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ENDO Y. Development of a cell-free protein synthesis system for practical use. PROCEEDINGS OF THE JAPAN ACADEMY. SERIES B, PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2021; 97:261-276. [PMID: 33980755 PMCID: PMC8141837 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.97.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Conventional cell-free protein synthesis systems had been the major platform to study the mechanism behind translating genetic information into proteins, as proven in the central dogma of molecular biology. Albeit being powerful research tools, most of the in vitro methods at the time failed to produce enough protein for practical use. Tremendous efforts were being made to overcome the limitations of in vitro translation systems, though mostly with limited success. While great knowledge was accumulated on the translation mechanism and ribosome structure, researchers rationalized that it may be impossible to fully reconstitute such a complex molecular process in a test tube. This review will examine how we have solved the difficulties holding back progress. Our newly developed cell-free protein synthesis system is based on wheat embryos and has many excellent characteristics, in addition to its high translation activity and robustness. Combined with other novel elementary technologies, we have established cell-free protein synthesis systems for practical use in research and applied sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaeta ENDO
- Ehime Prefectural University of Health Sciences, Tobe-cho, Iyo-gun, Ehime, Japan
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Okimune KI, Nagy SK, Hataya S, Endo Y, Takasuka TE. Reconstitution of Drosophila and human chromatins by wheat germ cell-free co-expression system. BMC Biotechnol 2020; 20:62. [PMID: 33261588 PMCID: PMC7708258 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-020-00655-6] [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: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Elaboration of the epigenetic regulation of chromatin is a long-standing aim in molecular and cellular biology. Hence, there is a great demand for the development of in vitro methods to reconstitute chromatin that can be used directly for biochemical assays. The widely used wheat germ cell-free protein expression method provides broad applications to investigate the function and structure of eukaryotic proteins. Such advantages, including high translation efficiency, flexibility, and possible automatization, are beneficial for achieving native-like chromatin substrates for in vitro studies. RESULTS We describe a novel, single-step in vitro chromatin assembly method by using the wheat germ cell-free protein synthesis. We demonstrated that both Drosophila and human chromatins can be reconstituted in the course of the in vitro translation of core histones by the addition of chromatin assembly factors, circular plasmid, and topoisomerase I in an ATP-dependent manner. Drosophila chromatin assembly was performed in 4 h at 26 °C, in the presence of premixed mRNAs encoding the core histones, dAcf1/dISWI chromatin remodeling complex, and nucleosome assembly protein, dNAP1. Similarly, the human chromatin was assembled by co-expressing the human core histones with Drosophila chromatin remodeling factor, dISWI, and chromatin chaperone, dNLP, for 6 h at 26 °C. The presence of reconstituted chromatin was monitored by DNA supercoiling assay, also the regular spacing of nucleosomes was assessed by Micrococcal nuclease assay. Furthermore, Drosophila linker histone H1-containing chromatin was reconstituted, affirming that the in vitro assembled chromatin is suitable for downstream applications. CONCLUSIONS The method described in this study allows the assembly of Drosophila and human chromatins, possibly in native-like form, by using a wheat germ cell-free protein expression. Although both chromatins were reconstituted successfully, there were unexpected differences with respect to the required ratio of histone-coding mRNAs and the reaction time. Overall, our new in vitro chromatin reconstitution method will aid to characterize the unrevealed structure, function, and regulation of chromatin dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei-Ichi Okimune
- Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.,Graduate School of Global Food Resources, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Szilvia K Nagy
- Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.,Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Shogo Hataya
- Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Yaeta Endo
- Proteo-Science Center of Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Taichi E Takasuka
- Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. .,Graduate School of Global Food Resources, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. .,GI-CORE, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8589, Japan.
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Lacabanne D, Fogeron ML, Wiegand T, Cadalbert R, Meier BH, Böckmann A. Protein sample preparation for solid-state NMR investigations. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY 2019; 110:20-33. [PMID: 30803692 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnmrs.2019.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Preparation of a protein sample for solid-state NMR is in many aspects similar to solution-state NMR approaches, mainly with respect to the need for stable isotope labeling. But the possibility of using solid-state NMR to investigate membrane proteins in (native) lipids adds the important requirement of adapted membrane-reconstitution schemes. Also, dynamic nuclear polarization and paramagnetic NMR in solids need specific schemes using metal ions and radicals. Sample sedimentation has enabled structural investigations of objects inaccessible to other structural techniques, but rotor filling using sedimentation has become increasingly complex with smaller and smaller rotors, as needed for higher and higher magic-angle spinning (MAS) frequencies. Furthermore, solid-state NMR can investigate very large proteins and their complexes without the concomitant increase in line widths, motivating the use of selective labeling and unlabeling strategies, as well as segmental labeling, to decongest spectra. The possibility of investigating sub-milligram amounts of protein today using advanced fast MAS techniques enables alternative protein synthesis schemes such as cell-free expression. Here we review these specific aspects of solid-state NMR sample preparation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Lacabanne
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Labex Ecofect, UMR 5086 CNRS/Université de Lyon, 69367 Lyon, France; Physical Chemistry, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marie-Laure Fogeron
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Labex Ecofect, UMR 5086 CNRS/Université de Lyon, 69367 Lyon, France
| | - Thomas Wiegand
- Physical Chemistry, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Beat H Meier
- Physical Chemistry, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Anja Böckmann
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Labex Ecofect, UMR 5086 CNRS/Université de Lyon, 69367 Lyon, France.
