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Taghizadeh MH, Khajeh K, Nasirpour N, Mousavi SM. Maximization of uricase production in a column bioreactor through response surface methodology-based optimization. Biofabrication 2024; 16:035023. [PMID: 38697098 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ad467f] [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] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Uricase (EC 1.7.3.3) is an oxidoreductase enzyme that is widely exploited for diagnostic and treatment purposes in medicine. This study focuses on producing recombinant uricase fromE. coliBL21 in a bubble column bioreactor (BCB) and finding the optimal conditions for maximum uricase activity. The three most effective variables on uricase activity were selected through the Plackett-Burman design from eight different variables and were further optimized by the central composite design of the response surface methodology (RSM). The selected variables included the inoculum size (%v/v), isopropylβ-d-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) concentration (mM) and the initial pH of the culture medium. The activity of uricase, the final optical density at 600 nm wavelength (OD600) and the final pH were considered as the responses of this optimization and were modeled. As a result, activity of 5.84 U·ml-1and a final OD600of 3.42 were obtained at optimum conditions of 3% v/v inoculum size, an IPTG concentration of 0.54 mM and a pH of 6.0. By purifying the obtained enzyme using a Ni-NTA agarose affinity chromatography column, 165 ± 1.5 mg uricase was obtained from a 600 ml cell culture. The results of this study show that BCBs can be a highly effective option for large-scale uricase production.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Khosro Khajeh
- Biological Sciences Department, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Niloofar Nasirpour
- Chemical Engineering Department, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Seyyed Mohammad Mousavi
- Biotechnology Group, Chemical Engineering Department, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
- Modares Environmental Research Institute, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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2
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Hernández-Sánchez A, Páez-Pérez ED, Alfaro-Saldaña E, Olivares-Illana V, García-Meza JV. Understanding a Core Pilin of the Type IVa Pili of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, PilV. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 34:527-537. [PMID: 38346803 PMCID: PMC11016768 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2310.10033] [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] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Pilins are protein subunits of pili. The pilins of type IV pili (T4P) in pathogenic bacteria are well characterized, but anything is known about the T4P proteins in acidophilic chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms such as the genus Acidithiobacillus. The interest in T4P of A. thiooxidans is because of their possible role in cell recruitment and bacterial aggregation on the surface of minerals during biooxidation of sulfide minerals. In this study we present a successful ad hoc methodology for the heterologous expression and purification of extracellular proteins such as the minor pilin PilV of the T4P of A. thiooxidans, a pilin exposed to extreme conditions of acidity and high oxidation-reduction potentials, and that interact with metal sulfides in an environment rich in dissolved minerals. Once obtained, the model structure of A. thiooxidans PilV revealed the core basic architecture of T4P pilins. Because of the acidophilic condition, we carried out in silico characterization of the protonation status of acidic and basic residues of PilV in order to calculate the ionization state at specific pH values and evaluated their pH stability. Further biophysical characterization was done using UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy and the results showed that PilV remains soluble and stable even after exposure to significant changes of pH. PilV has a unique amino acid composition that exhibits acid stability, with significant biotechnology implications such as biooxidation of sulfide minerals. The biophysics profiles of PilV open new paradigms about resilient proteins and stimulate the study of other pilins from extremophiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Araceli Hernández-Sánchez
- Geomicrobiología, Metalurgia, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Sierra Leona 550, San Luis Potosí, 78210, SLP, México
| | - Edgar D. Páez-Pérez
- Geomicrobiología, Metalurgia, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Sierra Leona 550, San Luis Potosí, 78210, SLP, México
| | - Elvia Alfaro-Saldaña
- Geomicrobiología, Metalurgia, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Sierra Leona 550, San Luis Potosí, 78210, SLP, México
| | - Vanesa Olivares-Illana
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Biomoleculares y Cáncer. Instituto de Física, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Parque Chapultepec 1570, Privadas del Pedregal, San Luis Potosí, 78210, SLP, México
| | - J. Viridiana García-Meza
- Geomicrobiología, Metalurgia, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Sierra Leona 550, San Luis Potosí, 78210, SLP, México
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3
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Wu P, Tao Q, Liu Y, Zeng C, Li Y, Yan X. Efficient secretion of mussel adhesion proteins using a chaperone protein Spy as fusion tag in Bacillus subtilis. Biotechnol J 2023; 18:e2200582. [PMID: 37357718 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202200582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mussel foot proteins (Mfps) are considered as remarkable materials due to their extraordinary adhesive capability. Recombinant expression is an ideal way to synthesis these proteins at large scale. However, secretory expression of Mfps into culture medium has not been achieved in a heterologous host. METHODS AND RESULTS Here, to realize the secretion of Mfp3 and Mfp5 in Bacillus subtilis, signal peptide screening was first performed. Minimal Mfp3-6×His was targeted into the growth medium with AmyE signal peptide. We found that a small chaperone protein Spy was secreted efficiently in B. subtilis, and the fusion proteins Spy-Mfp3-6×His and Spy-Mfp5-6×His could also be delivered into growth medium well. The yield of Spy-Mfp3-6×His and Spy-Mfp5-6×His reached 255 and 119 mg L-1 at shake flask conditions, respectively. Mfp3-6×His and Mfp5-6×His were finally purified via TEV protease cleavage and NTA affinity chromatography. CONCLUSION Mfp3-6×His and Mfp5-6×His could be efficiently secreted using a chaperone protein Spy as fusion tag in B. subtilis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panpan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing Tao
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuxuan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Caiting Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Li
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Yan
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
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4
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Ali T, Klein AN, Vu A, Arifin MI, Hannaoui S, Gilch S. Peptide aptamer targeting Aβ-PrP-Fyn axis reduces Alzheimer's disease pathologies in 5XFAD transgenic mouse model. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:139. [PMID: 37149826 PMCID: PMC10164677 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04785-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Currently, no effective therapeutics exist for the treatment of incurable neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). The cellular prion protein (PrPC) acts as a high-affinity receptor for amyloid beta oligomers (AβO), a main neurotoxic species mediating AD pathology. The interaction of AβO with PrPC subsequently activates Fyn tyrosine kinase and neuroinflammation. Herein, we used our previously developed peptide aptamer 8 (PA8) binding to PrPC as a therapeutic to target the AβO-PrP-Fyn axis and prevent its associated pathologies. Our in vitro results indicated that PA8 prevents the binding of AβO with PrPC and reduces AβO-induced neurotoxicity in mouse neuroblastoma N2a cells and primary hippocampal neurons. Next, we performed in vivo experiments using the transgenic 5XFAD mouse model of AD. The 5XFAD mice were treated with PA8 and its scaffold protein thioredoxin A (Trx) at a 14.4 µg/day dosage for 12 weeks by intraventricular infusion through Alzet® osmotic pumps. We observed that treatment with PA8 improves learning and memory functions of 5XFAD mice as compared to Trx-treated 5XFAD mice. We found that PA8 treatment significantly reduces AβO levels and Aβ plaques in the brain tissue of 5XFAD mice. Interestingly, PA8 significantly reduces AβO-PrP interaction and its downstream signaling such as phosphorylation of Fyn kinase, reactive gliosis as well as apoptotic neurodegeneration in the 5XFAD mice compared to Trx-treated 5XFAD mice. Collectively, our results demonstrate that treatment with PA8 targeting the AβO-PrP-Fyn axis is a promising and novel approach to prevent and treat AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahir Ali
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
- Cumming School of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Antonia N Klein
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
- Cumming School of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Alex Vu
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
- Cumming School of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Maria I Arifin
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
- Cumming School of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Samia Hannaoui
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
- Cumming School of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Sabine Gilch
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada.
- Cumming School of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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5
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Petrovskaya LE, Lukashev EP, Mamedov MD, Kryukova EA, Balashov SP, Dolgikh DA, Rubin AB, Kirpichnikov MP, Siletsky SA. Oriented Insertion of ESR-Containing Hybrid Proteins in Proteoliposomes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087369. [PMID: 37108532 PMCID: PMC10138546 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial rhodopsins comprise a diverse family of retinal-containing membrane proteins that convert absorbed light energy to transmembrane ion transport or sensory signals. Incorporation of these proteins in proteoliposomes allows their properties to be studied in a native-like environment; however, unidirectional protein orientation in the artificial membranes is rarely observed. We aimed to obtain proteoliposomes with unidirectional orientation using a proton-pumping retinal protein from Exiguobacterium sibiricum, ESR, as a model. Three ESR hybrids with soluble protein domains (mCherry or thioredoxin at the C-terminus and Caf1M chaperone at the N-terminus) were obtained and characterized. The photocycle of the hybrid proteins incorporated in proteoliposomes demonstrated a higher pKa of the M state accumulation compared to that of the wild-type ESR. Large negative electrogenic phases and an increase in the relative amplitude of kinetic components in the microsecond time range in the kinetics of membrane potential generation of ESR-Cherry and ESR-Trx indicate a decrease in the efficiency of transmembrane proton transport. On the contrary, Caf-ESR demonstrates a native-like kinetics of membrane potential generation and the corresponding electrogenic stages. Our experiments show that the hybrid with Caf1M promotes the unidirectional orientation of ESR in proteoliposomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lada E Petrovskaya
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Evgeniy P Lukashev
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Mahir D Mamedov
- Belozersky Institute of Physical-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena A Kryukova
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergei P Balashov
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Dmitry A Dolgikh
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrei B Rubin
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail P Kirpichnikov
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey A Siletsky
- Belozersky Institute of Physical-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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Sucharski F, Gallo G, Coelho C, Hardy L, Würtele M. Modeling the role of charged residues in thermophilic proteins by rotamer and dynamic cross correlation analysis. J Mol Model 2023; 29:132. [PMID: 37036538 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-023-05490-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Discerning the determinants of protein thermostability is very important both from the theoretical and applied perspective. Different lines of evidence seem to indicate that a dynamical network of salt bridges/charged residues plays a fundamental role in the thermostability of enzymes. In this work, we applied measures of dynamic variance, like the Gini coefficients, Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence and dynamic cross correlation (DCC) coefficients to compare the behavior of 3 pairs of homologous proteins from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus and mesophilic Escherichia coli. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations of these proteins were performed at 303 K and 363 K. In the characterization of their side chain rotamer distributions, the corresponding Gini coefficients and KL-divergence both revealed significant correlations with temperature. Similarly, a DCC analysis revealed a higher trend to de-correlate the movement of charged residues at higher temperatures in the thermophilic proteins, when compared with their mesophilic homologues. These results highlight the importance of dynamic electrostatic network interactions for the thermostability of enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Sucharski
- Department of Science and Technology, Federal University of São Paulo, Talim 330, São José Dos Campos, São Paulo, 12231-280, Brazil
| | - Gloria Gallo
- Department of Science and Technology, Federal University of São Paulo, Talim 330, São José Dos Campos, São Paulo, 12231-280, Brazil
| | - Camila Coelho
- Department of Science and Technology, Federal University of São Paulo, Talim 330, São José Dos Campos, São Paulo, 12231-280, Brazil
| | - Leon Hardy
- Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
| | - Martin Würtele
- Department of Science and Technology, Federal University of São Paulo, Talim 330, São José Dos Campos, São Paulo, 12231-280, Brazil.
