrane proteins are still matters of debate. In this study, we aimed to determine whether individual helical fragments of Mistic are sufficient for its interaction with membranes in vivo and in vitro. To this end, fragments encompassing each of Mistic's helical segments and combinations of them were produced as GFP-fusions, and their cellular localization was studied in Escherichia coli. Furthermore, peptides corresponding to the four helical fragments were synthesized by solid-phase peptide synthesis, and their ability to acquire secondary structure in a variety of lipids and detergents was studied by circular dichroism spectroscopy. Both types of experiments demonstrate that the third helical fragment of Mistic interacts only with LDAO micelles but does not partition into lipid bilayers. Interestingly, the other three helices interact with membranes in vivo and in vitro. Nevertheless, all of these short sequences can replace full-length Mistic as N-terminal fusions to achieve overexpression of a human G-protein-coupled receptor in E. coli, although with different effects on quantity and quality of the protein produced. A bioinformatic analysis of the Mistic family expanded the number of homologs from 4 to 20, including proteins outside the genus Bacillus. This information allowed us to discover a highly conserved Shine-Dalgarno sequence in the operon mstX-yugO that is important for downstream translation of the potassium ion channel yugO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Marino
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zürich, Switzerland
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Pandey A, Sarker M, Liu XQ, Rainey JK. Small expression tags enhance bacterial expression of the first three transmembrane segments of the apelin receptor. Biochem Cell Biol 2014; 92:269-78. [PMID: 24943103 DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2014-0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are inherently dynamic membrane protein modulators of various important cellular signaling cascades. The apelin receptor (AR or APJ) is a class A GPCR involved in numerous physiological processes, implicated in angiogenesis during tumour formation and as a CD4 co-receptor for entry of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) to cells. Due to the lack of efficient methods to produce full-length GPCRs enriched with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) active (15)N, (13)C, and (or) (2)H isotopes, small GPCR fragments typically comprising 1-2 transmembrane segments are frequently studied using NMR spectroscopy. Here, we report successful overexpression of transmembrane segments 1-3 of AR (AR_TM1-3) in the C41(DE3) strain of Escherichia coli using an AT-rich gene tag previously reported to enhance cell-free expression yields. The resulting protein, with 6 additional N-terminal residues due to the expression tag, was purified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Far UV circular dichroism spectropolarimetry demonstrates that AR_TM1-3 has the predicted ~40% α-helical character in membrane-mimetic environments. (1)H-(15)N HSQC NMR experiments imply amenability to high-resolution NMR structural characterization and stability in solution for weeks. Notably, this small expression tag approach may also be generally applicable to other membrane proteins that are difficult to express in E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Pandey
- a Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
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46
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Stech M, Quast RB, Sachse R, Schulze C, Wüstenhagen DA, Kubick S. A continuous-exchange cell-free protein synthesis system based on extracts from cultured insect cells. PLoS One 2014; 9:e96635. [PMID: 24804975 PMCID: PMC4013096 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 04/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we present a novel technique for the synthesis of complex prokaryotic and eukaryotic proteins by using a continuous-exchange cell-free (CECF) protein synthesis system based on extracts from cultured insect cells. Our approach consists of two basic elements: First, protein synthesis is performed in insect cell lysates which harbor endogenous microsomal vesicles, enabling a translocation of de novo synthesized target proteins into the lumen of the insect vesicles or, in the case of membrane proteins, their embedding into a natural membrane scaffold. Second, cell-free reactions are performed in a two chamber dialysis device for 48 h. The combination of the eukaryotic cell-free translation system based on insect cell extracts and the CECF translation system results in significantly prolonged reaction life times and increased protein yields compared to conventional batch reactions. In this context, we demonstrate the synthesis of various representative model proteins, among them cytosolic proteins, pharmacological relevant membrane proteins and glycosylated proteins in an endotoxin-free environment. Furthermore, the cell-free system used in this study is well-suited for the synthesis of biologically active tissue-type-plasminogen activator, a complex eukaryotic protein harboring multiple disulfide bonds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlitt Stech
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBMT), Branch Potsdam-Golm, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Robert B. Quast
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBMT), Branch Potsdam-Golm, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Rita Sachse
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBMT), Branch Potsdam-Golm, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Corina Schulze
