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Durans ADM, Napoleão-Pêgo P, Reis FCG, Dias ER, Machado LESF, Lechuga GC, Junqueira ACV, De-Simone SG, Provance DW. Chagas Disease Diagnosis with Trypanosoma cruzi-Exclusive Epitopes in GFP. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:1029. [PMID: 39340059 PMCID: PMC11435546 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12091029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Serological tests are critical tools in the fight against infectious disease. They detect antibodies produced during an adaptive immune response against a pathogen with an immunological reagent, whose antibody binding characteristics define the specificity and sensitivity of the assay. While pathogen proteins have conveniently served as reagents, their performance is limited by the natural grouping of specific and non-specific antibody binding sites, epitopes. An attractive solution is to build synthetic proteins that only contains pathogen-specific epitopes, which could theoretically reach 100% specificity. However, the genesis of de novo proteins remains a challenge. To address the uncertainty of producing a synthetic protein, we have repurposed the beta barrel of fluorescent proteins into a receptacle that can receive several epitope sequences without compromising its ability to be expressed. Here, two versions of a multiepitope protein were built using the receptacle that differ by their grouping of epitopes specific to the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent for Chagas disease. An evaluation of their performance as the capture reagent in ELISAs showed near-complete agreement with recommended diagnostic protocols. The results suggest that a single assay could be developed for the diagnosis of Chagas disease and that this approach could be applied to other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andressa da M Durans
- Center for Technological Development in Health, National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation in Neglected Population Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
- Epidemiology and Molecular Systematics Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Medical Researchers, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Paloma Napoleão-Pêgo
- Center for Technological Development in Health, National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation in Neglected Population Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
- Epidemiology and Molecular Systematics Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Flavia C G Reis
- Center for Technological Development in Health, National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation in Neglected Population Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Evandro R Dias
- Center for Technological Development in Health, National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation in Neglected Population Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
- Laboratory on Parasitic Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Luciana E S F Machado
- Center for Technological Development in Health, National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation in Neglected Population Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
- Department of Genetics and Biology Evolution, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Guilherme C Lechuga
- Center for Technological Development in Health, National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation in Neglected Population Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
- Epidemiology and Molecular Systematics Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Angela C V Junqueira
- Laboratory on Parasitic Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Salvatore G De-Simone
- Center for Technological Development in Health, National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation in Neglected Population Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
- Epidemiology and Molecular Systematics Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
- Program of Post-Graduation on Science and Biotechnology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Biology Institute, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói 22040-036, Brazil
| | - David W Provance
- Center for Technological Development in Health, National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation in Neglected Population Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
- Epidemiology and Molecular Systematics Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
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2
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Zhang B, Han Z, Kumar S, Gupta M, Su WW. Intein-ubiquitin chimeric domain for coordinated protein coexpression. J Biotechnol 2019; 304:38-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2019.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2019] [Revised: 07/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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3
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Zhang B, Rapolu M, Kumar S, Gupta M, Liang Z, Han Z, Williams P, Su WW. Coordinated protein co-expression in plants by harnessing the synergy between an intein and a viral 2A peptide. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2017; 15:718-728. [PMID: 27879048 PMCID: PMC5425387 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