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7
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Jiang H, Wang X. Biosynthesis of monoterpenoid and sesquiterpenoid as natural flavors and fragrances. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 65:108151. [PMID: 37037288 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108151] [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: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Terpenoids are a large class of plant-derived compounds, that constitute the main components of essential oils and are widely used as natural flavors and fragrances. The biosynthesis approach presents a promising alternative route in terpenoid production compared to plant extraction or chemical synthesis. In the past decade, the production of terpenoids using biotechnology has attracted broad attention from both academia and the industry. With the growing market of flavor and fragrance, the production of terpenoids directed by synthetic biology shows great potential in promoting future market prospects. Here, we reviewed the latest advances in terpenoid biosynthesis. The engineering strategies for biosynthetic terpenoids were systematically summarized from the enzyme, metabolic, and cellular dimensions. Additionally, we analyzed the key challenges from laboratory production to scalable production, such as key enzyme improvement, terpenoid toxicity, and volatility loss. To provide comprehensive technical guidance, we collected milestone examples of biosynthetic mono- and sesquiterpenoids, compared the current application status of chemical synthesis and biosynthesis in terpenoid production, and discussed the cost drivers based on the data of techno-economic assessment. It is expected to provide critical insights into developing translational research of terpenoid biomanufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Jiang
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311200, PR China
| | - Xi Wang
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311200, PR China; College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027, PR China.
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8
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Venkatesan M, Semper C, Skrivergaard S, Di Leo R, Mesa N, Rasmussen MK, Young JF, Therkildsen M, Stogios PJ, Savchenko A. Recombinant production of growth factors for application in cell culture. iScience 2022; 25:105054. [PMID: 36157583 PMCID: PMC9489951 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Culturing eukaryotic cells has widespread applications in research and industry, including the emerging field of cell-cultured meat production colloquially referred to as “cellular agriculture”. These applications are often restricted by the high cost of growth medium necessary for cell growth. Mitogenic protein growth factors (GFs) are essential components of growth medium and account for upwards of 90% of the total costs. Here, we present a set of expression constructs and a simplified protocol for recombinant production of functionally active GFs, including FGF2, IGF1, PDGF-BB, and TGF-β1 in Escherichia coli. Using this E. coli expression system, we produced soluble GF orthologs from species including bovine, chicken, and salmon. Bioactivity analysis revealed orthologs with improved performance compared to commercially available alternatives. We estimated that the production cost of GFs using our methodology will significantly reduce the cost of cell culture medium, facilitating low-cost protocols tailored for cultured meat production and tissue engineering. Developed methodology for low-cost production of soluble, bioactive GFs Purified GFs were active on NIH-3T3 and bovine satellite cells Some GF orthologs outperformed commercially sourced GFs Production of GFs using these methods can foster significant cost savings
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Affiliation(s)
- Meenakshi Venkatesan
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E8, Canada
| | - Cameron Semper
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | | | - Rosa Di Leo
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E8, Canada
| | - Nathalie Mesa
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E8, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Peter J Stogios
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E8, Canada
| | - Alexei Savchenko
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E8, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
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9
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Tursunov K, Tokhtarova L, Kanayev D, Mustafina R, Mukantayev K. Effect of thioredoxin on the immunogenicity of the recombinant P32 protein of lumpy skin disease virus. Vet World 2022; 15:2384-2390. [DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2022.2384-2390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim: The rapid spread of lumpy skin disease (LSD) globally poses a serious threat to the agricultural sector. The timely and accurate diagnosis of the disease is crucial to control LSD. This study aimed to determine the effect of thioredoxin on the immunogenicity of the recombinant P32 (rP32) protein of LSD virus (LSDV). Since the P32 protein is poorly soluble, it is often expressed by adding an auxiliary sequence of a highly soluble partner protein such as thioredoxin.
Materials and Methods: The P32 gene fragment was amplified using a polymerase chain reaction from genomic DNA used as a template. The resulting DNA fragments were cloned into the pET32a vector, and transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) cells through electroporation. Purification of the rP32 protein was performed using a HisTrap column. Purified rP32 protein fused with thioredoxin (rP32Trx) was characterized by western blotting, liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results: Indirect ELISA revealed that, despite the lower molecular weight, the main part of the antibodies in the serum of immunized mice was directed against thioredoxin and not the target P32 protein. Thus, the antibody titers against rP32Trx were 1:102400, whereas antibody titers against heterologous recombinant 3BTrx and PD1Trx proteins were 1:25600 and 1:51200, respectively. Concurrently, the antibodies did not bind to the heterologous recombinant PD1 protein, which did not contain thioredoxin.
Conclusion: The results showed that the rP32 protein fused with the partner protein thioredoxin could not be used to obtain polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. However, the recombinant fusion protein rP32Trx can be used to develop a serological test to detect antibodies, since antibodies against thioredoxin were not detected in the animal sera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanat Tursunov
- Laboratory of Immunochemistry and Immunobiotechnology, National Center for Biotechnology, 010000, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
| | - Laura Tokhtarova
- Laboratory of Immunochemistry and Immunobiotechnology, National Center for Biotechnology, 010000, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
| | - Darkhan Kanayev
- Laboratory of Immunochemistry and Immunobiotechnology, National Center for Biotechnology, 010000, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
| | - Raikhan Mustafina
- Department of Veterinary Sanitation, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Technology, S. Seifullin Kazakh Agro Technical University, 010011, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
| | - Kanatbek Mukantayev
- Laboratory of Immunochemistry and Immunobiotechnology, National Center for Biotechnology, 010000, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
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10
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Grogan C, Bennett M, Lampe DJ. An evaluation of fusion partner proteins for paratransgenesis in Asaia bogorensis. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273568. [PMID: 36048823 PMCID: PMC9436115 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes transmit many pathogens responsible for human diseases, such as malaria which is caused by parasites in the genus Plasmodium. Current strategies to control vector-transmitted diseases are increasingly undermined by mosquito and pathogen resistance, so additional methods of control are required. Paratransgenesis is a method whereby symbiotic bacteria are genetically modified to affect the mosquito’s phenotype by engineering them to deliver effector molecules into the midgut to kill parasites. One paratransgenesis candidate is Asaia bogorensis, a Gram-negative bacterium colonizing the midgut, ovaries, and salivary glands of Anopheles sp. mosquitoes. Previously, engineered Asaia strains using native signals to drive the release of the antimicrobial peptide, scorpine, fused to alkaline phosphatase were successful in significantly suppressing the number of oocysts formed after a blood meal containing P. berghei. However, these strains saw high fitness costs associated with the production of the recombinant protein. Here, we report evaluation of five different partner proteins fused to scorpine that were evaluated for effects on the growth and fitness of the transgenic bacteria. Three of the new partner proteins resulted in significant levels of protein released from the Asaia bacterium while also significantly reducing the prevalence of mosquitoes infected with P. berghei. Two partners performed as well as the previously tested Asaia strain that used alkaline phosphatase in the fitness analyses, but neither exceeded it. It may be that there is a maximum level of fitness and parasite inhibition that can be achieved with scorpine being driven constitutively, and that use of a Plasmodium specific effector molecule in place of scorpine would help to mitigate the stress on the symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Grogan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Marissa Bennett
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - David J. Lampe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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11
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Yang C, Huang Z, Zhang X, Zhu C. Structural Insights into the NAD(P)H:Quinone Oxidoreductase from Phytophthora capsici. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:25705-25714. [PMID: 35910145 PMCID: PMC9330140 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c02954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Soluble quinone oxidoreductases catalyze transfer of electrons from NADPH to quinones. Transfer of electrons is essential for detoxification of synthetic compounds. Here, we present the crystal structure of a NADPH-dependent QOR from Phytophthora capsici (Pc) complexed with NADPH at 2.4 Å resolution. The enzyme exhibits a bi-modular architecture, containing a NADPH-binding groove and a substrate-binding pocket in each subunit. In the crystal, each asymmetric unit of PcQOR contains two molecules stabilized by intermolecular interactions. Gel filtration and ultracentrifugation analyses reveal that it functions as a tetramer in solution. Alignment of homologous structures exhibits a conserved topology. However, the active sites vary among the homologues, indicating differences in substrate specificities. Enzymatic assays indicate that PcQOR tends to catalyze the large substrates, like 9,10-phenanthrenequinone. Computational simulation associated with site-directed mutagenesis and enzymatic activity analysis declares a potential quinone-binding channel. The ability to reduce quinones probably helps P. capsici to detoxify some harmful chemicals encountered during invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cancan Yang
- Shandong
Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect
Pests, College of Plant Protection, Shandong
Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China
| | - Zhenling Huang
- Shandong
Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect
Pests, College of Plant Protection, Shandong
Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China
| | - Xiuguo Zhang
- Shandong
Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect
Pests, College of Plant Protection, Shandong
Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China
| | - Chunyuan Zhu
- College
of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural
University, Taian 271018, China
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12
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Bonazza K, Iacob RE, Hudson NE, Li J, Lu C, Engen JR, Springer TA. Von Willebrand factor A1 domain stability and affinity for GPIbα are differentially regulated by its O-glycosylated N- and C-linker. eLife 2022; 11:75760. [PMID: 35532124 PMCID: PMC9084892 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Hemostasis in the arterial circulation is mediated by binding of the A1 domain of the ultralong protein von Willebrand factor (VWF) to GPIbα on platelets to form a platelet plug. A1 is activated by tensile force on VWF concatemers imparted by hydrodynamic drag force. The A1 core is protected from force-induced unfolding by a long-range disulfide that links cysteines near its N- and C-termini. The O-glycosylated linkers between A1 and its neighboring domains, which transmit tensile force to A1, are reported to regulate A1 activation for binding to GPIb, but the mechanism is controversial and incompletely defined. Here, we study how these linkers, and their polypeptide and O-glycan moieties, regulate A1 affinity by measuring affinity, kinetics, thermodynamics, hydrogen deuterium exchange (HDX), and unfolding by temperature and urea. The N-linker lowers A1 affinity 40-fold with a stronger contribution from its O-glycan than polypeptide moiety. The N-linker also decreases HDX in specific regions of A1 and increases thermal stability and the energy gap between its native state and an intermediate state, which is observed in urea-induced unfolding. The C-linker also decreases affinity of A1 for GPIbα, but in contrast to the N-linker, has no significant effect on HDX or A1 stability. Among different models for A1 activation, our data are consistent with the model that the intermediate state has high affinity for GPIbα, which is induced by tensile force physiologically and regulated allosterically by the N-linker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Bonazza
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Roxana E Iacob
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, United States
| | - Nathan E Hudson
- Department of Physics, East Carolina University, Greenville, United States
| | - Jing Li
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Chafen Lu
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - John R Engen
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, United States
| | - Timothy A Springer
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
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13
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White B, Patterson M, Karnwal S, Brooks CL. Crystal structure of a human MUC16 SEA domain reveals insight into the nature of the CA125 tumor marker. Proteins 2022; 90:1210-1218. [PMID: 35037700 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
MUC16 is a membrane bound glycoprotein involved in the progression and metastasis of pancreatic and ovarian cancer. The protein is shed into the serum and the resulting cancer antigen 125 (CA125) can be detected by immunoassays. The CA125 epitope is used for monitoring ovarian cancer treatment progression, and has emerged as a potential target for antibody mediated immunotherapy. The extracellular tandem repeat domain of the protein is composed of repeating segments of heavily glycosylated sequence intermixed with homologous SEA (Sperm protein, Enterokinase and Agrin) domains. Here we report the purification and the first X-ray structure of a human MUC16 SEA domain. The structure was solved by molecular replacement using a Rosetta generated structure as a search model. The SEA domain reacted with three different MUC16 therapeutic antibodies, confirming that the CA125 epitope is localized to the SEA domain. The structure revealed a canonical ferredoxin-like fold, and contained a conserved disulfide bond. Analysis of the relative solvent accessibility of side chains within the SEA domain clarified the assignment of N-linked and O-linked glycosylation sites within the domain. A model of the glycosylated SEA domain revealed two major accessible faces, which likely represent the binding sites of CA125 specific antibodies. The results presented here will serve to accelerate future work to understand the functional role of MUC16 SEA domains and antibody recognition of the CA125 epitope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandy White
