Overexpression of the soluble form of chicken cystatin in Escherichia coli and its purification

Cystatin from Austrelaps superbus snake venom as a model for identifying potential inhibitors of Trypanosoma cruzi cruzain

Background

Chagas disease (CD), caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, affects approximately seven million individuals worldwide, with the highest number of cases in Latin America. CD has two phases, of which the chronic phase is characterized by reduced efficacy in drug therapies. This and other factors make developing new strategies that aim to identify molecules capable of becoming alternatives to or complement current chemotherapy vitally important.

Methods

Cruzain and AsCystatin were obtained recombinantly through expression in E. coli. Bioinformatic assays were conducted with both molecules, followed by in vitro enzyme inhibition assays. Subsequently, in silico studies allowed for the design of peptides, which were then assessed for molecular interactions with cruzain. The designed peptides were synthesized, and their inhibitory potential on cruzain and their trypanocidal and cytotoxic effects in vitro were finally assessed.

Results

AsCystatin, a potential inhibitor of cysteine proteases, was identified from previously published scientific literature. In silico assays suggested that AsCystatin interacts with key regions of cruzain, and was subsequently produced through heterologous expression, obtaining a protein with a high degree of purity. Next, the inhibition of AsCystatin on the activity of cruzain was assessed, observing that approximately 20 µM of cystatin could inhibit 50% of the catalytic activity of the recombinant enzyme. Based on the in-silico analysis performed previously, original, and modified peptides were designed and tested, which allowed for identifying four peptides with inhibitory capacity on the enzymatic activity of cruzain. Finally, three of these peptides showed trypanocidal activity on epimastigote forms of T. cruzi in in vitro models.

Conclusion

It was possible to identify AsCystatin and four peptides derived from this protein with inhibitory activity on cruzain, highlighting the trypanocidal effect of these peptides observed in in vitro assays.

Diffusion of active proteins into fish meat to minimize proteolytic degradation

Proteases in fish muscle often cause undesired softening of intact meat pieces during refrigerated storage or slow cooking. Several food-grade proteinaceous inhibitors can overcome this softening if properly delivered to the intracellular sites where proteases are located. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) and laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) were used to measure the translational diffusion of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled protease inhibitors into intact muscle fibers of halibut. Diffusion coefficients (D) of alpha-2-macroglobulin (720 kDa), soybean trypsin inhibitor (21 kDa), and cystatin (12 kDa) were measured in both muscle fibers and dilute aqueous solutions. On the time scale of the observation (35 min), cystatin and soybean trypsin inhibitor diffused through the cell membrane (sarcolemma) and sarcoplasm, but at a considerably slower rate (>10-fold difference) than in dilute aqueous solution. alpha-2-Macroglobulin did not diffuse into muscle cells within the time frame of the experiment, but did completely penetrate the cell during overnight exposure. The present study thus shows a clear dependence of D on protein inhibitor size when moving within intact skeletal muscle fibers. Low molecular weight protease inhibitors such as cystatin can be effectively diffused into intact fish muscle cells to minimize proteolytic activity and meat softening.

Purification and determination of inhibitory activity of recombinant soyacystatin for surimi application

A recombinant soyacystatin (r-soyacystatin) was tested for its inhibitory activity against cysteine proteinase of Pacific whiting and its activity was compared to that of egg white cystatin. A recombinant soyacystatin expressed in Escherichia coli was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity using phenyl-Sepharose and DEAE-Sepharose. Native egg white cystatin was purified by using affinity chromatography on CM-papain-Sepharose generated in our lab. Egg white cystatin and soyacystatin were tested for proteinase inhibitory activity against commercial papain and also cathepsin L purified from Pacific whiting muscle. The r-soyacystatin exhibited papain-like protease inhibition activity comparable to that of the egg white cystatin, which could inhibit papain and Pacific whiting cathepsin L. The r-soyacystatin subsequently inhibited the autolytic activity of Pacific whiting surimi.