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Ogawa A, Namba Y, Gakumasawa M. Rational optimization of amber suppressor tRNAs toward efficient incorporation of a non-natural amino acid into protein in a eukaryotic wheat germ extract. Org Biomol Chem 2016; 14:2671-8. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ob02533h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Amber suppressor tRNAs (sup-tRNAs) were rationally optimized toward efficient incorporation of a non-natural amino acid (AcPhe) into protein in a eukaryotic wheat germ extract.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuki Namba
- Proteo-Science Center
- Ehime University
- Matsuyama
- Japan
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Harbers M. Wheat germ systems for cell-free protein expression. FEBS Lett 2014; 588:2762-73. [PMID: 24931374 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2014.05.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Revised: 05/25/2014] [Accepted: 05/26/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Cell-free protein expression plays an important role in biochemical research. However, only recent developments led to new methods to rapidly synthesize preparative amounts of protein that make cell-free protein expression an attractive alternative to cell-based methods. In particular the wheat germ system provides the highest translation efficiency among eukaryotic cell-free protein expression approaches and has a very high success rate for the expression of soluble proteins of good quality. As an open in vitro method, the wheat germ system is a preferable choice for many applications in protein research including options for protein labeling and the expression of difficult-to-express proteins like membrane proteins and multiple protein complexes. Here I describe wheat germ cell-free protein expression systems and give examples how they have been used in genome-wide expression studies, preparation of labeled proteins for structural genomics and protein mass spectroscopy, automated protein synthesis, and screening of enzymatic activities. Future directions for the use of cell-free expression methods are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Harbers
- RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan; CellFree Sciences Co., Ltd., 75-1, Ono-cho, Leading Venture Plaza 201, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0046, Japan.
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Asare EK, Båga M, Rossnagel BG, Chibbar RN. Polymorphism in the barley granule bound starch synthase 1 (gbss1) gene associated with grain starch variant amylose concentration. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2012; 60:10082-10092. [PMID: 22950712 DOI: 10.1021/jf302291t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Granule bound starch synthase 1 (GBSS1) accumulation within starch granules and structure of Gbss1 alleles were determined for nine barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes producing amylose-free (undetectable), near-waxy (1.6-4.5%), normal (25.8%), and increased (38.0-40.8%) amylose grain starches. Compared to normal starch granules, GBSS1 accumulation was severely reduced in three near-waxy, slightly reduced in two waxy, and slightly elevated in three increased amylose starches. Gbss1 nucleotide sequence analysis for the nine genotypes distinguished them into three Gbss1 groups with several single-nucleotide polymorphisms. A new unique Q312H substitution within GBSS1 was discovered in near-waxy genotype SB94912 with reduced amylose (1.6%) concentration relative to the other two near-waxy lines, CDC Rattan and CDC Candle (4.5%). The two waxy genotype GBSS1 showed a previously described D287V change for CDC Alamo and a new G513W change for CDC Fibar. Both amino acid alterations are conserved residues within starch synthase domains involved in glucan interaction. The increased amylose genotypes showed several unique nucleotide changes within the second and fourth Gbss1 introns, but only SB94893 GBSS1 showed a unique amino acid substitution, A250T in exon 6. The Gbss1 nucleotide differences were used to design genetic markers to monitor Gbss1 alleles in genotypes with various amylose grain starches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric K Asare
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan , 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5A8, Canada
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Wheat germ cell-free protein production system for post-genomic research. N Biotechnol 2011; 28:211-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2010.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2010] [Accepted: 08/18/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Takai K, Sawasaki T, Endo Y. Chapter 2. Development of key technologies for high-throughput cell-free protein production with the extract from wheat embryos. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2011; 75:53-84. [PMID: 20731989 DOI: 10.1016/s0065-3233(07)75002-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
The cell-free translation system from wheat embryos had been considered to be inefficient as compared with the E. coli cell-based and cell-free protein production methods. However, it was revealed that the extract from extensively washed wheat embryo particles can provide a very productive cell-free protein synthesis system. Since then, the method has been improved, so that it fits the postgenomic researches. New mRNA configurations enabled us to synthesize many different proteins in parallel and to prepare large amounts of proteins, which fits the need for screening of suitable proteins for structural and functional analyses before large-scale production. The new reaction formats promoted the developments of new machines that perform highly parallel and highly productive protein synthesis reactions automatically. It was revealed that, by parallel synthesis of many proteins, much more multidomain proteins are produced in soluble forms in the wheat system than in the prokaryotic systems. The wheat system provides a rapid and cost-effective method for stable isotope labeling of proteins for NMR analyses. Selenomethionine substitution of proteins for X-ray crystallography through the cell-free synthesis was also achieved. Synthesis of some families of proteins that were difficult to be produced by conventional methods has been tested. At least, cytotoxic restriction enzymes were readily produced in a large amount. Some multisubunit proteins and cofactor-binding proteins could be synthesized by the method and were characterized successfully. Membrane proteins have also been tested, and a transporter was synthesized in an active form. Although some issues remains to be solved, we expect that the wheat cell-free protein synthesis system can contribute to the structural and functional genomics and to the future understanding of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuyuki Takai