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University Fresno, Fresno, California, USA
| | - Michelle Patterson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University Fresno, Fresno, California, USA
| | - Saloni Karnwal
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University Fresno, Fresno, California, USA
| | - Cory L Brooks
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University Fresno, Fresno, California, USA
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14
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Xie X, Wu P, Huang X, Bai W, Li B, Shi N. Retro-protein XXA is a remarkable solubilizing fusion tag for inclusion bodies. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:51. [PMID: 35366873 PMCID: PMC8977028 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01776-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Producing large amounts of soluble proteins from bacteria remains a challenge, despite the help of current various solubilizing fusion tags. Thus, developing novel tags is necessary. Antifreeze protein (AFP) has excellent solubility and hydrophilicity, but there are no current reports on its use as a solubilizing fusion tag. Additionally, there is no precedent for using retro-proteins (reverse sequence) as solubilizing fusion tags. Therefore, we selected the antifreeze protein AXX and obtained its retro-protein XXA by synthesizing the XXA gene for the development of a new solubilizing fusion tag. Results XXA exhibits better stability and ease of expression than AXX; hence, we focused the development of the solubilizing fusion tag on XXA. XXA fused with the tested inclusion bodies, significantly increasing the soluble expression compared with commonly used solubilizing fusion tags such as GST, Trx, Sumo, MBP, and NusA. The tested proteins became soluble after fusion with the XXA tag, and they could be purified. They maintained a soluble form after XXA tag removal. Finally, we used enzymatic digestion reaction and western blot experiments to verify that bdNEDP1 and NbALFA, which were soluble expressed by fusion with XXA, were active. Conclusion We developed the novel solubilizing fusion tag XXA, which could more effectively facilitate the soluble expression of inclusion bodies compared with current commonly used tags. XXA could function at both low and high temperatures, and its moderate molecular weight has a limited impact on the output. These properties make XXA an ideal fusion tag for future research and industrial production. Moreover, for the first time, we highlighted the broad potential of antifreeze protein as a solubilizing fusion tag, bringing retro-protein into practical application. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12934-022-01776-7.
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15
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Kronqvist N, Rising A, Johansson J. A Novel Approach for the Production of Aggregation-Prone Proteins Using the Spidroin-Derived NT* Tag. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2022; 2406:113-130. [PMID: 35089553 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1859-2_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Spiders have evolved proteins that can be kept in a highly concentrated soluble form in the silk gland yet rapidly assemble into stable silk fibers under certain environmental conditions. The transition between soluble and fibrillar states is partly regulated by the pH-sensitive N-terminal (NT) domain which has emerged as nature's own solubility-enhancing domain. NT has an inherent capacity to keep the silk proteins' partly hydrophobic and very aggregation-prone regions from premature fibrillation in spite of storage at enormous concentrations. The genetically engineered double-mutant NT* shows increased solubility and stability and has arisen as a powerful tool for the production of aggregation-prone as well as other recombinant proteins. Here we describe a robust and highly efficient protocol for improved soluble expression of peptides and proteins by fusion to the NT* tag.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Kronqvist
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
| | - Anna Rising
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
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16
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Ferreira AS, Lopacinski A, Batista M, Hiraiwa PM, Guimarães BG, Zanchin NIT. A toolkit for recombinant production of seven human EGF family growth factors in active conformation. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5034. [PMID: 35322149 PMCID: PMC8943033 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09060-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidermal growth factors (EGF) play a wide range of roles in embryogenesis, skin development, immune response homeostasis. They are involved in several pathologies as well, including several cancer types, psoriasis, chronic pain and chronic kidney disease. All members share the structural EGF domain, which is responsible for receptor interaction, thereby initiating transduction of signals. EGF growth factors have intense use in fundamental research and high potential for biotechnological applications. However, due to their structural organization with three disulfide bonds, recombinant production of these factors in prokaryotic systems is not straightforward. A significant fraction usually forms inclusion bodies. For the fraction remaining soluble, misfolding and incomplete disulfide bond formation may affect the amount of active factor in solution, which can compromise experimental conclusions and biotechnological applications. In this work, we describe a reliable procedure to produce seven human growth factors of the EGF family in Escherichia coli. Biophysical and stability analyses using limited proteolysis, light scattering, circular dichroism and nanoDSF show that the recombinant factors present folded and stable conformation. Cell proliferation and scratch healing assays confirmed that the recombinant factors are highly active at concentrations as low as 5 ng/ml.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Schveitzer Ferreira
- Laboratory of Structural Biology and Protein Engineering, Carlos Chagas Institute, FIOCRUZ Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.,Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Amanda Lopacinski
- Laboratory of Structural Biology and Protein Engineering, Carlos Chagas Institute, FIOCRUZ Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.,Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Michel Batista
- Mass Spectrometry Facility RPT02H, Carlos Chagas Institute, FIOCRUZ Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Priscila Mazzocchi Hiraiwa
- Laboratory of Structural Biology and Protein Engineering, Carlos Chagas Institute, FIOCRUZ Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Gomes Guimarães
- Laboratory of Structural Biology and Protein Engineering, Carlos Chagas Institute, FIOCRUZ Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Nilson Ivo Tonin Zanchin
- Laboratory of Structural Biology and Protein Engineering, Carlos Chagas Institute, FIOCRUZ Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil. .,Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
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17
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Determinants of IGF-II influencing stability, receptor binding and activation. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4695. [PMID: 35304516 PMCID: PMC8933565 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08467-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Insulin like growth factor II (IGF-II) is involved in metabolic and mitogenic signalling in mammalian cells and plays important roles in normal fetal development and postnatal growth. It is structurally similar to insulin and binds not only with high affinity to the type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) but also to the insulin receptor isoform A (IR-A). As IGF-II expression is commonly upregulated in cancer and its signalling promotes cancer cell survival, an antagonist that blocks IGF-II action without perturbing insulin signalling would be invaluable. The high degree of structural homology between the IR and IGF-1R makes selectively targeting either receptor in the treatment of IGF-II-dependent cancers very challenging. However, there are sequence differences between insulin and IGF-II that convey receptor selectivity and influence binding affinity and signalling outcome. Insulin residue YB16 is a key residue involved in maintaining insulin stability, dimer formation and IR binding. Mutation of this residue to glutamine (as found in IGF-II) results in reduced binding affinity. In this study we sought to determine if the equivalent residue Q18 in IGF-II plays a similar role. We show through site-directed mutagenesis of Q18 that this residue contributes to IGF-II structural integrity, selectivity of IGF-1R/IR binding, but surprisingly does not influence IR-A signalling activation. These findings provide insights into a unique IGF-II residue that can influence receptor binding specificity whilst having little influence on signalling outcome.
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18
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Zhu Y, Liu Y, Ai M, Jia X. Surface display of carbonic anhydrase on Escherichia coli for CO 2 capture and mineralization. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2022; 7:460-473. [PMID: 34938905 PMCID: PMC8654698 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2021.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mineralization catalyzed by carbonic anhydrase (CA) is one of the most promising technologies for capturing CO2. In this work, Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) was used as the host, and the N-terminus of ice nucleation protein (INPN) was used as the carrier protein. Different fusion patterns and vectors were used to construct CA surface display systems for α-carbonic anhydrase (HPCA) from Helicobacter pylori 26695 and α-carbonic anhydrase (SazCA) from Sulfurihydrogenibium azorense. The surface display system in which HPCA was fused with INPN via a flexible linker and intermediate repeat sequences showed higher whole-cell enzyme activity, while the enzyme activity of the SazCA expression system was significantly higher than that of the HPCA expression system. The pET22b vector with the signal peptide PelB was more suitable for the cell surface display of SazCA. Cell fractionation and western-blot analysis indicated that SazCA and INPN were successfully anchored on the cell's outer membrane as a fusion protein. The enzyme activity of the surface display strain E-22b-IRLS (11.43 U·mL-1OD600 -1) was significantly higher than that of the intracellular expression strain E-22b-S (8.355 U·mL-1OD600 -1) under optimized induction conditions. Compared with free SazCA, E-22b-IRLS had higher thermal and pH stability. The long-term stability of SazCA was also significantly improved by surface display. When the engineered strain and free enzyme were used for CO2 mineralization, the amount of CaCO3 deposition catalyzed by the strain E-22b-IRLS on the surface (241 mg) was similar to that of the free SazCA and was significantly higher than the intracellular expression strain E-22b-S (173 mg). These results demonstrate that the SazCA surface display strain can serve as a whole-cell biocatalyst for CO2 capture and mineralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinzhuang Zhu
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
| | - Yaru Liu
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
| | - Mingmei Ai
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
| | - Xiaoqiang Jia
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, PR China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, PR China
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19
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Yang X, Yin H, Peng L, Zhang D, Li K, Cui F, Xia C, Huang H, Li Z. The Global Status and Trends of Enteropeptidase: A Bibliometric Study. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:779722. [PMID: 35223895 PMCID: PMC8866687 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.779722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundEnteropeptidase (EP) is a type II transmembrane serine protease and a physiological activator of trypsinogen. Extensive studies related to EP have been conducted to date. However, no bibliometric analysis has systematically investigated this theme. Our study aimed to visualize the current landscape and frontier trends of scientific achievements on EP, provide an overview of the past 120 years and insights for researchers and clinicians to facilitate future collaborative research and clinical intervention.MethodsQuantitative analysis of publications relating to EP from 1900 to 2020 was interpreted and graphed through the Science Citation Index Expanded of Web of Science Core Collection (limited to SCIE). Microsoft office 2019, GraphPad Prism 8, VOSviewer, and R-bibliometrix were used to conduct the bibliometric analysis.ResultsFrom 1900 to 2020, a total of 1,034 publications were retrieved. The USA had the largest number of publications, making the greatest contribution to the topic (n = 260, 25.15%). Active collaborations between countries/regions were also enrolled. Grant and Hermontaylor were perhaps the most impactful researchers in the landscape of EP. Protein Expression and Purification and the Journal of Biological Chemistry were the most prevalent (79/1,034, 7.64%) and cited journals (n = 2,626), respectively. Using the top 15 citations and co-citations achievements clarified the theoretical basis of the EP research field. Important topics mainly include the structure of EP, the affective factors for activating substrates by EP, EP-related disorders, and inhibitors of EP.ConclusionBased on the bibliometric analysis, we have gained a comprehensive analysis of the global status and research frontiers of studies investigating EP, which provides some guidance and reference for researchers and clinicians engaged in EP research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Yang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Shanghai Pudong New Area Gongli Hospital, Shanghai, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Hua Yin
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Shanghai Pudong New Area Gongli Hospital, Shanghai, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Lisi Peng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Deyu Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Keliang Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Fang Cui
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Chuanchao Xia
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Haojie Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Haojie Huang
| | - Zhaoshen Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai, China
- Zhaoshen Li
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20
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Ji YR, Hsu YH, Syue MH, Wang YC, Lin SY, Huang TW, Young TH. Controlled Decomposable Hydrogel Triggered with a Specific Enzyme. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:3254-3261. [PMID: 35128237 PMCID: PMC8811883 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c05178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this study, superabsorbent polyelectrolyte hydrogels were synthesized by cross-linking a nondegradable poly (allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and a recombinant protein with a specific enzymatic cleavage site. The recombinant protein was produced by E. coli with the pET-32b(+) plasmid, which is featured with the thioredoxin (Trx) gene containing a thrombin recognition site and a T7/lac hybrid promoter for high expression of recombinant protein. The swelling test shows that the composite hydrogel still maintained a high swelling ratio to 900% when 15% recombinant protein was cross-linked with PAH. The degradation test shows that such a PAH composite hydrogel could be decomposed by the addition of specific enzyme thrombin, which might lead to new biomedical applications of hydrogels needed to be decomposable by specific time not determined by the time period.