- Beuth Hochschule für Technik Berlin - University of Applied Sciences Berlin, Life Sciences and Technology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Doreen A. Wüstenhagen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBMT), Branch Potsdam-Golm, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBMT), Branch Potsdam-Golm, Potsdam, Germany
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47
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Roos C, Kai L, Haberstock S, Proverbio D, Ghoshdastider U, Ma Y, Filipek S, Wang X, Dötsch V, Bernhard F. High-level cell-free production of membrane proteins with nanodiscs. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1118:109-130. [PMID: 24395412 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-62703-782-2_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
This chapter addresses two major bottlenecks in cell-free membrane protein production. Firstly, we describe the optimization of expression templates for obtaining membrane proteins in preparative scales. We present details for a newly established tag variation screen providing high success rates in improving expression efficiencies while having only minimal impacts on the target protein structure. Secondly, we present protocols for the efficient co-translational insertion of membrane proteins into defined lipid bilayers. We describe the production of nanodiscs and their implementation into cell-free expression reactions for the co-translational reconstitution of membrane proteins. In addition we give guidelines for the loading of nanodiscs with different lipids in order to systematically analyze effects of lipids on the translocation, functional folding, and stability of cell-free expressed membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Roos
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
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48
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Tumulka F, Roos C, Löhr F, Bock C, Bernhard F, Dötsch V, Abele R. Conformational stabilization of the membrane embedded targeting domain of the lysosomal peptide transporter TAPL for solution NMR. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2013; 57:141-154. [PMID: 24013930 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-013-9774-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The ATP binding cassette transporter TAPL translocates cytosolic peptides into the lumen of lysosomes driven by the hydrolysis of ATP. Functionally, this transporter can be divided into coreTAPL, comprising the transport function, and an additional N-terminal transmembrane domain called TMD0, which is essential for lysosomal targeting and mediates the interaction with the lysosomal associated membrane proteins LAMP-1 and LAMP-2. To elucidate the structure of this unique domain, we developed protocols for the production of high quantities of cell-free expressed TMD0 by screening different N-terminal expression tags. Independently of the amino acid sequence, high expression was detected for AU-rich sequences in the first seven codons, decreasing the free energy of RNA secondary structure formation at translation initiation. Furthermore, avoiding NGG codons in the region of translation initiation demonstrated a positive effect on expression. For NMR studies, conditions were optimized for high solubilization efficiency, long-term stability, and high quality spectra. A most critical step was the careful exchange of the detergent used for solubilization by the detergent dihexanoylphosphatidylcholine. Several constructs of different size were tested in order to stabilize the fold of TMD0 as well as to reduce the conformation exchange. NMR spectra with sufficient resolution and homogeneity were finally obtained with a TMD0 derivative only modified by a C-terminal His10-tag and containing a codon optimized AT-rich sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franz Tumulka
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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49
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Functional properties of cell-free expressed human endothelin A and endothelin B receptors in artificial membrane environments. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2013; 1828:2182-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2013.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2013] [Revised: 05/27/2013] [Accepted: 05/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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50
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Bernhard F, Tozawa Y. Cell-free expression--making a mark. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2013; 23:374-80. [PMID: 23628286 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2013.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2012] [Revised: 03/26/2013] [Accepted: 03/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Cell-free protein production opens new perspectives for the direct manipulation of expression compartments in combination with reduced complexity of physiological requirements. The technology is therefore in particular suitable for the general synthesis of difficult proteins including toxins and membrane proteins as well as for the analysis of their functional folding in artificial environments. A further key application of cell-free expression is the fast and economic labeling of proteins for structural and functional applications. Two extract sources, wheat embryos and Escherichia coli cells, are currently employed for the preparative scale cell-free production of proteins. Recent achievements in structural characterization include cell-free synthesized membrane proteins and even larger protein assemblies may become feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Bernhard
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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