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Freire RP, Hernandez-Gonzalez JE, Lima ER, Suzuki MF, de Oliveira JE, Torai LS, Bartolini P, Soares CRJ. Molecular Cloning and AlphaFold Modeling of Thyrotropin (ag-TSH) From the Amazonian Fish Pirarucu ( Arapaima gigas). Bioinform Biol Insights 2023; 17:11779322231154148. [PMID: 36798082 PMCID: PMC9926385 DOI: 10.1177/11779322231154148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Arapaima gigas, known as Pirarucu in Brazil, is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. Some individuals could reach 3 m in length and weight up to 200 kg. Due to extinction risks and its economic value, the species has been a focus for preservation and reproduction studies. Thyrotropin (TSH) is a glycoprotein hormone formed by 2 subunits α and β whose main activity is related to the synthesis of thyroid hormones (THs)-T3 and T4. In this work, we present a combination of bioinformatics tools to identify Arapaima gigas βTSH (ag-βTSH), modeling its molecular structure and express the recombinant heterodimer form in mammalian cells. Using the combination of computational biology, based on genome-related information, in silico molecular cloning and modeling led to confirm results of the ag-βTSH sequence by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and transient expression in human embryonic kidney (HEK293F) cells. Molecular cloning of ag-βTSH retrieved 146 amino acids with a signal peptide of 21 amino acid residues and 6 disulfide bonds. The sequence has a similarity to 39 fish species, ranging between 43.1% and 81.6%, whose domains are extremely conserved, such as cystine knot motif and N-glycosylation site. The Arapaima gigas thyrotropin (ag-TSH) model, solved by AlphaFold, was used in molecular dynamics simulations with Scleropages formosus receptor, providing similar values of free energy ΔGbind and ΔGPMF in comparison with Homo sapiens model. The recombinant expression in HEK293F cells reached a yield of 25 mg/L, characterized via chromatographic and physical-chemical techniques. This work shows that other Arapaima gigas proteins could be studied in a similar way, using the combination of these techniques, recovering more information from its genome and improving the reproduction and preservation of this prehistoric fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renan Passos Freire
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jorge Enrique Hernandez-Gonzalez
- Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE), Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eliana Rosa Lima
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Paolo Bartolini
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos Roberto Jorge Soares
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), São Paulo, Brazil
- Carlos Roberto Jorge Soares, Biotechnology Center, Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 2242, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo SP 05508-000, Brazil.
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Lima ER, Freire RP, Suzuki MF, Oliveira JE, Yosidaki VL, Peroni CN, Sevilhano T, Zorzeto M, Torati LS, Soares CRJ, Lima IDDM, Kronenberger T, Maltarollo VG, Bartolini P. Isolation and Characterization of the Arapaima gigas Growth Hormone (ag-GH) cDNA and Three-Dimensional Modeling of This Hormone in Comparison with the Human Hormone (hGH). Biomolecules 2023; 13:158. [PMID: 36671542 PMCID: PMC9855374 DOI: 10.3390/biom13010158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In a previous work, the common gonadotrophic hormone α-subunit (ag-GTHα), the ag-FSH β- and ag-LH β-subunit cDNAs, were isolated and characterized by our research group from A. gigas pituitaries, while a preliminary synthesis of ag-FSH was also carried out in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells. In the present work, the cDNA sequence encoding the ag-growth hormone (ag-GH) has also been isolated from the same giant Arapaimidae Amazonian fish. The ag-GH consists of 208 amino acids with a putative 23 amino acid signal peptide and a 185 amino acid mature peptide. The highest identity, based on the amino acid sequences, was found with the Elopiformes (82.0%), followed by Anguilliformes (79.7%) and Acipenseriformes (74.5%). The identity with the corresponding human GH (hGH) amino acid sequence is remarkable (44.8%), and the two disulfide bonds present in both sequences were perfectly conserved. Three-dimensional (3D) models of ag-GH, in comparison with hGH, were generated using the threading modeling method followed by molecular dynamics. Our simulations suggest that the two proteins have similar structural properties without major conformational changes under the simulated conditions, even though they are separated from each other by a >100 Myr evolutionary period (1 Myr = 1 million years). The sequence found will be used for the biotechnological synthesis of ag-GH while the ag-GH cDNA obtained will be utilized for preliminary Gene Therapy studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliana Rosa Lima
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Renan Passos Freire
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Miriam Fussae Suzuki
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - João Ezequiel Oliveira
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Luna Yosidaki
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Cibele Nunes Peroni