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Affiliation(s)
- You-Ren Ji
- Institute
of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Hsiang Hsu
- Institute
of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Hua Syue
- Institute
of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Chu Wang
- Institute
of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Shyr-Yi Lin
- Division
of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 116, Taiwan
- Department
of General Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Wei Huang
- Department
of Electrical Engineering, College of Electrical and Communication
Engineering, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan
- Department
of Otolaryngology, Far Eastern Memorial
Hospital, New Taipei City 220, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Horng Young
- Institute
of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan
University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan
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21
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Ko H, Kang M, Kim MJ, Yi J, Kang J, Bae JH, Sohn JH, Sung BH. A novel protein fusion partner, carbohydrate-binding module family 66, to enhance heterologous protein expression in Escherichia coli. Microb Cell Fact 2021; 20:232. [PMID: 34963459 PMCID: PMC8715580 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-021-01725-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Proteins with novel functions or advanced activities developed by various protein engineering techniques must have sufficient solubility to retain their bioactivity. However, inactive protein aggregates are frequently produced during heterologous protein expression in Escherichia coli. To prevent the formation of inclusion bodies, fusion tag technology has been commonly employed, owing to its good performance in soluble expression of target proteins, ease of application, and purification feasibility. Thus, researchers have continuously developed novel fusion tags to expand the expression capacity of high-value proteins in E. coli. Results A novel fusion tag comprising carbohydrate-binding module 66 (CBM66) was developed for the soluble expression of heterologous proteins in E. coli. The target protein solubilization capacity of the CBM66 tag was verified using seven proteins that are poorly expressed or form inclusion bodies in E. coli: four human-derived signaling polypeptides and three microbial enzymes. Compared to native proteins, CBM66-fused proteins exhibited improved solubility and high production titer. The protein-solubilizing effect of the CBM66 tag was compared with that of two commercial tags, maltose-binding protein and glutathione-S-transferase, using poly(ethylene terephthalate) hydrolase (PETase) as a model protein; CBM66 fusion resulted in a 3.7-fold higher expression amount of soluble PETase (approximately 370 mg/L) compared to fusion with the other commercial tags. The intact PETase was purified from the fusion protein upon serial treatment with enterokinase and affinity chromatography using levan-agarose resin. The bioactivity of the three proteins assessed was maintained even when the CBM66 tag was fused. Conclusions The use of the CBM66 tag to improve soluble protein expression facilitates the easy and economic production of high-value proteins in E. coli. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12934-021-01725-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunjun Ko
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Minsik Kang
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), 217 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Jin Kim
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiyeon Yi
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Kang
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), 217 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hoon Bae
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hoon Sohn
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), 217 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea.
| | - Bong Hyun Sung
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Biosystems and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), 217 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea.
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22
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Controlling selectivity of modular microbial biosynthesis of butyryl-CoA-derived designer esters. Metab Eng 2021; 69:262-274. [PMID: 34883244 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2021.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Short-chain esters have broad utility as flavors, fragrances, solvents, and biofuels. Controlling selectivity of ester microbial biosynthesis has been an outstanding metabolic engineering problem. In this study, we enabled the de novo fermentative microbial biosynthesis of butyryl-CoA-derived designer esters (e.g., butyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, butyl butyrate) in Escherichia coli with controllable selectivity. Using the modular design principles, we generated the butyryl-CoA-derived ester pathways as exchangeable production modules compatible with an engineered chassis cell for anaerobic production of designer esters. We designed these modules derived from an acyl-CoA submodule (e.g., acetyl-CoA, butyryl-CoA), an alcohol submodule (e.g., ethanol, butanol), a cofactor regeneration submodule (e.g., NADH), and an alcohol acetyltransferase (AAT) submodule (e.g., ATF1, SAAT) for rapid module construction and optimization by manipulating replication (e.g., plasmid copy number), transcription (e.g., promoters), translation (e.g., codon optimization), pathway enzymes, and pathway induction conditions. To further enhance production of designer esters with high selectivity, we systematically screened various strategies of protein solubilization using protein fusion tags and chaperones to improve the soluble expression of multiple pathway enzymes. Finally, our engineered ester-producing strains could achieve 19-fold increase in butyl acetate production (0.64 g/L, 96% selectivity), 6-fold increase in ethyl butyrate production (0.41 g/L, 86% selectivity), and 13-fold increase in butyl butyrate production (0.45 g/L, 54% selectivity) as compared to the initial strains. Overall, this study presented a generalizable framework to engineer modular microbial platforms for anaerobic production of butyryl-CoA-derived designer esters from renewable feedstocks.
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Zou L, Li S, Li N, Ruan SL, Chen J, Wu J, Yan D, Chao HJ. The Protocatechuate 3,4-Dioxygenase Solubility (PCDS) Tag Enhances the Expression and Solubility of Heterogenous Proteins in Escherichia coli. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:779541. [PMID: 34912319 PMCID: PMC8667622 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.779541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli has been developed as the most common host for recombinant protein expression. Unfortunately, there are still some proteins that are resistant to high levels of heterologous soluble expression in E. coli. Protein and peptide fusion tags are one of the most important methods for increasing target protein expression and seem to influence the expression efficiency and solubility as well. In this study, we identify a short 15-residue enhancing solubility peptide, the PCDS (protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase solubility) tag, which enhances heterologous protein expression in E. coli. This PCDS tag is a 45-bp long sequence encoding a peptide tag involved in the soluble expression of protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase, encoded by the pcaHG98 genes of Pseudomonas putida NCIMB 9866. The 45-bp sequence was also beneficial for pcaHG98 gene amplification. This tag was shown to be necessary for the heterologous soluble expression of PcaHG98 in E. coli. Purified His6-PcaHG98e04-PCDS exhibited an activity of 205.63±14.23U/mg against protocatechuate as a substrate, and this activity was not affected by a PCDS tag. This PCDS tag has been fused to the mammalian yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) to construct YFP-PCDS without its termination codons and YFPt-PCDS with. The total protein expressions of YFP-PCDS and YFPt-PCDS were significantly amplified up to 1.6-fold and 2-fold, respectively, compared to YFP alone. Accordingly, His6-YFP-PCDS and His6-YFPt-PCDS had 1.6-fold and 3-fold higher soluble protein yields, respectively, than His6-YFP expressed under the same conditions. His6-YFP, His6-YFP-PCDS, and His6-YFPt-PCDS also showed consistent fluorescence emission spectra, with a peak at 530nm over a scanning range from 400 to 700nm. These results indicated that the use of the PCDS tag is an effective way to improve heterologous protein expression in E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zou
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
| | - Sha Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
| | - Nan Li
- Daye Public Inspection and Test Centre, Huangshi, China
| | - Shi-Long Ruan
- Daye Public Inspection and Test Centre, Huangshi, China
| | - Jing Chen
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jing Wu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
| | - Dazhong Yan
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong-Jun Chao
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
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Technical Data of Heterologous Expression and Purification of SARS-CoV-2 Proteases Using Escherichia coli System. DATA 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/data6090099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus expresses two essential proteases: firstly, the 3Chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) or main protease (Mpro), and secondly, the papain-like protease (PLpro), both of which are considered as viable drug targets for the inhibition of viral replication. In order to perform drug discovery assays for SARS-CoV-2, it is imperative that efficient methods are established for the production and purification of 3CLpro and PLpro of SARS-CoV-2, designated as 3CLpro-CoV2 and PLpro-CoV2, respectively. This article expands the data collected in the attempts to express SARS-CoV-2 proteases under different conditions and purify them under single-step chromatography. Data showed that the use of E. coli BL21(DE3) strain was sufficient to express 3CLpro-CoV2 in a fully soluble form. Nevertheless, the single affinity chromatography step was only applicable for 3CLpro-CoV2 expressed at 18 °C, with a yield and purification fold of 92% and 49, respectively. Meanwhile, PLpro-CoV2 was successfully expressed in a fully soluble form in either BL21(DE3) or BL21-CodonPlus(DE3) strains. In contrast, the single affinity chromatography step was only applicable for PLpro-CoV2 expressed using E. coli BL21-CodonPlus(DE3) at 18 or 37 °C, with a yield and purification fold of 86% (18 °C) or 83.36% (37 °C) and 112 (18 °C) or 71 (37 °C), respectively. The findings provide a guide for optimizing the production of SARS-CoV-2 proteases of E. coli host cells.
