Expression and purification of horseradish peroxidase in insect larvae

Simple two-step purification and characterisation of peroxidase from Citrullus colocynthis

Peroxidase is a biotechnologically important enzyme. The purification of peroxidase from the root of Citrullus colocynthis was carried out in a simple two-step process with maximum purity level. The sample was extracted in a high salt buffer, and the enzyme was partially purified with a Q-Sepharose anion exchange column. Final purification was carried out with HighLoad 16/600 Superdex G-75 column. The purified protein was analysed with SDS gel electrophoresis, which suggested a single band of approximately 35 kDa. Further, the enzyme was identified with the help of Mass spectrometric analysis using an ESI-QTOF Mass spectrometer. The study will be helpful for the isolation and its commercial uses in biotechnology.

Rapid and cost-effective process based on insect larvae for scale-up production of SARS-COV-2 spike protein for serological COVID-19 testing

Serology testing for COVID-19 is important in evaluating active immune response against SARS-CoV-2, studying the antibody kinetics, and monitoring reinfections with genetic variants and new virus strains, in particular, the duration of antibodies in virus-exposed individuals and vaccine-mediated immunity. In this study, recombinant S protein of SARS-CoV-2 was expressed in Rachiplusia nu, an important agronomic plague. One gram of insect larvae produces an amount of S protein sufficient for 150 determinations in the ELISA method herein developed. We established a rapid production process for SARS-CoV-2 S protein that showed immunoreactivity for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and was used as a single antigen for developing the ELISA method with high sensitivity (96.2%) and specificity (98.8%). Our findings provide an efficient and cost-effective platform for large-scale S protein production, and the scale-up is linear, thus avoiding the use of complex equipment like bioreactors.

Transient Expression and Purification of Horseradish Peroxidase C in Nicotiana benthamiana

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is a commercially important reagent enzyme used in molecular biology and in the diagnostic product industry. It is typically purified from the roots of the horseradish (Armoracia rusticana); however, this crop is only available seasonally, yields are variable and often low, and the product is a mixture of isoenzymes. Engineering high-level expression in transiently transformed tobacco may offer a solution to these problems. In this study, a synthetic Nicotiana benthamiana codon-adapted full-length HRP isoenzyme gene as well as C-terminally truncated and both N- and C-terminally truncated versions of the HRP C gene were synthesized, and their expression in N. benthamiana was evaluated using an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient expression system. The influence on HRP C expression levels of co-infiltration with a silencing suppressor (NSs) construct was also evaluated. Highest HRP C levels were consistently obtained using either the full length or C-terminally truncated HRP C constructs. HRP C purification by ion exchange chromatography gave an overall yield of 54% with a Reinheitszahl value of >3 and a specific activity of 458 U/mg. The high level of HRP C production in N. benthamiana in just five days offers an alternative, viable, and scalable system for production of this commercially significant enzyme.

Hevea brasiliensis cell suspension peroxidase: purification, characterization and application for dye decolorization

Peroxidases are oxidoreductase enzymes produced by most organisms. In this study, a peroxidase was purified from Hevea brasiliensis cell suspension by using anion exchange chromatography (DEAE-Sepharose), affinity chromatography (Con A-agarose) and preparative SDS-PAGE. The obtained enzyme appeared as a single band on SDS-PAGE with molecular mass of 70 kDa. Surprisingly, this purified peroxidase also had polyphenol oxidase activity. However, the biochemical characteristics were only studied in term of peroxidase because similar experiments in term of polyphenol oxidase have been reported in our pervious publication. The optimal pH of the purified peroxidase was 5.0 and its activity was retained at pH values between 5.0-10.0. The enzyme was heat stable over a wide range of temperatures (0-60°C), and less than 50% of its activity was lost at 70°C after incubation for 30 min. The enzyme was completely inhibited by β-mercaptoethanol and strongly inhibited by NaN3; in addition, its properties indicated that it was a heme containing glycoprotein. This peroxidase could decolorize many dyes; aniline blue, bromocresol purple, brilliant green, crystal violet, fuchsin, malachite green, methyl green, methyl violet and water blue. The stability against high temperature and extreme pH supported that the enzyme could be a potential peroxidase source for special industrial applications.

Purification of peroxidase from Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) roots

Peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7) from horseradish ( Armoracia rusticana ) roots was purified using a simple, rapid, three-step procedure: ultrasonication, ammonium sulfate salt precipitation, and hydrophobic interaction chromatography on phenyl Sepharose CL-4B. The preparation gave an overall yield of 71%, 291-fold purification, and a high specific activity of 772 U mg(-1) protein. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that the purified enzyme was homogeneous and had a molecular weight of approximately 40 kDa. The isolated enzyme had an isoelectric point of 8.8 and a Reinheitszahl value of 3.39 and was stable when stored in the presence of glycerol at -20 degrees C, with >95% retention of original enzyme activity for at least 6 months. Maximal activity of purified horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was obtained under different optimized conditions: substrate (guaiacol and H(2)O(2)) concentrations (0.5 and 0.3 mM, respectively), type of buffer (50 mM phosphate buffer), pH (7.0), time (1.0 min), and temperature of incubation (30 degrees C). In addition, the effect of HRP and H(2)O(2) in a neutral-buffered aqueous solution for the oxidation of phenol and 2-chlorophenol substrates was also studied. Different conditions including concentrations of phenol/2-chlorophenol, H(2)O(2), and enzyme, time, pH, and temperature were standardized for the maximal activity of HRP with these substrates; under these optimal conditions 89.6 and 91.4% oxidations of phenol and 2-chlorophenol were obtained, respectively. The data generated from this work could have direct implications in studies on the commercial production of this biotechnologically important enzyme and its stability in different media.

Recombinant peroxidase production in species of lepidoptera frequently found in Argentina

Horseradish peroxidase isozyme C (HRPC) is an important commercial biocatalyst. In this study, a screening of different lepidopteran species frequently found in Argentina to produce this protein was carried out. Two recombinant viruses were constructed: AcMNPV HRPC polyhedrin-minus (occ-), an intrahemocelical infective virus; and AcMNPV HRPC polyhedrin-plus (occ+), to achieve an oral infective baculovirus. Each lepidopteran species was infected either with AcMNPV HRPC occ- or AcMNPV HRPC occ+ and the harvesting days post-infection (dpi) were optimized. All species were susceptible to AcMNPV HRPC occ- infection, giving Spodoptera frugiperda the best yield: 41 μg per larva. Rachiplusia nu was highly susceptible to oral infection, reaching 22 μg per larva at 4 dpi. HRPC was purified by IMAC from S. frugiperda extracts with a yield of 86% and a purification factor of 29.