Analytic and preparative separation of apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, and A-IV by reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography

PEP27-2, a Potent Antimicrobial Cell-Penetrating Peptide, Reduces Skin Abscess Formation during Staphylococcus aureus Infections in Mouse When Used in Combination with Antibiotics

PEP27, a 27-amino acid (aa) peptide secreted by Streptococcus pneumoniae, is an autolytic peptide that functions as a major virulence factor. To develop a clinically applicable antimicrobial peptide (AMP), we designed PEP27 analogs with Trp substitutions to enhance its antimicrobial activity compared to that of PEP27. Particularly, PEP27-2 showed strong antimicrobial activity against a wide variety of bacteria, including multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. It was found that the antimicrobial activity of PEP27-2 was increased by substituting Trp for the aa at the middle position of PEP27. We found that PEP27-2 acts as an effective cell-penetrating peptide in bacterial and mammalian cells. Here, we proved that subcutaneous infection with MDR Staphylococcus aureus induced skin lesions such as skeletal muscle damage, deep inflammation, and necrosis of the overlaying dermis in mice. Combination treatment with antibiotics revealed synergistic effects, remarkably reducing abscess size and improving the bacteria removal rate from the infection site. Moreover, PEP27-2-antibiotic combination treatment reduced inflammation, lowering levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, inducible NO synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase (COX-2) in skin abscess tissue. The results suggest that the PEP27-2 peptide is a promising therapeutic option for combating MDR bacterial strains by enhancing antibiotic penetration and protecting against MDR bacteria.

Characterization, expression and antibacterial properties of apolipoproteins A from carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) seminal plasma

Apolipoproteins A are multifunctional proteins that, in addition to contributing to lipid metabolism and transport, are associated with the innate immune system in fish. Using a three step isolation procedure consisting of affinity chromatography on Blue-Sepharose, delipidation and reverse phase HPLC we isolated apolipoproteins from carp seminal plasma and identified them as ApoA-I and Apo-14 kDa. Moreover, we provided the full-length cDNA sequence of ApoA-I encoding 257 amino acids including a 18 amino acid signal peptide and a 4 amino acid propeptide. Apolipoproteins corresponded to the most abundant proteins in carp seminal plasma. Both ApoA-I and Apo-14 kDa were represented by several proteoforms that differ both in molecular mass and isoelectric point. The proteoforms of ApoA-I characteristic for seminal plasma were distinguished from those of blood. Carp seminal plasma ApoA-I and Apo-14 kDa showed a high immunologic similarity to their counterparts in carp blood and seminal plasma of other Cyprinid species. The mRNA expression analysis and immunohistochemical study suggest synthesis and secretion of ApoA-I and Apo-14 kDa in the fish reproductive tract and suggest a role in spermatogenesis and the stabilization of sperm membrane. Moreover, ApoA-I displayed bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli and bacteriostatic activity against Aeromonas hydrophila which suggests that ApoA-I is associated with innate immune system of the fish reproductive tract.

High yield expression and purification of recombinant human apolipoprotein A-II in Escherichia coli

Recombinant expression systems have become powerful tools for understanding the structure and function of proteins, including the apolipoproteins that comprise human HDL. However, human apolipoprotein (apo)A-II has proven difficult to produce by recombinant techniques, likely contributing to our lack of knowledge about its structure, specific biological function, and role in cardiovascular disease. Here we present a novel Escherichia coli-based recombinant expression system that produces highly pure mature human apoA-II at substantial yields. A Mxe GyrA intein containing a chitin binding domain was fused at the C terminus of apoA-II. A 6× histidine-tag was also added at the fusion protein's C terminus. After rapid purification on a chitin column, intein auto-cleavage was induced under reducing conditions, releasing a peptide with only one extra N-terminal Met compared with the sequence of human mature apoA-II. A pass through a nickel chelating column removed any histidine-tagged residual fusion protein, leaving highly pure apoA-II. A variety of electrophoretic, mass spectrometric, and spectrophotometric analyses demonstrated that the recombinant form is comparable in structure to human plasma apoA-II. Similarly, recombinant apoA-II is comparable to the plasma form in its ability to bind and reorganize lipid and promote cholesterol efflux from macrophages via the ATP binding cassette transporter A1. This system is ideal for producing large quantities of recombinant wild-type or mutant apoA-II for structural or functional studies.