A novel approach is developed for coordinated expression of multiple proteins from a single transgene in plants. An Ssp DnaE mini-intein variant engineered for hyper-N-terminal autocleavage is covalently linked to the foot-and-mouth disease virus 2A (F2A) peptide with unique ribosome skipping property, via a peptide linker, to create an 'IntF2A' self-excising fusion protein domain. This IntF2A domain acts, in cis, to direct highly effective release of its flanking proteins of interest (POIs) from a 'polyprotein' precursor in plants. This is successfully demonstrated in stably transformed cultured tobacco cells as well as in different organs of transgenic tobacco plants. Highly efficient polyprotein processing mediated by the IntF2A domain was also demonstrated in lettuce and Nicotiana benthamiana based on transient expression. Protein constituents released from the polyprotein precursor displayed proper function and accumulated at similar levels inside the cells. Importantly, no C-terminal F2A extension remains on the released POIs. We demonstrated co-expression of as many as three proteins in plants without compromising expression levels when compared with those using single-protein vectors. Accurate differential cellular targeting of released POIs is also achieved. In addition, we succeeded in expressing a fully assembled and functional chimeric anti-His Tag antibody in N. benthamiana leaves. The IntF2A-based polyprotein transgene system overcomes key impediments of existing strategies for multiprotein co-expression in plants, which is particularly important for gene/trait stacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and BioengineeringUniversity of Hawaii at ManoaHonoluluHIUSA
| | - Madhusudhan Rapolu
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and BioengineeringUniversity of Hawaii at ManoaHonoluluHIUSA
| | | | | | - Zhibin Liang
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and BioengineeringUniversity of Hawaii at ManoaHonoluluHIUSA
| | - Zhenlin Han
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and BioengineeringUniversity of Hawaii at ManoaHonoluluHIUSA
| | - Philip Williams
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Hawaii at ManoaHonoluluHIUSA
| | - Wei Wen Su
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and BioengineeringUniversity of Hawaii at ManoaHonoluluHIUSA
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4
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Green fluorescent protein as a scaffold for high efficiency production of functional bacteriotoxic proteins in Escherichia coli. Sci Rep 2016; 6:20661. [PMID: 26864123 PMCID: PMC4749965 DOI: 10.1038/srep20661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The availability of simple, robust, and cost-effective methods for the large-scale production of bacteriotoxic peptides such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is essential for basic and pharmaceutical research. However, the production of bacteriotoxic proteins has been difficult due to a high degree of toxicity in bacteria and proteolytic degradation. In this study, we inserted AMPs into the Green fluorescent protein (GFP) in a loop region and expressed them as insoluble proteins in high yield, circumventing the inherent toxicity of AMP production in Escherichia coli. The AMPs inserted were released by cyanogen bromide and purified by chromatography. We showed that highly potent AMPs such as Protegrin-1, PMAP-36, Buforin-2, and Bactridin-1 are produced in high yields and produced AMPs showed similar activities compared to chemically synthesized AMPs. We increased the yield more than two-fold by inserting three copies of Protegrin-1 in the GFP scaffold. The immunogold electron micrographs showed that the expressed Protegrin-1 in the GFP scaffold forms large and small size aggregates in the core region of the inclusion body and become entirely nonfunctional, therefore not influencing the proliferation of E. coli. Our novel method will be applicable for diverse bacteriotoxic peptides which can be exploited in biomedical and pharmaceutical researches.
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5
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Zhang B, Rapolu M, Liang Z, Han Z, Williams PG, Su WW. A dual-intein autoprocessing domain that directs synchronized protein co-expression in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Sci Rep 2015; 5:8541. [PMID: 25712612 PMCID: PMC4339811 DOI: 10.1038/srep08541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Being able to coordinate co-expression of multiple proteins is necessary for a variety of important applications such as assembly of protein complexes, trait stacking, and metabolic engineering. Currently only few options are available for multiple recombinant protein co-expression, and most of them are not applicable to both prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts. Here, we report a new polyprotein vector system that is based on a pair of self-excising mini-inteins fused in tandem, termed the dual-intein (DI) domain, to achieve synchronized co-expression of multiple proteins. The DI domain comprises an Ssp DnaE mini-intein N159A mutant and an Ssp DnaB mini-intein C1A mutant connected in tandem by a peptide linker to mediate efficient release of the flanking proteins via autocatalytic cleavage. Essentially complete release of constituent proteins, GFP and RFP (mCherry), from a polyprotein precursor, in bacterial, mammalian, and plant hosts was demonstrated. In addition, successful co-expression of GFP with chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, and thioredoxin with RFP, respectively, further substantiates the general applicability of the DI polyprotein system. Collectively, our results demonstrate the DI-based polyprotein technology as a highly valuable addition to the molecular toolbox for multi-protein co-expression which finds vast applications in biotechnology, biosciences, and biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
| | - Madhusudhan Rapolu
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
| | - Zhibin Liang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
| | - Zhenlin Han
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
| | - Philip G. Williams
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
| | - Wei Wen Su
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
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6