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Thaís Sevilhano
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Moisés Zorzeto
- Piscicultura Raça, Canabrava do Norte 78658-000, MT, Brazil
| | - Lucas Simon Torati
- EMBRAPA Pesca e Aquicultura, Loteamento Água Fria, Palmas 77008-900, TO, Brazil
| | - Carlos Roberto Jorge Soares
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Igor Daniel de Miranda Lima
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Thales Kronenberger
- Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry and Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Oncology and Pneumonology, Internal Medicine VIII, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, DE, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD2), 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Vinicius Gonçalves Maltarollo
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Paolo Bartolini
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
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Gonçalves Correa ND, Silva FD, Vieira DP, Soares CRJ, de Queiroz AAA. In vitro cytotoxic data on Se-methylselenocysteine conjugated to dendritic poly(glycerol) against human squamous carcinoma cells. J Biomater Sci Polym Ed 2022; 33:651-667. [PMID: 34809530 DOI: 10.1080/09205063.2021.2008788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Polymeric nanoparticles acting as sources of selenium (Se) are currently an interesting topic in cancer chemotherapy. In this study, polyglycerol dendrimer (DPGLy) was functionalized with seleno-methyl-selenocysteine (SeMeCys) by means of Steglich esterification with 4-dimethylaminopyridine/(l-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide) (EDC/DMAP) and cerium chloride as cocatalyst in acetonitrile at quantitative yields of 98 ± 1%. The SeMeCys coupling DPGLy efficiency vs. time were determined by Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. The cytotoxic effects of SeMeCys-DPGLy on the Chinese Hamster ovary cell line (CHO-K1) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells line were assessed by MTS (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) assay. No signs of general toxicity of SeMeCys-DPGLy against CHO-K1 cells were detectable at which cell viability was greater than 98%. MTS assays revealed that SeMeCys-DPGLy reduced HNSCC cell viability and proliferation at higher doses and long incubation times.
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Alves AA, De Queiroz AAAE, Jorge Soares CR, de Queiroz AAA. Microfluidic caging lipase in hyperbranched polyglycerol microcapsules for extracorporeal treatment of enzyme pancreatic insufficiency. J Biomater Sci Polym Ed 2021; 32:2349-2368. [PMID: 34428382 DOI: 10.1080/09205063.2021.1971820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Lipase cartridges are currently the mainstay of treatment to improve fat absorption related to pancreatic insufficiency (PI) in patients receiving enteral nutrition feedings. Enzyme immobilization is an essential prerequisite for designing lipase cartridges systems for efficient enzymatic fat hydrolysis. A microfluidic approach has been adopted to produce lipase (LIP) caged in hyperbranched polyglycerol microcapsules (HPGly). The resulting HPGly-LIP microcapsules are spherical and had an average diameter of 29 µm with monomodal size distribution. The optimum conditions determined by artificial neural networks were HPGly concentration of 10 wt.%, LIP loading of 20% (wt) and total flow rate in microfluidic cell of 1.0 mL/h. Under these conditions, the maximum capacity of the LIP that can be microencapsulated is around 85% with respect to the HPGly concentration of 10 wt.% and total flow rate in microfluidic cell of 1.0 mL/h. This resultant HPGly-LIP exhibited Michaelis-Menten coefficients of 1.138,14 mM (Km) and 0.49 U/mg (Vmax) showing higher activity compared to free LIP. Finally, the robust HPGly-LIP microcapsules showed excellent recyclability. The in vitro Analysis of the HPGly-LIP cytotoxicity showed that microcapsules had no cytotoxic effect to L929 fibroblasts cells and behaved very similar to the negative control. These features will be useful for the facile construction of biocatalytic systems with high efficiency, excellent recyclability and adequate biocompatibility for treatment of patients with PI receiving enteral nutrition feedings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andressa Aparecida Alves
- Doctorate Post-Graduate Scholarship in Materials for Engineering/Biomaterials (CAPES), Federal University of Itajubá (UNIFEI), Itajubá-Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Gotardelo DR, Courrol LC, Bellini MH, de Oliveira Silva FR, Soares CRJ. Porphyrins are increased in the faeces of patients with prostate cancer: a case-control study. BMC Cancer 2018; 18:1090. [PMID: 30419859 PMCID: PMC6233593 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-5030-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Experimental models of prostate cancer have demonstrated increased levels of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in the blood and faeces of mice. Hence, the quantification of these autofluorescent molecules could be hypothesized to be a potential marker for this type of tumour. In this case-control study, the autofluorescence of porphyrins in human faeces from patients