Chromatographic techniques for the isolation and purification of lipoproteins

Various modes of chromatography are available for lipoprotein separation. Gel permeation and affinity chromatography are used for preparative purposes and to separate lipoproteins according to size and apolipoprotein content, respectively. Development of rigid supports for gel permeation has led to large improvements in speed and resolution. Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of apolipoproteins offers the best performance in terms of speed and resolution of structural variants. Due to its high speed and superior resolving power, the recently developed technique of capillary electrophoresis should emerge as an important method for lipoprotein analysis.

Changes in plasma lipoprotein during the oestrous cycle of the bitch

Five bitches were kept under controlled conditions of diet and exercise for up to four months. They were monitored at regular time intervals for fasting plasma concentrations of cholesterol, triacylglycerols and apolipoproteins AI and B. Lipoprotein cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations were also determined in the fasting plasma. Vaginal cytology and plasma progesterone were monitored at weekly intervals to determine the oestrous state of the bitches. Lipoprotein and apolipoprotein concentrations remained steady during anoestrus but large increases and wide fluctuations were shown in the concentrations of both cholesterol and triacylglycerols during metoestrus. Metabolic studies involving the measurement of lipids in canine blood must take into account the stage of oestrus of any bitches involved.

Characterization of plasma apolipoproteins by capillary electrophoresis

The main apolipoproteins of plasma high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis. Where possible the results were compared with slab sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Addition of the detergent SDS to the running buffer was essential for separation. Separations were carried out in bare silica and polyacrylamide-coated capillaries. The main apolipoproteins of HDL could be separated in an uncoated capillary filled with borax buffer containing 0.1% SDS. Using the coated capillary, a mixture of HDL and LDL apolipoproteins was resolved in less than 12 min. These preliminary studies indicate that capillary electrophoresis is a promising technique for screening plasma apolipoproteins.

The mutation causing the common apolipoprotein A-IV polymorphism is a glutamine to histidine substitution of amino acid 360

Apolipoprotein (apo) A-IV is a protein involved in the metabolism of chylomicrons and high density lipoproteins. This protein displays genetic polymorphism due to two main codominant alleles, A-IV1 and A-IV2. We have identified the mutation that leads to this polymorphism. It is caused by a single-base substitution of guanine for thymine in the third base of codon 360. This substitution leads to a glutamine to histidine change. Direct sequencing of amplified DNA from eight subjects in a three-generation pedigree has demonstrated that the guanine to thymine substitution can explain the apo A-IV polymorphism. In 32 unrelated individuals, a correspondence between apo A-IV phenotype determined by isoelectric focusing and genotype determined with Fnu4HI digestion of amplified DNA could be demonstrated. The enzyme lecithin:cholesteryl acyltransferase (LCAT) is activated by apo A-IV. Under our in vitro conditions, the isoprotein apo A-IV 1-1 is a better LCAT activator than is the isoprotein apo A-IV 2-2. A knowledge of the molecular mechanism underlying the apo A-IV polymorphism will help to elucidate the mechanisms involved in LCAT activation.

Separation of human apolipoproteins A-IV, A-I and E by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on a TSK Phenyl-5PW column

A method has been developed for the rapid separation of the medium-molecular-weight apolipoproteins A-IV, A-I and E by high-performance liquid chromatography. Separations were achieved using a commercially available column of very low hydrophobicity (TSK Phenyl-5PW) in the reversed-phase mode rather than the conventional mode of hydrophobic interaction. Delipidated apolipoproteins were dissolved in 20 mM orthophosphoric acid (pH 2.3), applied to the column which was pre-equilibrated with the same buffer, and eluted with an increasing gradient of acetonitrile. Purified apolipoproteins were identified by a combination of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, amino acid analysis and N-terminal sequence analysis. In one step the method can be used to separate the major human chylomicron apolipoproteins A-IV, A-I and E, following preliminary removal of apolipoprotein A-II and the C apolipoproteins by size-exclusion chromatography.