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Murayama T, Kobayashi T. Purification of recombinant proteins with a multifunctional GFP tag. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1177:151-161. [PMID: 24943321 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1034-2_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is the most widespread fluorescent reporter for cellular localization and interaction of proteins. Because GFP itself is not the protein purification tag, protein purification is generally carried out with the aid of additional affinity tags. We have recently engineered a "multifunctional GFP" (mfGFP), a variant of enhanced GFP (EGFP), in which multiple affinity tags are inserted in tandem into an internal loop of EGFP. The mfGFP can be used as a fluorescent reporter and an affinity tag, and is compatible with various expression systems in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Herein, we describe detailed procedures for the expression and purification of mfGFP fusion proteins in mammalian cells. A method for tandem affinity purification using two different tags within mfGFP is also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Murayama
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan,
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7
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Ma H, McLean JR, Chao LFI, Mana-Capelli S, Paramasivam M, Hagstrom KA, Gould KL, McCollum D. A highly efficient multifunctional tandem affinity purification approach applicable to diverse organisms. Mol Cell Proteomics 2012; 11:501-11. [PMID: 22474084 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.o111.016246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Determining the localization, binding partners, and secondary modifications of individual proteins is crucial for understanding protein function. Several tags have been constructed for protein localization or purification under either native or denaturing conditions, but few tags permit all three simultaneously. Here, we describe a multifunctional tandem affinity purification (MAP) method that is both highly efficient and enables protein visualization. The MAP tag utilizes affinity tags inserted into an exposed surface loop of mVenus offering two advantages: (1) mVenus fluorescence can be used for protein localization or FACS-based selection of cell lines; and (2) spatial separation of the affinity tags from the protein results in high recovery and reduced variability between proteins. MAP purification was highly efficient in multiple organisms for all proteins tested. As a test case, MAP combined with liquid chromatography-tandem MS identified known and new candidate binding partners and modifications of the kinase Plk1. Thus the MAP tag is a new powerful tool for determining protein modification, localization, and interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanhui Ma
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
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8
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Maalouli N, Gouget-Laemmel AC, Pinchemel B, Bouazaoui M, Chazalviel JN, Ozanam F, Yang Y, Burkhard P, Boukherroub R, Szunerits S. Development of a metal-chelated plasmonic interface for the linking of His-peptides with a droplet-based surface plasmon resonance read-off scheme. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2011; 27:5498-5505. [PMID: 21480606 DOI: 10.1021/la2005437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Monolayers of metal complexes were covalently attached to the surface of lamellar SPR interfaces (Ti/Ag/a-Si(0.63)C(0.37)) for binding histidine-tagged peptides with a controlled molecular orientation. The method is based on the activation of surface acid groups with N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS), followed by an amidation reaction with (S)-N-(5-amino-1-carboxypentyl)iminodiacetic acid (NTA). FTIR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize each surface modification step. The NTA modified SPR interface effectively chelated Cu(2+) ions. Once loaded with metal ions, the modified SPR interface was able to bind specifically to histidine-tagged peptides. The binding process was followed by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in a droplet based configuration. The Cu(2+)-NTA modified interface showed protein loading comparable to commercially available NTA chips based on dextran chemistry and can thus be regarded as an interesting alternative. The sensor interface can be reused several times due to the easy regeneration step using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazek Maalouli
- Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire (USR 3078), Université Lille Nord de France, Parc de la Haute Borne, 50 Avenue de Halley, BP 70478, 59658 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
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9
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Yang K, Xu NS, Su WW. Co-immobilized enzymes in magnetic chitosan beads for improved hydrolysis of macromolecular substrates under a time-varying magnetic field. J Biotechnol 2010; 148:119-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2010.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2010] [Revised: 05/05/2010] [Accepted: 05/10/2010] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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10
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Christensen T, Amiram M, Dagher S, Trabbic-Carlson K, Shamji MF, Setton LA, Chilkoti A. Fusion order controls expression level and activity of elastin-like polypeptide fusion proteins. Protein Sci 2009; 18:1377-87. [PMID: 19533768 DOI: 10.1002/pro.157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