with prostate cancer and control subjects was analysed using fluorescence spectroscopy. Methods First, 3 mL of analytical-grade acetone was added to 0.3 g of faeces, and the mixture was macerated and centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 15 min. The supernatant was analysed spectroscopically. The emission spectra from 550 to 750 nm were obtained by exciting the samples at 405 nm. Results A significant difference between the samples from control and cancer subjects was established in the spectral region of 670–675 nm (p = 0.000127), which corresponds to a significant increase in faecal porphyrins in patients with cancer. There was no statistically significant correlation between PSA levels and faecal porphyrins. Conclusion In this preliminary study conducted in humans, the results show a simple and non-invasive method to assess faecal porphyrins, which have the potential to function as a tumour biomarker in patients with prostate cancer. This approach has improved sensitivity and specificity over PSA testing. Additional prospective studies with larger sample sizes are required to validate these findings. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-5030-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Riani Gotardelo
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, IPEN-CNEN/SP, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 2242- Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil. .,Instituto Tocantinense Presidente Antônio Carlos - ITPAC Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil.
| | - Lilia Coronato Courrol
- Instituto de Ciências Ambientais Químicas e Farmacêuticas (ICAQF), Departamento de Física (DF), UNIFESP, Campus Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Helena Bellini
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, IPEN-CNEN/SP, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 2242- Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Flávia Rodrigues de Oliveira Silva
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, IPEN-CNEN/SP, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 2242- Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Carlos Roberto Jorge Soares
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, IPEN-CNEN/SP, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 2242- Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
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Sant'Ana PM, Oliveira JE, Lima ER, Soares CRJ, Peroni CN, Bartolini P, Ribela MTCP. Human thyroid-stimulating hormone synthesis in human embryonic kidney cells and related N-glycoprofiling analysis for carbohydrate composition determination. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2017; 102:1215-1228. [PMID: 29247366 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-017-8684-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
A strain of embryonic human kidney cells (HEK293) was transiently co-transfected with the expression vectors coding for the α- and β-subunits of human thyroid-stimulating hormone (hTSH), and, for the first time, a human cell-derived recombinant hTSH was synthesized and extensively characterized. The purification strategy involving two steps provided an overall yield of 55% and a purity level > 90%. The purified material (hTSH-HEK) was analyzed and compared to a CHO-derived recombinant preparation (hTSH-CHO) and to a pituitary-derived (hTSH-Pit) preparation. The three preparations showed an equivalent purity (> 95%) with a hTSH-HEK molecular mass 2.1% lower than that of hTSH-CHO and 2.7% higher than that of hTSH-Pit. Remarkable differences were found in the carbohydrate moiety, the lowest sialic acid content and highest fucose content being observed in hTSH-HEK. In vivo biological activity was confirmed for the three preparations, the hTSH-HEK bioactivity being 39 and 16% lower than those of hTSH-CHO and hTSH-Pit, respectively. The hTSH-HEK circulatory half-life (t 1/2) was also shorter than those of hTSH-CHO (1.5-fold) and hTSH-Pit (1.2-fold). According to these findings, HEK-293-derived hTSH can be considered to be useful for clinical applications, in view as well of its human origin and particular carbohydrate composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Sant'Ana
- Biotechnology Department, IPEN-CNEN, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 2242, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - J E Oliveira
- Biotechnology Department, IPEN-CNEN, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 2242, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - E R Lima
- Biotechnology Department, IPEN-CNEN, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 2242, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - C R J Soares
- Biotechnology Department, IPEN-CNEN, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 2242, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - C N Peroni
- Biotechnology Department, IPEN-CNEN, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 2242, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - P Bartolini
- Biotechnology Department, IPEN-CNEN, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 2242, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Maria Teresa C P Ribela
- Biotechnology Department, IPEN-CNEN, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 2242, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil.
