Enhanced heterologous protein display on bacterial magnetic particles using a lon protease gene deletion mutant in Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1

Core Amino Acid Residues in the Morphology-Regulating Protein, Mms6, for Intracellular Magnetite Biomineralization

Living organisms produce finely tuned biomineral architectures with the aid of biomineral-associated proteins. The functional amino acid residues in these proteins have been previously identified using in vitro and in silico experimentation in different biomineralization systems. However, the investigation in living organisms is limited owing to the difficulty in establishing appropriate genetic techniques. Mms6 protein, isolated from the surface of magnetite crystals synthesized in magnetotactic bacteria, was shown to play a key role in the regulation of crystal morphology. In this study, we have demonstrated a defect in the specific region or substituted acidic amino acid residues in the Mms6 protein for observing their effect on magnetite biomineralization in vivo. Analysis of the gene deletion mutants and transformants of Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 expressing partially truncated Mms6 protein revealed that deletions in the N-terminal or C-terminal regions disrupted proper protein localization to the magnetite surface, resulting in a change in the crystal morphology. Moreover, single amino acid substitutions at Asp123, Glu124, or Glu125 in the C-terminal region of Mms6 clearly indicated that these amino acid residues had a direct impact on magnetite crystal morphology. Thus, these consecutive acidic amino acid residues were found to be core residues regulating magnetite crystal morphology.

Functional expression of an scFv on bacterial magnetic particles by in vitro docking

A Gram-negative, magnetotactic bacterium, Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 produces nano-sized magnetic particles (BacMPs) in the cytoplasm. Although various applications of genetically engineered BacMPs have been demonstrated, such as immunoassay, ligand-receptor interaction or cell separation, by expressing a target protein on BacMPs, it has been difficult to express disulfide-bonded proteins on BacMPs due to lack of disulfide-bond formation in the cytoplasm. Here, we propose a novel dual expression system, called in vitro docking, of a disulfide-bonded protein on BacMPs by directing an immunoglobulin Fc-fused target protein to the periplasm and its docking protein ZZ on BacMPs. By in vitro docking, an scFv-Fc fusion protein was functionally expressed on BacMPs in the dimeric or trimeric form. Our novel disulfide-bonded protein expression system on BacMPs will be useful for efficient screening of potential ligands or drugs, analyzing ligand-receptor interactions or as a magnetic carrier for affinity purification.

Functional expression of thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor on nano-sized bacterial magnetic particles in Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1

The measurement of autoantibodies to thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) is important for the diagnosis of autoimmune thyroid disease such as Graves' disease (GD). Although TSHR from porcine thyroid membrane is commonly used for the measurement of TSHR autoantibodies (TRAb), recombinant human TSHR (hTSHR) remains ideal in terms of stable supply and species identity. Here we set out to express recombinant hTSHR on the lipid-bilayer surface of magnetic nanoparticles from a magnetotactic bacterium, Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1. Using a tetracycline-inducible expression system, we successfully overexpressed functional hTSHR on bacterial magnetic particles (BacMPs) in AMB-1 via an anchor protein specific for BacMPs. The overexpressed hTSHR was membrane integrated and possessed both ligand and autoantibody binding activity. Our data suggest that hTSHR-displayed BacMPs have potential as novel tools for ligand-receptor interaction analysis or for TRAb immunoassay in GD patients.