We have previously developed a method to purify recombinant proteins, termed inverse transition cycling (ITC) that eliminates the need for column chromatography. ITC exploits the inverse solubility phase transition of an elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) that is fused to a protein of interest. In ITC, a recombinant ELP fusion protein is cycled through its phase transition, resulting in separation of the ELP fusion protein from other Escherichia coli contaminants. Herein, we examine the role of the position of the ELP in the fusion protein on the expression levels and yields of purified protein for four recombinant ELP fusion proteins. Placing the ELP at the C-terminus of the target protein (protein-ELP) results in a higher expression level for the four ELP fusion proteins, which also translates to a greater yield of purified protein. The position of the fusion protein also has a significant impact on its specific activity, as ELP-protein constructs have a lower specific activity than protein-ELP constructs for three out of the four proteins. Our results show no difference in mRNA levels between protein-ELP and ELP-protein fusion constructs. Instead, we suggest two possible explanations for these results: first, the translational efficiency of mRNA may differ between the fusion protein in the two orientations and second, the lower level of protein expression and lower specific activity is consistent with a scenario that placement of the ELP at the N-terminus of the fusion protein increases the fraction of misfolded, and less active conformers, which are also preferentially degraded compared to fusion proteins in which the ELP is present at the C-terminal end of the protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trine Christensen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
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11
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Robić G, Lacorte C, Miranda EA. Fluorometric quantification of green fluorescent protein in tobacco leaf extracts. Anal Biochem 2009; 392:8-11. [PMID: 19457429 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2009.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2009] [Revised: 05/07/2009] [Accepted: 05/07/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The main use of green fluorescent protein (GFP) is as a reporter system, where the existence of the protein is usually determined visually using fluorescent microscopy. Although fluorescence-based quantification of GFP is possible, background fluorescence in plants and in plant extracts was observed by our group. Another phenomenon we observed that makes quantification difficult is the increased level of GFP fluorescence in Nicotiana benthamiana leaf extracts, probably the result of dimerization of GFP molecules promoted by interaction with some component(s) of tobacco extracts. In the current work, the background fluorescence was minimized and the enhancement of GFP fluorescence in tobacco extracts was eliminated with the addition of urea to the measured solution so that a simple quantification assay for the GFP in the tobacco extracts could be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goran Robić
- Departamento de Processos Biotecnológicos, Faculdade de Engenharia Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, CEP 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil.
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Wong LS, Khan F, Micklefield J. Selective Covalent Protein Immobilization: Strategies and Applications. Chem Rev 2009; 109:4025-53. [DOI: 10.1021/cr8004668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 387] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lu Shin Wong
- School of Chemistry and Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, United Kingdom
| | - Farid Khan
- School of Chemistry and Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, United Kingdom
| | - Jason Micklefield
- School of Chemistry and Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, United Kingdom
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13
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Deng C, Xiong X, Krutchinsky AN. Unifying fluorescence microscopy and mass spectrometry for studying protein complexes in cells. Mol Cell Proteomics 2009; 8:1413-23. [PMID: 19269952 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m800397-mcp200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We have developed and applied a method unifying fluorescence microscopy and mass spectrometry for studying spatial and temporal properties of proteins and protein complexes in yeast cells. To combine the techniques, first we produced a variety of DNA constructs that can be used for genomic tagging of proteins with modular fluorescent and affinity tags. The modular tag consists of one of the multiple versions of monomeric fluorescent proteins fused to a variety of small affinity epitopes. After this step we tested the constructs by tagging two yeast proteins, Pil1 and Lsp1, the core components of eisosomes, the large protein complexes involved in endocytosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with a variety of fluorescent and affinity probes. Among the modular tags produced we found several combinations that were optimal for determining subcellular localization and for purifying the tagged proteins and protein complexes for the detailed analysis by mass spectrometry. And finally, we applied the designed method for finding the new protein components of eisosomes and for gaining new insights into molecular mechanisms regulating eisosome assembly and disassembly by reversible phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. Our results indicate that this approach combining fluorescence microscopy and mass spectrometry into a single method provides a unique perspective into molecular mechanisms regulating composition and dynamic properties of the protein complexes in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changhui Deng
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158-2517, USA
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14