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Arthuso FDS, Suzuki MF, Oliveira NADJ, de Oliveira JE, Bartolini P, Jorge Soares CR. The influence of Escherichia coli cultivation temperature on interferon alpha 2a expression (IFN-α2a). BMC Proc 2014. [PMCID: PMC4204363 DOI: 10.1186/1753-6561-8-s4-p2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Suzuki MF, da Silva AB, de Oliveira JE, Santos Arthuso FD, Bartolini P, Jorge Soares CR. Expression and characterization of mouse prolactin (mPRL) in CHO dhfr- cells. BMC Proc 2014. [PMCID: PMC4204078 DOI: 10.1186/1753-6561-8-s4-p4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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Faria MT, Carvalho RF, Sevilhano TCA, Oliveira NAJ, Silva CFP, Oliveira JE, Soares CRJ, Garcez R, Santo PRE, Bartolini P. Isolation of the pituitary gonadotrophic α-subunit hormone of the giant amazonian fish: pirarucu (Arapaima gigas). Fish Physiol Biochem 2013; 39:683-693. [PMID: 23073850 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-012-9730-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2012] [Accepted: 09/26/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The cDNAs of the α-subunit of the pituitary gonadotrophic hormones (GTHα) of fish of the order Osteoglossiformes or the superorder Osteoglossomorpha have never been sequenced. For a better understanding the phylogenetic diversity and evolution of PGHα in fish and for future biotechnological synthesis of the gonadotrophic hormones (ag-FSH and ag-LH), of Arapaima gigas, one of the largest freshwater fishes of the world, its GTHα cDNA was synthesized by reverse transcriptase and the polymerase chain reaction starting from total pituitary RNA. The ag-GTHα-subunit was found to be encoded by 348 bp, corresponding to a protein of 115 amino acids, with a putative signal peptide of 24 amino acids and a mature peptide of 91 amino acids. Ten cysteine residues, responsible for forming 5 disulfide linkages, 2 putative N-linked glycosylation sites and 3 proline residues, were found to be conserved on the basis of the known sequences of vertebrate gonadotrophic hormones. Phylogenetic analysis, based on the amino acid sequences of 38 GTHα-subunits, revealed the highest identity of A. gigas with members of the Acipenseriformes, Anguilliformes, Siluriformes and Cypriniformes (87.1-89.5 %) and the lowest with Gadiformes and Cyprinodontiformes (55.0 %). The obtained phylogenetic tree agrees with previous analysis of teleostei, since A. gigas, of the order of Osteoglossiformes, appears as the sister group of Clupeocephala, while Elopomorpha forms the most basal group of all other teleosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- M T Faria
- Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Trav. Dr. Enéas Pinheiro s\nº, Marco, Belém, PA 66095-100, Brazil.
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Arthuso FS, Bartolini P, Soares CRJ. Laboratory production of human prolactin from CHO cells adapted to serum-free suspension culture. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2012; 167:2212-24. [PMID: 22692846 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-012-9745-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2011] [Accepted: 05/14/2012] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Human prolactin (hPRL) is a polypeptide with 199 amino acids and a molecular mass of 23 kDa. Previously, a eukaryotic hPRL expression vector was used to transfect Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells: this work describes a fast and practical laboratory adaptation of these transfected cells, in ~40 days, to grow in suspension in serum-free medium. High cell densities of up to 4.0 × 10(6) cell/ml were obtained from spinner flask cultures and a stable and continuous production process was developed for at least 30 days. Two harvesting strategies were set up, 50 or 100 % of the total conditioned medium being collected daily and replaced by fresh culture medium. The volumetric productivity was 5-7 μg hPRL/ml, as determined directly in the collected medium via reversed-phase HPLC (RP-HPLC). A two-step process based on a cationic exchanger followed by size exclusion chromatography was applied to obtain purified hPRL from conditioned medium. Two hPRL isoforms, non-glycosylated and glycosylated, could also be separated by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) and, when analyzed by RP-HPLC, HPSEC, Western blotting, and bioassay, were found to be comparable to the World Health Organization International Reference Reagent of hPRL. These results are useful for the practical scale-up to the pilot and industrial scale of a bioprocess based on CHO cell culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Santos Arthuso
- Biotechnology Center, Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares IPEN-CNEN/SP, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 2242, Cidade Universitária, 05508-900 São Paulo, Brazil.
