Enhanced expression of human cytochrome P450 1A2 by co-expression with human molecular chaperone Hsp70

Quantifying cell adhesion through forces generated by acoustic streaming

The strength of cell adhesion is important in understanding the cell's health and in culturing them. Quantitative measurement of cell adhesion strength is a significant challenge in bioengineering research. For this, the present study describes a system that can measure cell adhesion strength using acoustic streaming induced by Lamb waves. Cells are cultured on an ultrasound transducer using a range of preculture and incubation times with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) just before the measurement. Acoustic streaming is then induced using several Lamb wave intensities, exposing the cells to shear flows and eventually detaching them. By relying upon a median detachment rate of 50 %, the corresponding detachment force, or force of cell adhesion, was determined to be on the order of several nN, consistent with previous reports. The stronger the induced shear flow, the more cells were detached. Further, we employed a preculture time of 8 to 24 h and a PBS incubation time of 0 to 60 min, producing cell adhesion forces that varied from 1.2 to 13 nN. Hence, the developed system can quantify cell adhesion strength over a wide range, possibly offering a fundamental tool for cell-based bioengineering.

Human xanthine oxidase recombinant in E. coli: A whole cell catalyst for preparative drug metabolite synthesis

Human xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR), which is responsible for the final steps of the purine metabolism pathway and involved in oxidative drug metabolism, was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) Gold. Recombinant human (rh) XOR yielded higher productivity with the gene sequence optimized for expression in E.coli than with the native gene sequence. Induction of XOR expression with lactose or IPTG resulted in complete loss of activity whereas shake flasks cultures using media rather poor in nutrients resulted in functional XOR expression in the stationary phase. LB medium was used for a 25L fermentation in fed-batch mode, which led to a 5 fold increase of the enzyme productivity when compared to cultivation in shake flasks. Quinazoline was used as a substrate on the semi-preparative scale using an optimized whole cell biotransformation protocol, yielding 73mg of the isolated product, 4-quinazolinone, from 104mg of starting material.

Co-expression of the Plasmodium falciparum molecular chaperone, PfHsp70, improves the heterologous production of the antimalarial drug target GTP cyclohydrolase I, PfGCHI

Molecular chaperones have been used for the improved expression of target proteins within heterologous systems; however, the chaperone and target protein have seldom been matched in terms of origin. We have developed a heterologous co-expression system that allows independent expression of the plasmodial chaperone, PfHsp70, and a plasmodial target protein. In this study, the target was Plasmodium falciparum GTP cyclohydrolase I (PfGCHI), the first enzyme in the plasmodial folate pathway. The sequential expression of the molecular chaperone followed by the target protein increased the expression of soluble functional PfGCHI. His-tagged PfGCHI was successfully purified using nickel affinity chromatography, and the specific activity was determined by high performance liquid chromatography with spectrofluorometeric detection to be 5.93nmol/h/mg. This is the first report of a heterologous co-expression system in which a plasmodial chaperone is harnessed for the improved production and purification of a plasmodial target protein.

Improvement in the expression of CYP2B6 by co-expression with molecular chaperones GroES/EL in Escherichia coli

Improvement of CYP2B6 expression was examined by co-expression with molecular chaperones GroES/EL. Although a CO-reduced difference spectrum was not detected in Escherichia coli transformed only by the CYP2B6-expressing vector, co-expression of GroES/EL resulted in high-level expression which reached over 2000 nmol P450/L. CYP2B6 was purified from the E. coli membrane with a high yield. Purified CYP2B6 showed 7-ethoxy-4-trifluoromethylcoumarin O-deethylase activity in a reconstitution system. This expression system would be useful for the production of large amounts of active CYP2B6 and for the detailed analysis of the enzyme.

Simultaneous production of two foreign proteins from a polyvirus-based vector

With the aim of developing a biotechnological tool for the production of foreign proteins in plants, we first engineered an infectious turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) cDNA that contained the jellyfish green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene or the bacterial beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene (uidA). Two insertion sites were assessed, either between P1 and HCPro cistrons or Pol and CP cistrons. In each construct, the junctions flanking the inserted gene coded for P1 and/or VPg-Pro cleavage recognition site sequences, to produce free GUS or GFP. After transfection by particle bombardment on Brassica perviridis, characteristic symptoms for TuMV infection appeared and Western blot analyses showed that GFP and GUS had been excised from the viral polyprotein. No significant differences in expression level were noticed between the two insertion sites. By RT-PCR, gfp was found to be stable over 30 days post-transfection (dpt) while uidA was gradually lost at 15 dpt. We also created two constructs containing either gene at each insertion sites on the same molecule. Attenuated systemic symptoms were observed after particle bombardment on B. perviridis and Western blot analyses showed that both foreign proteins were produced. Also, the same stability/instability as for the single-gene constructs were observed. These results indicate that it is possible to produce at least two foreign proteins simultaneously in a TuMV-based vector.

Temperature effect on the functional expression of human cytochromes P450 2A6 and 2E1 inEscherichia coli

Human cytochromes P450 (CYP) 2A6 and 2E1 are of great interest because of their important roles in the oxidation of numerous drugs and carcinogens. Bacterial expression systems, especially Escherichia coli cells, have been widely used for the production of various CYP enzymes in order to obtain high yield of proteins. The expression methods usually employ longer culture time (30-72 h) at lower temperature (usually under 30 degrees C). Expression levels of CYPs 2A6 and 2E1 at 37 degrees C were compared to those at 280 degrees C, which is a usual temperature used in most bacterial expression systems for human CYP expression. Within 18 h the expression levels of CYPs 2A6 and 2E1 reached up to 360 and 560 nmol per liter culture at 37 degrees C, respectively, which are compatible with those of 36 h culture at 280 degrees C. The activities of CYPs expressed at 37 degrees C were also comparable to those expressed at 28 degrees C. The present over-expression system can be useful for rapid production of large amounts of active human CYPs 2A6 and 2E1 in E. coli.