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Kobayashi T, Morone N, Kashiyama T, Oyamada H, Kurebayashi N, Murayama T. Engineering a novel multifunctional green fluorescent protein tag for a wide variety of protein research. PLoS One 2008; 3:e3822. [PMID: 19048102 PMCID: PMC2585475 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2008] [Accepted: 11/07/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetically encoded tag is a powerful tool for protein research. Various kinds of tags have been developed: fluorescent proteins for live-cell imaging, affinity tags for protein isolation, and epitope tags for immunological detections. One of the major problems concerning the protein tagging is that many constructs with different tags have to be made for different applications, which is time- and resource-consuming. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here we report a novel multifunctional green fluorescent protein (mfGFP) tag which was engineered by inserting multiple peptide tags, i.e., octa-histidine (8xHis), streptavidin-binding peptide (SBP), and c-Myc tag, in tandem into a loop of GFP. When fused to various proteins, mfGFP monitored their localization in living cells. Streptavidin agarose column chromatography with the SBP tag successfully isolated the protein complexes in a native form with a high purity. Tandem affinity purification (TAP) with 8xHis and SBP tags in mfGFP further purified the protein complexes. mfGFP was clearly detected by c-Myc-specific antibody both in immunofluorescence and immuno-electron microscopy (EM). These findings indicate that mfGFP works well as a multifunctional tag in mammalian cells. The tag insertion was also successful in other fluorescent protein, mCherry. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE The multifunctional fluorescent protein tag is a useful tool for a wide variety of protein research, and may have the advantage over other multiple tag systems in its higher expandability and compatibility with existing and future tag technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Kobayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Morone
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taku Kashiyama
- Department of Pharmacology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideto Oyamada
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Showa University, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nagomi Kurebayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Murayama
- Department of Pharmacology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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15
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Goulding AM, Rahimi Y, Shrestha S, Deo SK. Dual Function Labeling of Biomolecules Based on DsRed-Monomer. Bioconjug Chem 2008; 19:2113-9. [DOI: 10.1021/bc800147k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- A. M. Goulding
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - Y. Rahimi
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - S. Shrestha
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - S. K. Deo
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
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16
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Hoeller BM, Reiter B, Abad S, Graze I, Glieder A. Random tag insertions by Transposon Integration mediated Mutagenesis (TIM). J Microbiol Methods 2008; 75:251-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2008.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2008] [Revised: 06/17/2008] [Accepted: 06/17/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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17
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Evers TH, Appelhof MAM, Meijer EW, Merkx M. His-tags as Zn(II) binding motifs in a protein-based fluorescent sensor. Protein Eng Des Sel 2008; 21:529-36. [PMID: 18502789 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzn029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluorescent indicators that allow real-time imaging of Zn(II) in living cells are invaluable tools for understanding Zn(II) homeostasis. Genetically encoded sensors based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer between fluorescent protein domains have important advantages over synthetic probes. We discovered that hexahistidine tags have a strong tendency to dimerize upon binding of Zn(II) in solution and we used this principle to develop a new protein-based sensor for Zn(II). Enhanced cyan and yellow fluorescent proteins were connected by long flexible peptide linkers and His-tags were incorporated at both termini of this fusion protein. The resulting sensor CLY9-2His allows the ratiometric fluorescent detection of Zn(II) in the nanomolar range. In addition, CLY9-2His is selective over the physiologically relevant metal ions Fe(II), Mn(II), Ca(II) and Mg(II). Our approach demonstrates the potential of using small peptides as metal-binding ligands in chelating fluorescent protein chimeras.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toon H Evers
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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18