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Schenkel M, Treff A, Deber CM, Krainer G, Schlierf M. Heat treatment of thioredoxin fusions increases the purity of α-helical transmembrane protein constructs. Protein Sci 2021; 30:1974-1982. [PMID: 34191368 PMCID: PMC8376418 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Membrane proteins play key roles in cellular signaling and transport, represent the majority of drug targets, and are implicated in many diseases. Their relevance renders them important subjects for structural, biophysical, and functional investigations. However, obtaining membrane proteins in high purities is often challenging with conventional purification steps alone. To address this issue, we present here an approach to increase the purity of α-helical transmembrane proteins. Our approach exploits the Thioredoxin (Trx) tag system, which is able to confer some of its favorable properties, such as high solubility and thermostability, to its fusion partners. Using Trx fusions of transmembrane helical hairpin constructs derived from the human cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and a bacterial ATP synthase, we establish conditions for the successful implementation of the selective heat treatment procedure to increase sample purity. We further examine systematically its efficacy with respect to different incubation times and temperatures using quantitative gel electrophoresis. We find that minute-timescale heat treatment of Trx-tagged fusion constructs with temperatures ranging from 50 to 90°C increases the purity of the membrane protein samples from ~60 to 98% even after affinity purification. We show that this single-step approach is even applicable in cases where regular selective heat purification from crude extracts, as reported for Trx fusions to soluble proteins, fails. Overall, our approach is easy to integrate into existing purification strategies and provides a facile route for increasing the purity of membrane protein constructs after purification by standard chromatography approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Schenkel
- B CUBE – Center for Molecular BioengineeringTU DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Antoine Treff
- B CUBE – Center for Molecular BioengineeringTU DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Charles M. Deber
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Research InstituteHospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Georg Krainer
- B CUBE – Center for Molecular BioengineeringTU DresdenDresdenGermany
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Michael Schlierf
- B CUBE – Center for Molecular BioengineeringTU DresdenDresdenGermany
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Chernykh MA, Kuldyushev NA, Peigneur S, Berkut AA, Tytgat J, Efremov RG, Vassilevski AA, Chugunov AO. Derivative of Scorpion Neurotoxin BeM9 Is Selective for Insect Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1068162021040063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Scorpion α-toxins are small proteins inhibiting the inactivation of voltage-gated sodium channels. They can selectively act on either mammalian (mammal toxins) or insect channels (insect toxins), or affect both types of channels (α-like toxins). Currently no model has been proposed that fully explains the dependence of selectivity upon amino acid sequence, but some patterns have already been established. Thus, most mammal toxins have an aspartic acid residue in position 8, which is involved in the formation of the nest motif, but it is still not clear whether this residue interacts directly with channels. The objective of our study was to obtain a derivative of the α-like toxin BeM9 with the replacement of lysine in position 8 by glutamate (K8E), changing the charge, but excluding the formation of the nest motif. In addition, we replaced the tyrosine in position 17 with glycine (Y17G), which is characteristic of mammal toxins. Surprisingly, the double-mutant derivative BeM9EG lost its activity on mammalian channels, becoming an insect toxin. To explain these changes, we constructed models of BeM9 and BeM9EG complexes with channels, and also performed molecular dynamics of isolated toxins. Analysis of intermolecular contacts in the complexes did not explain the reason for the selectivity change. Nevertheless, the structure of intramolecular contacts and data on molecular mobility indicate an important role of residues K8 and Y17 in stabilizing a certain conformation of BeM9 loops. We assume that the replacement of these residues allosterically affects the efficiency of toxin binding to channels.
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Hussain H, McKenzie EA, Robinson AM, Gingles NA, Marston F, Warwicker J, Dickson AJ. Predictive approaches to guide the expression of recombinant vaccine targets in Escherichia coli: a case study presentation utilising Absynth Biologics Ltd. proprietary Clostridium difficile vaccine antigens. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:5657-5674. [PMID: 34180005 PMCID: PMC8285303 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11405-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial expression systems remain a widely used host for recombinant protein production. However, overexpression of recombinant target proteins in bacterial systems such as Escherichia coli can result in poor solubility and the formation of insoluble aggregates. As a consequence, numerous strategies or alternative engineering approaches have been employed to increase recombinant protein production. In this case study, we present the strategies used to increase the recombinant production and solubility of ‘difficult-to-express’ bacterial antigens, termed Ant2 and Ant3, from Absynth Biologics Ltd.’s Clostridium difficile vaccine programme. Single recombinant antigens (Ant2 and Ant3) and fusion proteins (Ant2-3 and Ant3-2) formed insoluble aggregates (inclusion bodies) when overexpressed in bacterial cells. Further, proteolytic cleavage of Ant2-3 was observed. Optimisation of culture conditions and changes to the construct design to include N-terminal solubility tags did not improve antigen solubility. However, screening of different buffer/additives showed that the addition of 1–15 mM dithiothreitol alone decreased the formation of insoluble aggregates and improved the stability of both Ant2 and Ant3. Structural models were generated for Ant2 and Ant3, and solubility-based prediction tools were employed to determine the role of hydrophobicity and charge on protein production. The results showed that a large non-polar region (containing hydrophobic amino acids) was detected on the surface of Ant2 structures, whereas positively charged regions (containing lysine and arginine amino acids) were observed for Ant3, both of which were associated with poor protein solubility. We present a guide of strategies and predictive approaches that aim to guide the construct design, prior to expression studies, to define and engineer sequences/structures that could lead to increased expression and stability of single and potentially multi-domain (or fusion) antigens in bacterial expression systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirra Hussain
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, M1 7DN, Manchester, UK
| | - Edward A McKenzie
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, M1 7DN, Manchester, UK
| | - Andrew M Robinson
- Absynth Biologics Ltd., BioHub, Alderley Park, Cheshire, SK10 4TG, UK.,Evotec Limited, Biohub, Alderley Park, Cheshire, England, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Neill A Gingles
- Absynth Biologics Ltd., BioHub, Alderley Park, Cheshire, SK10 4TG, UK.,metaLinear Limited, Biohub, Alderley Park, Cheshire, England, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Fiona Marston
- Absynth Biologics Ltd., BioHub, Alderley Park, Cheshire, SK10 4TG, UK.,Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, L3 5QA, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jim Warwicker
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, M1 7DN, Manchester, UK
| | - Alan J Dickson
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, M1 7DN, Manchester, UK.
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28
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Zhang L, Hou D, Li C, Li X, Fan J, Dong Y, Zhu J, Huang Z, Xu Z, Li L. Molecular characterization and function analysis of the rice OsDUF1664 family. BIOTECHNOL BIOTEC EQ 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/13102818.2020.1853606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhang
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Dejia Hou
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Chunliu Li
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Xiaohong Li
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Jiangbo Fan
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Yilun Dong
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Jianqing Zhu
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Zhengjian Huang
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Zhengjun Xu
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
- Crop Ecophysiology and Cultivation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Lihua Li
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
- Crop Ecophysiology and Cultivation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
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29
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Nagamatsu PC, Vargas DÁR, Prodocimo MM, Opuskevitch I, Ferreira FCAS, Zanchin N, de Oliveira Ribeiro CA, de Souza C. Synthetic fish metallothionein design as a potential tool for monitoring toxic metals in water. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:9517-9528. [PMID: 33146826 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-11427-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The diversity of aquatic ecosystems impacted by toxic metals is widely distributed throughout the world. The application of metallothionein (MT) as an early warning sign of metal exposure in freshwater fish is important in biomonitoring, but a more accessible, sensitive, safe, and efficient new methodological strategy is necessary. On this way, a fish MT synthetic gene from Oreochromis aureos was expressed in Escherichia coli to produce polyclonal antibodies against the protein. In the validation assays, these antibodies were able to detect hepatic MT from freshwater fishes Oreochromis niloticus, Pimelodus maculatus, Prochilodus lineatus, and Salminus brasiliensis showing a potential tool for toxic metals biomarker in biomonitoring of aquatic ecosystems. The current results showed the applicability of this molecule in quantitative immunoassays as a sensor for monitoring aquatic environments impacted by toxic metals. Due to the lack of methods focusing on metal pollution diagnostics in aquatic ecosystems, the current proposal revealed a promising tool to applications in biomonitoring programs of water resources, mainly in Brazil where the mining activity is very developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Caroline Nagamatsu
- Laboratorio de Toxicologia Celular, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa postal 19031, Cep, Curitiba, PR, 81531-970, Brazil
| | - Dámaso Ángel Rubio Vargas
- Laboratorio de Toxicologia Celular, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa postal 19031, Cep, Curitiba, PR, 81531-970, Brazil
| | - Maritana Mela Prodocimo
- Laboratorio de Toxicologia Celular, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa postal 19031, Cep, Curitiba, PR, 81531-970, Brazil
| | - Iracema Opuskevitch
- Copel GeT-SOS/DNGT-Rua José Izidoro Biazetto, no. 18, Bloco A, CEP, Curitiba, PR, 81200-240, Brazil
| | - Fernando C A S Ferreira
- Copel GeT-SOS/DNGT-Rua José Izidoro Biazetto, no. 18, Bloco A, CEP, Curitiba, PR, 81200-240, Brazil
| | - Nilson Zanchin
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz-Pr, R. Prof. Algacyr Munhoz Mader 3775, Curitiba, PR, 81350-010, Brazil
| | - Ciro Alberto de Oliveira Ribeiro
- Laboratorio de Toxicologia Celular, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa postal 19031, Cep, Curitiba, PR, 81531-970, Brazil
| | - Claudemir de Souza
- Laboratorio de Toxicologia Celular, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa postal 19031, Cep, Curitiba, PR, 81531-970, Brazil.
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30
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Kielkopf CL, Bauer W, Urbatsch IL. Expressing Cloned Genes for Protein Production, Purification, and Analysis. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2021; 2021:pdb.top102129. [PMID: 33272973 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.top102129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Obtaining high quantities of a specific protein directly from native sources is often challenging, particularly when dealing with human proteins. To overcome this obstacle, many researchers take advantage of heterologous expression systems by cloning genes into artificial vectors designed to operate within easily cultured cells, such as Escherichia coli, Pichia pastoris (yeast), and several varieties of insect and mammalian cells. Heterologous expression systems also allow for easy modification of the protein to optimize expression, mutational analysis of specific sites within the protein and facilitate their purification with engineered affinity tags. Some degree of purification of the target protein is usually required for functional analysis. Purification to near homogeneity is essential for characterization of protein structure by X-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and characterization of the biochemical and biophysical properties of a protein, because contaminating proteins almost always adversely affect the results. Methods for producing and purifying proteins in several different expression platforms and using a variety of vectors are introduced here.