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Pujatti PB, Santos JS, Couto RM, Melero LTUH, Suzuki MF, Soares CRJ, Grallert SRM, Mengatti J, De Araújo EB. Novel series of (177)Lu-labeled bombesin derivatives with amino acidic spacers for selective targeting of human PC-3 prostate tumor cells. Q J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2011; 55:310-323. [PMID: 21532543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
AIM Bombesin (BBN) has demonstrated the ability to bind with high affinity and specificity to GRP receptor, overexpressed on human prostate cancer. A large number of BBN derivatives have been synthesized for this purpose but most of them exhibit high abdominal accumulation, which may represent a problem in their clinical use due to serious side effects to patients. In this study we describe the results of radiolabeling with lutetium-177, stability and in vivo studies of novel phenyl-glycine-extended bombesin derivatives. The spacers were inserted to improve bombesin in vivo properties and to reduce its target to non-tumor sites. METHODS Preliminary studies were done to establish the ideal conditions for labeling bombesin derivatives. Chromatography systems were applied to determine free lutetium and the stability of the preparations was evaluated either after storing at 2-8 ºC or incubation in human serum at 37 ºC. In vivo experiments included biodistribution, pharmacokinetics and SPECT images and were performed in Balb-c and Nude mice bearing PC-3 xenografts. RESULTS The derivatives were labeled with high yield and kept stable at 2-8 ºC and are metabolized by human serum enzymes. In vivo studies showed fast blood clearance of labeled peptides and rapid excretion, performed mainly by renal pathway. In addition, biodistribution and imaging studies showed low abdominal accumulation and significant and specific tumor uptake of (177)Lu-labeled derivatives. CONCLUSIONS The derivative with longer spacer holds a higher potential as radiopharmaceutical for prostate tumor diagnosis and the derivatives with shorter spacers are potential radiopharmaceuticals for prostate tumor treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- P B Pujatti
- Radiopharmacy Directory, Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN/CNEN), São Paulo, Brazil.
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Paraiba DB, Soares CRJ, Bartolini P, Arthuso FS, Borba EF, Bonfa E, Bronstein MD. Lymphocytic prolactin does not contribute to systemic lupus erythematosus hyperprolactinemia. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2010; 28:866-872. [PMID: 21205462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2010] [Accepted: 09/13/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Lymphocytic prolactin (PRL) gene expression is detected in the majority of the immune cells and it is not known if this source contributes to hyperprolactinemia in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We have therefore evaluated lymphocytic PRL secretion and gene expression in SLE and healthy controls. METHODS Thirty SLE patients (ACR criteria) and 10 controls were selected for the study. Serum levels of PRL and macroprolactin were detected by immunofluorometric assay and gel filtration chromatography, respectively. The lymphocytic biological activity was determined by Nb2 cells bioassays. Lymphocytic PRL gene expression was evaluated by RT-PCR assay. RESULTS The median serum PRL levels of the 30 SLE patients was higher than the control group (9.65 (1.9-38.9) vs. 6.40 (2.4-10.3) ng/mL, p=0.03). A significant difference was detected between median serum PRL levels of active SLE, inactive SLE and controls (10.85 (5-38.9) vs. 7.65 (1.9-15.5) vs. 6.40 (2.4-10.3) ng/mL), p=0.01). The higher frequency of mild hyperprolactinemia was detected among active SLE in comparison with inactive SLE and controls (7 (38.9%) vs. 1 (8.3%) vs. 0 (0%)), with statistical significance (p=0.02). Nb2 cells assay revealed uniformly low levels of lymphocytic PRL in active, inactive and control groups without statistical significance among them (24.2 (8-63) vs. 27 (13.6-82) vs. 29.5 (8-72) ng/mL), p=0.84). Furthermore, median lymphocytic PRL gene expression evaluated by RT-PCR assay was comparable in both active and inactive SLE groups (p=0.12). CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to exclude a lymphocytic source of PRL, pointing out a pituitary etiology for hyperprolactinemia in SLE. However, other sources from the immune system cannot be ruled out.