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Purification of recombinant GFP produced by Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression in Nicotiana excelsior. CYTOL GENET+ 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s11956-008-2003-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Peckham GD, Bugos RC, Su WW. Purification of GFP fusion proteins from transgenic plant cell cultures. Protein Expr Purif 2006; 49:183-9. [PMID: 16682226 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2006.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2006] [Revised: 03/23/2006] [Accepted: 03/25/2006] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Green fluorescence protein (GFP) has become a widely used reporter in many areas of life science. Monitoring foreign protein expression via GFP fusion is also very appealing for bioprocess applications. GFP itself has been purified from recombinant organisms by several methods, often involving unfavorable conditions (e.g., use of organic solvents and/or low pH) that may be destabilizing to some proteins. In this study, we have developed a general recovery scheme that entails a simple three-step purification procedure for GFP fusion proteins produced in tobacco suspension cells, with the intent of maximizing purity and yield under gentle conditions so as to maintain the integrity of the fusion partner. Ammonium sulfate treatment at 30% (v/v) precipitated particulate matter and removed aggregated material while simultaneously maintaining GFP solubility and increasing hydrophobicity. Hydrophobic interaction chromatography was then performed to eliminate the majority of background proteins while eluting GFP and fusions in a low ionic buffer suitable to be directly applied to an ion-exchange column as the final step. Three intracellular proteins, secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF), each fused to GFP, as well as GFP itself, were recovered with yields exceeding 70% and purity levels over 80%. This purification scheme exploits the hydrophobic nature of GFP while maintaining a gentle environment for labile fusion partners. Although some optimization may be required, we believe this scheme may serve as a benchmark for purifying other GFP fusion proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel D Peckham
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1955 East-West Road, Ag. Sci. 218, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
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20
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Khan F, He M, Taussig MJ. Double-Hexahistidine Tag with High-Affinity Binding for Protein Immobilization, Purification, and Detection on Ni−Nitrilotriacetic Acid Surfaces. Anal Chem 2006; 78:3072-9. [PMID: 16642995 DOI: 10.1021/ac060184l] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
There is a particular need in protein analysis and purification for specific, functional, and generic methods of protein immobilization on solid supports. Here we describe a double-hexahistidine (His6) tag sequence, comprising two hexahistidines separated by an 11-amino acid spacer, which shows at least 1 order of magnitude stronger binding to Ni-NTA-modified surfaces than a conventional single-His6 tag or two single-His6 tags at N- and C-termini. Using, as a model, tagged versions of green fluorescent protein (GFP), stable and tight binding of the double-His6 tag/Ni-NTA interaction was demonstrated by competitive elution from Ni-NTA agarose beads, surface plasmon resonance on a Ni-NTA chip, and ELISA in Ni-NTA microwell plates. Protein purification by Ni-NTA chromatography was improved by a 6-8-fold increase in imidazole concentration required for elution, while the dissociation rate of double-His6 GFP from Ni-NTA chips in SPR (BIAcore) was 10 times slower than for single-His6-tagged proteins. ELISA assays and protein microarrays constructed with double-His6 GFP demonstrated greater detection sensitivity with anti-His antibodies and Ni-NTA conjugates. Moreover, the double-His6 tag could serve simultaneously both for protein immobilization and for detection on surfaces. The double-His6 peptide has the potential to be a universal tag for protein immobilization and detection on arrays and single-step purification of proteins from crude mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farid Khan
- Protein Technologies Laboratory, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB2 4AT, UK
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21
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Arnau J, Lauritzen C, Petersen GE, Pedersen J. Current strategies for the use of affinity tags and tag removal for the purification of recombinant proteins. Protein Expr Purif 2005; 48:1-13. [PMID: 16427311 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2005.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 449] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2005] [Revised: 11/22/2005] [Accepted: 12/02/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Affinity tags are highly efficient tools for protein purification. They allow the purification of virtually any protein without any prior knowledge of its biochemical properties. The use of affinity tags has therefore become widespread in several areas of research e.g., high throughput expression studies aimed at finding a biological function to large numbers of yet uncharacterized proteins. In some cases, the presence of the affinity tag in the recombinant protein is unwanted or may represent a disadvantage for the projected application of the protein, like for clinical use. Therefore, an increasing number of approaches are available at present that are designed for the removal of the affinity tag from the recombinant protein. Most of these methods employ recombinant endoproteases that recognize a specific sequence. These process enzymes can subsequently be removed from the process by affinity purification, since they also include a tag. Here, a survey of the most common affinity tags and the current methods for tag removal is presented, with special emphasis on the removal of N-terminal histidine tags using TAGZyme, a system based on exopeptidase cleavage. In the quest to reduce the significant costs associated with protein purification at large scale, relevant aspects involved in the development of downstream processes for pharmaceutical protein production that incorporate a tag removal step are also discussed. A comparison of the yield of standard vs. affinity purification together with an example of tag removal using TAGZyme is also included.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Arnau
- Unizyme Laboratories A/S, Dr. Neergaards vej 17, DK-2970 Hørsholm, Denmark.