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31
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New Insectotoxin from Tibellus Oblongus Spider Venom Presents Novel Adaptation of ICK Fold. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13010029. [PMID: 33406803 PMCID: PMC7824768 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13010029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Tibellus oblongus spider is an active predator that does not spin webs and remains poorly investigated in terms of venom composition. Here, we present a new toxin, named Tbo-IT2, predicted by cDNA analysis of venom glands transcriptome. The presence of Tbo-IT2 in the venom was confirmed by proteomic analyses using the LC-MS and MS/MS techniques. The distinctive features of Tbo-IT2 are the low similarity of primary structure with known animal toxins and the unusual motif of 10 cysteine residues distribution. Recombinant Tbo-IT2 (rTbo-IT2), produced in E. coli using the thioredoxin fusion protein strategy, was structurally and functionally studied. rTbo-IT2 showed insecticidal activity on larvae of the housefly Musca domestica (LD100 200 μg/g) and no activity on the panel of expressed neuronal receptors and ion channels. The spatial structure of the peptide was determined in a water solution by NMR spectroscopy. The Tbo-IT2 structure is a new example of evolutionary adaptation of a well-known inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) fold to 5 disulfide bonds configuration, which determines additional conformational stability and gives opportunities for insectotoxicity and probably some other interesting features.
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32
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Designing of peptide aptamer targeting the receptor-binding domain of spike protein of SARS-CoV-2: an in silico study. Mol Divers 2021; 26:157-169. [PMID: 33389440 PMCID: PMC7778502 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-020-10171-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Short synthetic peptide molecules which bind to a specific target protein with a high affinity to exert its function are known as peptide aptamers. The high specificity of aptamers with small-molecule targets (metal ions, dyes and theophylline; ATP) is within 1 pM and 1 μM range, whereas with the proteins (thrombin, CD4 and antibodies) it is in the nanomolar range (which is equivalent to monoclonal antibodies). The recently identified coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) genome encodes for various proteins, such as envelope, membrane, nucleocapsid, and spike protein. Among these, the protein necessary for the virus to enter inside the host cell is spike protein. The work focuses on designing peptide aptamer targeting the spike receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2. The peptide aptamer has been designed by using bacterial Thioredoxin A as the scaffold protein and an 18-residue-long peptide. The tertiary structure of the peptide aptamer is modeled and docked to spike receptor-binding domain of SARS CoV2. Molecular dynamic simulation has been done to check the stability of the aptamer and receptor-binding domain complex. It was observed that the aptamer binds to spike receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 in a similar pattern as that of ACE2. The aptamer-receptor-binding domain complex was found to be stable in a 100 ns molecular dynamic simulation. The aptamer is also predicted to be non-antigenic, non-allergenic, non-hemolytic, non-inflammatory, water-soluble with high affinity toward ACE2 than serum albumin. Thus, peptide aptamer can be a novel approach for the therapeutic treatment for SARS-CoV-2.
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33
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Li C, Hou D, Zhang L, Li X, Fan J, Dong Y, Zhu J, Huang Z, Xu Z, Li L. Molecular characterization and function analysis of the rice OsDUF617 family. BIOTECHNOL BIOTEC EQ 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/13102818.2021.1934541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chunliu Li
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Dejia Hou
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Xiaohong Li
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Jiangbo Fan
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Yilun Dong
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Jianqing Zhu
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Zhengjian Huang
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Zhengjun Xu
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
- Crop Ecophysiology and Cultivation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Lihua Li
- Rice Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
- Crop Ecophysiology and Cultivation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
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Abstract
The reversible interaction between an affinity ligand and a complementary receptor has been widely explored in purification systems for several biomolecules. The development of tailored affinity ligands highly specific toward particular target biomolecules is one of the options in affinity purification systems. However, both genetic and chemical modifications in proteins and peptides widen the application of affinity ligand-tag receptors pairs toward universal capture and purification strategies. In particular, this chapter will focus on two case studies highly relevant for biotechnology and biomedical areas, namely the affinity tags and receptors employed on the production of recombinant fusion proteins, and the chemical modification of phosphate groups on proteins and peptides and the subsequent specific capture and enrichment, a mandatory step before further proteomic analysis.
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van Cann M, Kuzmenkov A, Isensee J, Andreev-Andrievskiy A, Peigneur S, Khusainov G, Berkut A, Tytgat J, Vassilevski A, Hucho T. Scorpion toxin MeuNaTxα-1 sensitizes primary nociceptors by selective modulation of voltage-gated sodium channels. FEBS J 2020; 288:2418-2435. [PMID: 33051988 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Venoms are a rich source of highly specific toxins, which allow the identification of novel therapeutic targets. We have now applied high content screening (HCS) microscopy to identify toxins that modulate pain sensitization signaling in primary sensory neurons of rat and elucidated the underlying mechanism. A set of venoms and fractions thereof were analyzed for their ability to activate type II protein kinase A (PKA-II) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2). We identified MeuNaTxα-1, a sodium channel-selective scorpion α-toxin from Mesobuthus eupeus, which affected both PKA-II and ERK1/2. Recombinant MeuNaTxα-1 showed identical activity to the native toxin on mammalian voltage-gated sodium channels expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes and induced thermal hyperalgesia in adult mice. The effect of MeuNaTxα-1 on sensory neurons was dose-dependent and tetrodotoxin-sensitive. Application of inhibitors and toxin mutants with altered sodium channel selectivity demonstrated that signaling activation in sensory neurons depends on NaV 1.2 isoform. Accordingly, the toxin was more potent in neurons from newborn rats, where NaV 1.2 is expressed at a higher level. Our results demonstrate that HCS microscopy-based monitoring of intracellular signaling is a novel and powerful tool to identify and characterize venoms and their toxins affecting sensory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne van Cann
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Translational Pain Research, University Hospital of Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexey Kuzmenkov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Jörg Isensee
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Translational Pain Research, University Hospital of Cologne, Germany
| | | | | | - Georgii Khusainov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Antonina Berkut
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alexander Vassilevski
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Tim Hucho
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Translational Pain Research, University Hospital of Cologne, Germany
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Rezaei L, Shojaosadati SA, Farahmand L, Moradi‐Kalbolandi S. Enhancement of extracellular bispecific anti-MUC1 nanobody expression in E. coli BL21 (DE3) by optimization of temperature and carbon sources through an autoinduction condition. Eng Life Sci 2020; 20:338-349. [PMID: 32774206 PMCID: PMC7401236 DOI: 10.1002/elsc.201900158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli is one of the most suitable hosts for production of antibodies and antibody fragments. Antibody fragment secretion to the culture medium improves product purity in cell culture and diminishes downstream costs. In this study, E. coli strain BL21 (DE3) harboring gene encoding bispecific anti-MUC1 nanobody was selected, and the autoinduction methodology for expression of bispecific anti-MUC1 nanobody was investigated. Due to the replacement of IPTG by lactose as inducer, less impurity and toxicity in the final product were observed. To increase both intracellular and extracellular nanobody production, initially, the experiments were performed for the key factors including temperature and duration of protein expression. The highest amount of nanobody was produced after 21 h at 33°C. The effect of different carbon sources, glycerol, glucose, lactose, and glycine as a medium additive at optimum temperature and time were also assessed by using response surface methodology. The optimized concentrations of carbon sources were obtained as 0.75% (w/v), 0.03% (w/v), 0.1% (w/v), and 0.75% (w/v) for glycerol, glucose, lactose, and glycine, respectively. Finally, the production of nanobody in 2 L fermenter under the optimized autoinduction conditions was evaluated. The results show that the total titer of 87.66 µg/mL anti-MUC1 nanobody, which is approximately seven times more than the total titer of nanobody produced in LB culture medium, is 12.23 µg/L .
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Rezaei
- Biotechnology GroupFaculty of Chemical EngineeringTarbiat Modares UniversityTehranIran
| | | | - Leila Farahmand
- Recombinant Proteins DepartmentBreast Cancer Research CenterMotamed Cancer InstituteTehranIran
| | - Shima Moradi‐Kalbolandi
- Recombinant Proteins DepartmentBreast Cancer Research CenterMotamed Cancer InstituteTehranIran
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Sampaio de Oliveira KB, Leite ML, Rodrigues GR, Duque HM, da Costa RA, Cunha VA, de Loiola Costa LS, da Cunha NB, Franco OL, Dias SC. Strategies for recombinant production of antimicrobial peptides with pharmacological potential. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2020; 13:367-390. [PMID: 32357080 DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2020.1764347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The need to develop new drugs for the control of pathogenic microorganisms has redoubled efforts to prospect for antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from natural sources and to characterize its structure and function. These molecules present a broad spectrum of action against different microorganisms and frequently present promiscuous action, with anticancer and immunomodulatory activities. Furthermore, AMPs can be used as biopharmaceuticals in the treatment of hospital-acquired infections and other serious diseases with relevant social and economic impacts.Areas covered: The low yield and the therefore difficult extraction and purification process in AMPs are problems that limit their industrial application and scientific research. Thus, optimized heterologous expression systems were developed to significantly boost AMP yields, allow high efficiency in purification and structural optimization for the increase of therapeutic activity.Expert opinion: This review provides an update on recent developments in the recombinant production of ribosomal and non-ribosomal synthesis of AMPs and on strategies to increase the expression of genes encoding AMPs at the transcriptional and translational levels and regulation of the post-translational modifications. Moreover, there are detailed reports of AMPs that have already reached marketable status or are in the pipeline under advanced stages of preclinical testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamila Botelho Sampaio de Oliveira
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil
| | - Michel Lopes Leite
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil
| | - Gisele Regina Rodrigues
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil
| | - Harry Morales Duque
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil
| | - Rosiane Andrade da Costa
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil
| | - Victor Albuquerque Cunha
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil
| | - Lorena Sousa de Loiola Costa
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil
| | - Nicolau Brito da Cunha
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil
| | - Octavio Luiz Franco
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil.,Universidade de Brasília, Pós-graduação em Patologia Molecular, Campus Darcy Ribeiro , Brasília, Brazil.,S-Inova Biotech, Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco , Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Simoni Campos Dias
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília , Brasília, Brazil.,Universidade de Brasília, Pós-graduação em Biologia Animal, Campus Darcy Ribeiro , Brasília, Brazil
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38
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Park M, Vaikari VP, Lam AT, Zhang Y, MacKay JA, Alachkar H. Anti-FLT3 nanoparticles for acute myeloid leukemia: Preclinical pharmacology and pharmacokinetics. J Control Release 2020; 324:317-329. [PMID: 32428520 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
FLT3 receptor is an important therapeutic target in acute myeloid leukemia due to high incidence of mutations associated with poor clinical outcome. Targeted therapies against the FLT3 receptor, including small-molecule FLT3 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and anti-FLT3 antibodies, have demonstrated promising preclinical and even clinical efficacy. Yet, even with the current FDA approval for two FLT3 inhibitors, these modalities were unable to cure AML or significantly extend the lives of patients with a common mutation called FLT3-ITD. While FLT3 is a viable target, the approaches to inhibit its activity were inadequate. To develop a new modality for targeting FLT3, our team engineered an α-FLT3-A192 fusion protein composed of a single chain variable fragment antibody conjugated with an elastin-like polypeptide. These fusion proteins assemble into multi-valent nanoparticles with excellent stability and pharmacokinetic properties as well as in vitro and in vivo pharmacological activity in cellular and xenograft murine models of AML. In conclusion, α-FLT3-A192 fusions appear to be a viable new modality for targeting FLT3 in AML and warrant further preclinical development to bring it into the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mincheol Park
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
| | - Vijaya Pooja Vaikari
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
| | - Albert T Lam
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States; USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States; Department of Chemistry, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States; Research Center for Liver Diseases, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
| | - John Andrew MacKay
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States; Department of Ophthalmology, USC Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, United States
| | - Houda Alachkar
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States; USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States.