- Cell-Free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
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Ogawa A, Doi Y, Matsushita N. Improvement of in vitro-transcribed amber suppressor tRNAs toward higher suppression efficiency in wheat germ extract. Org Biomol Chem 2011; 9:8495-503. [DOI: 10.1039/c1ob06351k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Ohta T, Matsuoka H, Nomura Y, Tozawa Y. Control of translational initiation in the wheat-embryo cell-free protein expression system for producing homogenous products. Protein Expr Purif 2010; 73:15-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2010.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2010] [Revised: 03/16/2010] [Accepted: 03/16/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Yamauchi S, Fusada N, Hayashi H, Utsumi T, Uozumi N, Endo Y, Tozawa Y. The consensus motif for N-myristoylation of plant proteins in a wheat germ cell-free translation system. FEBS J 2010; 277:3596-607. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2010.07768.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Abstract
Biochemical characterization of each gene product encoded in the genome is essential to understand how cells are regulated. The bottleneck has been and still is in how the gene products can be obtained. The wheat cell-free protein synthesis system we have developed is a powerful method for preparation of many different proteins at a time and also for preparation of large amounts of specific proteins for biochemical and structural analyses. Here, we show a method for preparation of the wheat embryo extract useful for the cell-free reactions, by which 5 ml of a high-activity extract is obtained in 4-5 d. We also describe the methods for small- and large-scale protein synthesis by hands-down operations with the use of mRNAs prepared by transcription of PCR products and pEU plasmids harboring the target cDNAs, which need 2-4 d excepting the time required for plasmid preparation.
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Goren MA, Nozawa A, Makino SI, Wrobel RL, Fox BG. Cell-free translation of integral membrane proteins into unilamelar liposomes. Methods Enzymol 2009; 463:647-73. [PMID: 19892197 DOI: 10.1016/s0076-6879(09)63037-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Wheat germ cell-free translation is shown to be an effective method to produce integral membrane proteins in the presence of unilamelar liposomes. In this chapter, we describe the expression vectors, preparation of mRNA, two types of cell-free translation reactions performed in the presence of liposomes, a simple and highly efficient purification of intact proteoliposomes using density gradient ultracentrifugation, and some of the types of characterization studies that are facilitated by this facile preparative approach. The in vitro transfer of newly translated, membrane proteins into liposomes compatible with direct measurements of their catalytic function is contrasted with existing approaches to extract membrane proteins from biological membranes using detergents and subsequently transfer them back to liposomes for functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Goren
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Meinnel T, Giglione C. Tools for analyzing and predicting N-terminal protein modifications. Proteomics 2008; 8:626-49. [DOI: 10.1002/pmic.200700592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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Tozawa Y, Nozawa A, Kanno T, Narisawa T, Masuda S, Kasai K, Nanamiya H. Calcium-activated (p)ppGpp synthetase in chloroplasts of land plants. J Biol Chem 2007; 282:35536-45. [PMID: 17938177 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m703820200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The genetic system of chloroplasts, including the machinery for transcription, translation, and DNA replication, exhibits substantial similarity to that of eubacteria. Chloroplasts are also thought to possess a system for generating guanosine 5'-triphosphate ((p)ppGpp), which triggers the stringent response in eubacteria, with genes encoding chloroplastic (p)ppGpp synthetase having been identified. We now describe the identification and characterization of genes (OsCRSH1, OsCRSH2, and OsCRSH3) for a novel type of (p)ppGpp synthetase in rice. The proteins encoded by these genes contain a putative chloroplast transit peptide at the NH(2) terminus, a central RelA-SpoT-like domain, and two EF-hand motifs at the COOH terminus. The recombinant OsCRSH1 protein was imported into chloroplasts in vitro, and genetic complementation analysis revealed that expression of OsCRSH1 suppressed the phenotype of an Escherichia coli mutant deficient in the RelA and SpoT enzymes. Biochemical analysis showed that the OsCRSH proteins possess (p)ppGpp synthetase activity that is dependent both on Ca(2+) and on the EF-hand motifs. A data base search identified a CRSH homolog in the dicotyledon Arabidopsis thaliana, indicating that such genes are conserved among both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous land plants. CRSH proteins thus likely function as Ca(2+)-activated (p)ppGpp synthetases in plant chloroplasts, implicating both Ca(2+) and (p)ppGpp signaling in regulation of the genetic system of these organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzuru Tozawa
- Cell-Free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan.
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