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22
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Hedhammar M, Gräslund T, Hober S. Protein Engineering Strategies for Selective Protein Purification. Chem Eng Technol 2005. [DOI: 10.1002/ceat.200500144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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23
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Su WW. Fluorescent proteins as tools to aid protein production. Microb Cell Fact 2005; 4:12. [PMID: 15850488 PMCID: PMC1087875 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2859-4-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2005] [Accepted: 04/25/2005] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluorescent proteins are genetically encoded, highly versatile reporters useful for monitoring various aspects of recombinant protein production. In addition to the widely popular green fluorescent protein (GFP) from Aequorea victoria, a variety of other fluorescent proteins have been discovered that display a wide range of spectral properties. Synthetic variants have also been developed to overcome limitations associated with their wild-type counterparts. Having a large repertoire of fluorescent proteins with diverse traits opens new opportunities for rapid monitoring and optimization of recombinant protein production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wen Su
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii 96822, USA.
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24
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Finn RD, Kapelioukh I, Paine MJI. Rainbow tags: a visual tag system for recombinant protein expression and purification. Biotechniques 2005; 38:387-8, 390-2. [PMID: 15789482 DOI: 10.2144/05383st01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Visualization systems for tracking proteins are standard experimental tools in most areas of biological research apart from protein purification. Here, we have sought to plug this gap by producing red and yellow visual tags using the heme-binding domain of mosquito cytochrome b5 and the flavin mononucleotide (FMN)-binding domain of human P450 reductase. Tests with colorless glutathione-S-transferase (GST) show them to be simple and effective tools for visually identifying correctly folded protein and tracking protein molecules through protein expression and purification. Furthermore, the characteristic absorbance signatures of the colored tags can be used to quantify protein concentrations directly, which allows purification to be linked to colorimetric detection. This technology, which we call Rainbow Tagging, facilitates expression and downstream processing of recombinant proteins, paving the way for the development of automated high-throughput protein expression systems.
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25
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Chirico G, Diaspro A, Cannone F, Collini M, Bologna S, Pellegrini V, Beltram F. Selective Fluorescence Recovery after Bleaching of Single E2GFP Proteins Induced by Two-Photon Excitation. Chemphyschem 2005; 6:328-35. [PMID: 15751356 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.200400318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We report the two-photon excitation and emission or a recently developed green fluorescent protein (GFP) mutant, E(2)GFP. Two main excitation bands are found at 780 and 870 nm. Blinking and irreversible and reversible bleaching were observed. Fluorescence blinking occurs in the millisecond range and has been ascribed to conversions between the neutral, anionic and dark zwitterionic states. Bleaching is observed after approximately 10 to 400 ms depending on the excitation power, and it is probably due to a conversion to a dark state. The striking feature of this GFP mutant is that the fluorescence can be recovered with very high efficiency only upon irradiation at 720 +/- 10 nm. This GFP mutant therefore seems promising as an almost permanent chromophore for two-photon excitation (TPE) microscopy or for applications in single-molecule memory arrays.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Chirico
- INFM and Department of Physics, University of Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 3, 20126 Milano, Italy.
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