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Hartung F, Krüwel T, Shi X, Pfizenmaier K, Kontermann R, Chames P, Alves F, Pardo LA. A Novel Anti-Kv10.1 Nanobody Fused to Single-Chain TRAIL Enhances Apoptosis Induction in Cancer Cells. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:686. [PMID: 32528281 PMCID: PMC7246340 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibody-based therapies hold promise for a safe and efficient treatment of cancer. The identification of target tumor cells through a specific antigen enriched on their surface and the subsequent delivery of the therapeutic agent only to those cells requires, besides the efficacy of the therapeutic agent itself, the identification of an antigen enriched on the surface of tumor cells, the generation of high affinity antibodies against that antigen. We have generated single-domain antibodies (nanobodies) against the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv10.1, which outside of the brain is detectable almost exclusively in tumor cells. The nanobody with highest affinity was fused to an improved form of the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand TRAIL, to target this cytokine to the surface of tumor cells. The resulting construct, VHH-D9-scTRAIL, shows rapid and strong apoptosis induction in different tumor models in cell culture. The construct combines two sources of specificity, the expression of the antigen restricted to tumor cells and the tumor selectivity of TRAIL. Such specificity combined with the high affinity obtained through nanobodies make the novel agent a promising concept for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Hartung
- Oncophysiology Group, Max Planck, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Krüwel
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Xiaoyi Shi
- Oncophysiology Group, Max Planck, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Klaus Pfizenmaier
- Institut für Zellbiologie und Immunologie, Universität Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Roland Kontermann
- Institut für Zellbiologie und Immunologie, Universität Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Patrick Chames
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Inserm, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, CRCM, Marseille, France
| | - Frauke Alves
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Translational Molecular Imaging Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Luis A Pardo
- Oncophysiology Group, Max Planck, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
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40
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O6-alkylguanine-DNA Alkyltransferases in Microbes Living on the Edge: From Stability to Applicability. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21082878. [PMID: 32326075 PMCID: PMC7216122 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21082878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The genome of living cells is continuously exposed to endogenous and exogenous attacks, and this is particularly amplified at high temperatures. Alkylating agents cause DNA damage, leading to mutations and cell death; for this reason, they also play a central role in chemotherapy treatments. A class of enzymes known as AGTs (alkylguanine-DNA-alkyltransferases) protects the DNA from mutations caused by alkylating agents, in particular in the recognition and repair of alkylated guanines in O6-position. The peculiar irreversible self-alkylation reaction of these enzymes triggered numerous studies, especially on the human homologue, in order to identify effective inhibitors in the fight against cancer. In modern biotechnology, engineered variants of AGTs are developed to be used as protein tags for the attachment of chemical ligands. In the last decade, research on AGTs from (hyper)thermophilic sources proved useful as a model system to clarify numerous phenomena, also common for mesophilic enzymes. This review traces recent progress in this class of thermozymes, emphasizing their usefulness in basic research and their consequent advantages for in vivo and in vitro biotechnological applications.
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41
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Saffari B, Amininasab M, Sheikhi S, Davoodi J. An efficient method for recombinant production of human alpha synuclein in Escherichia coli using thioredoxin as a fusion partner. Prep Biochem Biotechnol 2020; 50:723-734. [PMID: 32129160 DOI: 10.1080/10826068.2020.1734938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Herein, we describe a simple and efficient approach to produce recombinant human α-synuclein (hAS) with high purity from Escherichia coli (E. coli). The cDNA for hAS was inserted into plasmid pET32a and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) with an N-terminal tag containing E. coli thioredoxin (trx), followed by a histidine hexapeptide, and a tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease cleavage site (trx-6His-TEV). The fusion protein, trx-hAS, was initially released by osmotic shock treatment from the host cells and subsequently purified using a nickel affinity chromatography. A TEV protease cleavage step was performed to liberate the target protein, hAS, from the fusion partner, trx. Finally, an additional nickel affinity chromatography was performed to further purify the digested product. The yield of this method is ∼25 mg of tag-less protein (with ∼99% purity) per liter of culture volume. Reverse phase HPLC (RP-HPLC) and electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry confirmed the purity and authenticity of the purified protein. Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence assay, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy demonstrated that the purified proteins form fibrils. Our protocol not only provides a convenient procedure for preparing highly pure hAS, but also requires very little specialized laboratory techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babak Saffari
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehriar Amininasab
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sara Sheikhi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jamshid Davoodi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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42
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Jong WSP, Ten Hagen-Jongman CM, Vikström D, Dontje W, Abdallah AM, de Gier JW, Bitter W, Luirink J. Mutagenesis-Based Characterization and Improvement of a Novel Inclusion Body Tag. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 7:442. [PMID: 31998707 PMCID: PMC6965018 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Whereas, bacterial inclusion bodies (IBs) for long were regarded as undesirable aggregates emerging during recombinant protein production, they currently receive attention as promising nanoparticulate biomaterials with diverse applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. We previously identified ssTorA, a signal sequence that normally directs protein export via the Tat pathway in E. coli, as a tag that induces the accumulation of fused proteins into IBs under overexpression conditions. Here, we used targeted mutagenesis to identify features and motifs being either critical or dispensable for IB formation. We found that IB formation is neither related to the function of ssTorA as a Tat-signal sequence nor is it a general feature of this family of signal sequences. IB formation was inhibited by co-overexpression of ssTorA binding chaperones TorD and DnaK and by amino acid substitutions that affect the propensity of ssTorA to form an α-helix. Systematic deletion experiments identified a minimal region of ssTorA required for IB formation in the center of the signal sequence. Unbiased genetic screening of a library of randomly mutagenized ssTorA sequences for reduced aggregation properties allowed us to pinpoint residues that are critical to sustain insoluble expression. Together, the data point to possible mechanisms for the aggregation of ssTorA fusions. Additionally, they led to the design of a tag with superior IB-formation properties compared to the original ssTorA sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter S P Jong
- Abera Bioscience AB, Solna, Sweden.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Amsterdam Institute for Molecules Medicines and Systems (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Corinne M Ten Hagen-Jongman
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Amsterdam Institute for Molecules Medicines and Systems (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Wendy Dontje
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Abdallah M Abdallah
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.,Bioscience Core Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jan-Willem de Gier
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for Biomembrane Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wilbert Bitter
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Amsterdam Institute for Molecules Medicines and Systems (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Joen Luirink
- Abera Bioscience AB, Solna, Sweden.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Amsterdam Institute for Molecules Medicines and Systems (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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43
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Vermeulen RR, Van Staden ADP, Dicks L. Heterologous Expression of the Class IIa Bacteriocins, Plantaricin 423 and Mundticin ST4SA, in Escherichia coli Using Green Fluorescent Protein as a Fusion Partner. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1634. [PMID: 32765464 PMCID: PMC7381239 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The antilisterial class IIa bacteriocins, plantaricin 423 and mundticin ST4SA, have previously been purified from the cell-free supernatants of Lactobacillus plantarum 423 and Enterococcus mundtii ST4SA, respectively. Here, we present the fusions of mature plantaricin 423 and mundticin ST4SA to His-tagged green fluorescent protein (GFP) for respective heterologous expression in Escherichia coli. Fusion of plantaricin 423 and mundticin ST4SA to His-tagged GFP produced the fusion proteins GFP-PlaX and GFP-MunX, respectively. Both fusion proteins were autofluorescent, circumvented inclusion body formation and lowered the toxicity of class IIa bacteriocins during heterologous expression. Not only did GFP-class IIa fusion stabilize heterologous expression and boost yields, the fluorescent intensity of GFP-PlaX and GFP-MunX could be monitored quantitatively and qualitatively throughout expression and purification. This robust fluorometric property allowed rapid optimization of conditions for expression and bacteriocin liberation from GFP via the incorporated WELQut protease cleavage sequence. Incubation temperature and IPTG concentration had a significant effect on bacteriocin yield, and was optimal at 18°C and 0.1-0.2 mM, respectively. GFP-MunX was approximately produced at a yield of 153.30 mg/L culture which resulted in 12.4 mg/L active mundticin ST4SA after liberation and HPLC purification. While GFP-PlaX was produced at a yield of 121.29 mg/L culture, evidence suggests heterologous expression resulted in conformation isomers of WELQut liberated plantaricin 423.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anton Du Preez Van Staden
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- *Correspondence: Anton Du Preez Van Staden,
| | - Leon Dicks
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Leon Dicks,
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44
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Passenger sequences can promote interlaced dimers in a common variant of the maltose-binding protein. Sci Rep 2019; 9:20396. [PMID: 31892719 PMCID: PMC6938514 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56718-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The maltose-binding protein (MBP) is one of the most frequently used protein tags due to its capacity to stabilize, solubilize and even crystallize recombinant proteins that are fused to it. Given that MBP is thought to be a highly stable monomeric protein with known characteristics, fused passenger proteins are often studied without being cleaved from MBP. Here we report that a commonly used engineered MBP version (mutated to lower its surface entropy) can form interlaced dimers when fused to short protein sequences derived from the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) or the homologous protein tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2). These MBP dimers still bind maltose and can interconvert with monomeric forms in vitro under standard conditions despite a contact surface of more than 11,000 Å2. We demonstrate that both the mutations in MBP and the fused protein sequences were required for dimer formation. The FAK and PYK2 sequences are less than 40% identical, monomeric, and did not show specific interactions with MBP, suggesting that a variety of sequences can promote this MBP dimerization. MBP dimerization was abrogated by reverting two of the eight mutations introduced in the engineered MBP. Our results provide an extreme example for induced reversible domain-swapping, with implications for protein folding dynamics. Our observations caution that passenger-promoted MBP dimerization might mislead experimental characterization of the fused protein sequences, but also suggest a simple mutation to stop this phenomenon.