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Affiliation(s)
- D B Paraiba
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
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Heller SR, Rodrigues Goulart H, Arthuso FS, Oliveira TL, Bartolini P, Soares CRJ. Synthesis, purification and characterization of recombinant glycosylated human prolactin (G-hPRL) secreted by cycloheximide-treated CHO cells. J Biotechnol 2010; 145:334-40. [PMID: 20067810 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2009.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2009] [Revised: 10/06/2009] [Accepted: 12/31/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Human prolactin (hPRL) is a 199 aminoacid protein hormone with a wide spectrum of biological activities which is best known for its stimulation of lactation and development of mammary gland. This protein contains only one potential asparagine-linked glycosylation site, which is partially (10-30%) occupied when the protein is synthesized in eukaryotic cells. Although the biological activity of glycosylated hPRL (G-hPRL) has been found to be approximately 4-fold lower than that of hPRL, its physiological function is not yet well defined. In order to better characterize and study this hormone variant, we carried out its laboratory scale purification from conditioned medium of genetically modified CHO cells that had been supplemented with cycloheximide. Addition of cycloheximide increased the absolute concentration of G-hPRL approximately 4-fold and the glycosylated versus non-glycosylated hPRL concentration ratio by approximately 7-fold. G-hPRL purification was carried out via a two-step process based on a cationic exchanger and a size-exclusion HPLC (HPSEC) column. Characterization was carried out by HPSEC, Western blotting, MALDI-TOF-MS and in vitro bioassay based on Nb2 and Ba/F3-LLP cells, the biological activity being of the same order (11-15 IU mg(-1)) in the two assays. Our results show that addition of cycloheximide can be an important strategy for increasing glycosylated protein production, facilitating the purification and characterization of these isoforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- S R Heller
- Biotechnology Department, IPEN-CNEN, Av. Lineu Prestes, 2242, Cidade Universitária, 05508-900 São Paulo, Brazil
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Soares CRJ, Glezer A, Okazaki K, Ueda EKM, Heller SR, Walker AM, Goffin V, Bartolini P. Physico-chemical and biological characterizations of two human prolactin analogs exhibiting controversial bioactivity, synthesized in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Protein Expr Purif 2006; 48:182-94. [PMID: 16814566 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2006.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2005] [Revised: 04/20/2006] [Accepted: 04/20/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The synthesis, purification and characterization of G129R-hPRL and S179D-hPRL, the two better-studied antagonists of human prolactin (hPRL), is described. Both of these have been expressed for the first time, in their authentic form, by a stable CHO cell line, at secretion levels of 7.7 and 4.3 microg/10(6) cells/day, respectively. Previous studies had shown that these hPRL analogs, when produced in bacterial cytoplasm, consistently contained misfolded forms and multimers according to the specific denaturation, refolding and purification conditions. These versions also have an N-terminal extra methionine. An extensive physico-chemical characterization was carried out after a practical two-step purification process and included SDS-PAGE and Western blotting analysis, matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectral (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis, high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). This last technique revealed a considerable difference in hydrophobicity due to a single amino acid substitution, with S179D-hPRL less (t(RR) = 0.85 +/- 0.010) and G129R-hPRL more (t(RR) = 1.10 +/- 0.013) hydrophobic than hPRL, where t(RR) is the relative retention time. The biological characterization was based on further refinement of a sensitive proliferation assay using the pro-B murine cell line (Ba/F3) transfected with the long form hPRL receptor cDNA such that the minimal detectable dose was 0.04 ng of hPRL/mL, the Ba/F3-LLP assay. On the basis of this assay, the relative residual agonistic activity of these two products, determined against a hPRL international standard in four independent assays, was 53 x 10(-3) for S179D-hPRL and 70 x 10(-5) for G129R-hPRL. We believe that the present synthesis and characterization could be extremely helpful for studies of these two proteins, which have been reported to antagonize tumor growth-promoting effects of hPRL in vivo in animal models of breast and prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- C R J Soares
- Biotechnology Department, National Nuclear Energy Commission-IPEN-CNEN, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, Brazil
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