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45
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Volk J, Sarafeddinov A, Unver T, Marx S, Tretzel J, Zotzel J, Warzecha H. Two novel methylesterases from Olea europaea contribute to the catabolism of oleoside-type secoiridoid esters. PLANTA 2019; 250:2083-2097. [PMID: 31578603 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-019-03286-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Two newly identified phytohormone cleaving esterases from Olea europaea are responsible for the glucosidase-initiated activation of the specialized metabolites ligstroside and oleuropein. Biosynthetic routes leading to the formation of plant natural products are tightly orchestrated enzymatic sequences usually involving numerous specialized catalysts. After their accumulation in plant cells and tissues, otherwise non-reactive compounds can be enzymatically activated, e.g., in response to environmental threats, like pathogen attack. In olive (Olea europaea), secoiridoid-derived phenolics, such as oleuropein or ligstroside, can be converted by glucosidases and as yet unidentified esterases to oleoside aldehydes. These are not only involved in pathogen defense, but also bear considerable promise as pharmaceuticals or neutraceuticals. Making use of the available olive genomic data, we have identified four novel methylesterases that showed significant homology to the polyneuridine aldehyde esterase (PNAE) from Rauvolfia serpentina, an enzyme acting on a distantly related metabolite group (monoterpenoid indole alkaloids, MIAs) also featuring a secoiridoid structural component. The four olive enzymes belong to the α/ß-hydrolase fold family and showed variable in vitro activity against methyl esters of selected plant hormones, namely jasmonic acid (MeJA), indole acetic acid (MeIAA), as well as salicylic acid (MeSA). None of the identified catalysts were directly active against the olive metabolites oleuropein, ligstroside, or oleoside 11-methyl ester. When employed in a sequential reaction with an appropriate glucosidase, however, two were capable of hydrolyzing these specialized compounds yielding reactive dialdehydes. This suggests that the esterases play a pivotal role in the activation of the olive secoiridoid polyphenols. Finally, we show that several of the investigated methylesterases exhibit a concomitant in vitro transesterification capacity-a novel feature, yielding ethyl esters of jasmonic acid (JA) or indole-3-acetic acid (IAA).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jascha Volk
- Plant Biotechnology and Metabolic Engineering, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 4, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Alla Sarafeddinov
- N-Zyme BioTec GmbH, Riedstrasse, 64295, Darmstadt, Germany
- Döhler GmbH, Riedstrasse, 64295, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Turgay Unver
- Ficus Biotechnology, Ostim Teknopark, Yenimahalle, 06378, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Stefan Marx
- N-Zyme BioTec GmbH, Riedstrasse, 64295, Darmstadt, Germany
- Stabizym GmbH, Bruchwiesenstrasse 49, 64380, Roßdorf, Germany
| | | | - Jens Zotzel
- N-Zyme BioTec GmbH, Riedstrasse, 64295, Darmstadt, Germany
- Döhler GmbH, Riedstrasse, 64295, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Heribert Warzecha
- Plant Biotechnology and Metabolic Engineering, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 4, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany.
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46
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Metagenomic discovery of feruloyl esterases from rumen microflora. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 103:8449-8457. [PMID: 31511934 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-10102-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Feruloyl esterases (FAEs) are a key group of enzymes that hydrolyze ferulic acids ester-linked to plant polysaccharides. The cow's rumen is a highly evolved ecosystem of complex microbial microflora capable of converting fibrous substances to energy. From direct cloning of the rumen microbial metagenome, we identified seven active phagemids conferring feruloyl esterase activity. The genomic inserts ranged from 1633 to 4143 bp, and the ORFs from 681 to 1359 bp. BLAST search reveals sequence homology to feruloyl esterases and esterases/lipases identified in anaerobes. The seven genes were expressed in Escherichia coli, and the proteins were purified to homogeneity. The FAEs were found to cover types B, C, and D in the feruloyl esterase classification system using model hydroxycinnamic acid esters. The release of ferulic acid (FA) catalyzed by these enzymes was established using natural substrates corn fiber (CF) and wheat insoluble arabinoxylan (WIA). Three of the enzymes were demonstrated to cleave diferulates and hence the capability to break down Araf-FA-FA-Araf cross-links. The wide variation in the sequence, activity, and substrate specificity observed in the FAEs discovered in this study is a confirming evidence that combined actions of a full range of FAE enzymes contribute to the high-efficiency fiber digestion in the rumen microbial ecosystem.
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Feeley BE, Bhardwaj V, McLaughlin PT, Diggs S, Blaha GM, Higgs PI. An amino-terminal threonine/serine motif is necessary for activity of the Crp/Fnr homolog, MrpC and for Myxococcus xanthus developmental robustness. Mol Microbiol 2019; 112:1531-1551. [PMID: 31449700 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The Crp/Fnr family of transcriptional regulators play central roles in transcriptional control of diverse physiological responses, and are activated by a surprising diversity of mechanisms. MrpC is a Crp/Fnr homolog that controls the Myxococcus xanthus developmental program. A long-standing model proposed that MrpC activity is controlled by the Pkn8/Pkn14 serine/threonine kinase cascade, which phosphorylates MrpC on threonine residue(s) located in its extreme amino-terminus. In this study, we demonstrate that a stretch of consecutive threonine and serine residues, T21 T22 S23 S24, is necessary for MrpC activity by promoting efficient DNA binding. Mass spectrometry analysis indicated the TTSS motif is not directly phosphorylated by Pkn14 in vitro but is necessary for efficient Pkn14-dependent phosphorylation on several residues in the remainder of the protein. In an important correction to a long-standing model, we show Pkn8 and Pkn14 kinase activities do not play obvious roles in controlling MrpC activity in wild-type M. xanthus under laboratory conditions. Instead, we propose Pkn14 modulates MrpC DNA binding in response to unknown environmental conditions. Interestingly, substitutions in the TTSS motif caused developmental defects that varied between biological replicates, revealing that MrpC plays a role in promoting a robust developmental phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke E Feeley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Vidhi Bhardwaj
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Hesse, Germany
| | | | - Stephen Diggs
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Gregor M Blaha
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Penelope I Higgs
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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A Cerato-Platanin Family Protein FocCP1 Is Essential for the Penetration and Virulence of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20153785. [PMID: 31382478 PMCID: PMC6695778 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20153785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4) is well-known as the causal agent of Fusarium wilt of banana and is one of the most destructive phytopathogens for banana plants. The molecular mechanisms underlying Foc TR4 virulence remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that a cerato-platanin (CP) protein, FocCP1, functions as a virulence factor that is required by Foc TR4 for penetration and full virulence. The FocCP1 gene was expressed in every condition studied, showing a high transcript level in planta at the early stage of infection. Infiltration of the recombinant FocCP1 protein induced significant cell death and upregulated defence-related gene expression. FocCP1 knock-out strains showed a significant decrease in aerial growth rather than aqueous growth, which is reminiscent of hydrophobins. Furthermore, deletion of FocCP1 significantly reduced virulence and dramatically reduced infective growth in banana roots, likely resulting from a defective penetration ability. Taken together, the results of this study provide novel insight into the function of the recently identified FocCP1 as a virulence factor in Foc TR4.
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Ledesma A, Zalazar L, Buchelly Imbachi F, Pastore JI, Brown P, Eddy EM, Hozbor F, Cesari A. Recombinant peptide reverses cryo-capacitation in ram sperm and improves in vitro fertilization. Anim Reprod Sci 2019; 207:61-72. [PMID: 31208850 PMCID: PMC10699541 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2019.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Semen cryopreservation is a very important technique for assisted reproduction; however, the cryopreservation process is harmful because it results in a reduction in sperm motility and viability, and leads to premature signals of capacitation, resulting in lesser than desirable fertility rates after artificial insemination. A fraction of seminal plasma, enriched in proteins that contain type II fibronectin domains (FNII) can reverse molecular indicators of cryo-capacitation. The beneficial effects of these proteins, however, depend on the relative abundance in seminal plasma. To create a safe additive for improving frozen sperm functionality, in the present study there was cloning and expression of a recombinant peptide containing four FNII domains (named TrxA-FNIIx4-His6) and evaluation of its effect after addition to frozen/thawed ram sperm. The cDNA for this protein was expressed in E. coli and after denaturation and re-naturalization of the protein, toxicity and binding capacity were assessed. By fluorescent labelling assessment, there was binding of the protein to the thawed sperm. At the two doses used (0.15 and 0.3 μM), TrxA-FNIIx4-His6 had the capacity to reverse the molecular indicators of cryo-capacitation as indicated by the reduction on phosphorylated substrates of PKA. Furthermore, the supplementation with this protein resulted in a normal capacitation process as evidenced by the increase in the in vitro fertilization rate when the greatest concentration of the protein was evaluated (73.25 ± 2.95; 40.13 ± 11.82 for 0.3 μM and control, respectively). There was no effect of protein supplementation on sperm objective motility compared to untreated sperm. In conclusion, the use of TrxA-FNIIx4-His6 is a promising biotechnological approach for cryopreserving ram sperm and maintaining sperm viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Ledesma
- Biotecnología de la Reproducción, Departamento de Producción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Ruta 226 km 73.5, 7620, Balcarce, Argentina; Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Ruta 226 km 73.5, 7620, Balcarce, Argentina
| | - Lucía Zalazar
- Biología de Microorganismos y Gametas, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3250, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | | | - Juan Ignacio Pastore
- Laboratorio de Procesamiento de Imágenes ICYTE UNMDP - CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Paula Brown
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Edward Mitch Eddy
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Federico Hozbor
- Biotecnología de la Reproducción, Departamento de Producción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Ruta 226 km 73.5, 7620, Balcarce, Argentina
| | - Andreina Cesari
- Biología de Microorganismos y Gametas, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3250, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
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Gao Y, Sang FF, Meng DL, Wang Y, Ma WT, Chen DK. Preparation of a novel monoclonal antibody against caprine interleukin-17A and its applications in immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry assays. BMC Biotechnol 2019; 19:47. [PMID: 31315680 PMCID: PMC6637523 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-019-0543-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Interleukin-17 (IL-17), the characteristic cytokine secreted by T helper 17 lymphocytes (Th17 cells), plays a pivotal role in host defense and many inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to obtain purified protein caprine IL-17A (cIL-17A) as an antigen for preparing an IL-17A-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb). RESULTS The coding sequence (CDS) region of cIL-17A was cloned from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of dairy goats and then inserted into the expression vector PET 32a and transformed into competent TransB (DE3) cells. Recombinant fusion protein obtained under optimized conditions was used to immunize BALB/c mice for preparing monoclonal antibodies. Finally, the supernatants of two hybridoma cell lines showing positive reaction with the recombinant fusion protein and negative reaction with fusion tags of PET 32a were collected for western blot, immunofluorescence (IF) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. Our results showed that the maximum amount of soluble protein could be obtained directly in the supernatant when the recombinant expression cells were induced by isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactoside (IPTG) at a concentration of 0.3 mmol/L at 16 °C for 42 h. Western blot analysis showed that the mAb H8 could recognize the eukaryotically expressed cIL-17A in the supernatant of transfected HEK293T cells. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry assays showed that mAb H8 could strongly recognize both the eukaryotically expressed and natural cIL-17A. CONCLUSIONS The monoclonal antibody mAb H8 prepared in this study may be a potential tool for the detection of cIL-17A and beneficial for investigating the pathogenesis of various IL-17-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Gao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Feng Sang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - De Lan Meng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen Tao Ma
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 712100, People's Republic of China.
| | - De Kun Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 712100, People's Republic of China.
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