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Ogunbowale A, Georgieva ER. Engineered Chimera Protein Constructs to Facilitate the Production of Heterologous Transmembrane Proteins in E. coli. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2354. [PMID: 38397029 PMCID: PMC10889703 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
To delve into the structure-function relationship of transmembrane proteins (TMPs), robust protocols are needed to produce them in a pure, stable, and functional state. Among all hosts that express heterologous TMPs, E. coli has the lowest cost and fastest turnover. However, many of the TMPs expressed in E. coli are misfolded. Several strategies have been developed to either direct the foreign TMPs to E. coli's membrane or retain them in a cytosolic soluble form to overcome this deficiency. Here, we summarize protein engineering methods to produce chimera constructs of the desired TMPs fused to either a signal peptide or precursor maltose binding protein (pMBP) to direct the entire construct to the periplasm, therefore depositing the fused TMP in the plasma membrane. We further describe strategies to produce TMPs in soluble form by utilizing N-terminally fused MBP without a signal peptide. Depending on its N- or C-terminus location, a fusion to apolipoprotein AI can either direct the TMP to the membrane or shield the hydrophobic regions of the TMP, maintaining the soluble form. Strategies to produce G-protein-coupled receptors, TMPs of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, HIV-1 Vpu, and other TMPs are discussed. This knowledge could increase the scope of TMPs' expression in E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elka R. Georgieva
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA;
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2
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Vasilopoulou E, Chroumpi T, Skretas G. Escherichia coli strains with precise domain deletions in the ribonuclease RNase E can achieve greatly enhanced levels of membrane protein production. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4864. [PMID: 38073126 PMCID: PMC10804669 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Escherichia coli is one of the most widely utilized hosts for production of recombinant membrane proteins (MPs). Bacterial MP production, however, is usually accompanied by severe toxicity and low-level volumetric accumulation. In previous work, we had discovered that co-expression of RraA, an inhibitor of the RNA-degrading activity of RNase E, can efficiently suppress the cytotoxicity associated with the MP overexpression process and, simultaneously, enhance significantly the cellular accumulation of membrane-incorporated recombinant MPs in bacteria. Based on this, we constructed the specialized MP-producing E. coli strain SuptoxR, which can achieve dramatically enhanced volumetric yields of well-folded recombinant MPs. Ιn the present work, we have investigated whether domain deletions in the E. coli RNase E, which exhibit reduced ribonucleolytic activity, can result in suppressed MP-induced toxicity and enhanced recombinant MP production, in a manner resembling the conditions of rraA overexpression in E. coli SuptoxR. We have found that some strains encoding specific RNase E truncation variants can achieve significantly enhanced levels of recombinant MP production. Among these, we have found a single RNase E variant strain, which can efficiently suppress MP-induced toxicity and achieve greatly enhanced levels of recombinant MP production for proteins of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic origin. Based on its properties, and in analogy to the original SuptoxR strain, we have termed this strain SuptoxRNE22. E. coli SuptoxRNE22 can perform better than commercially available bacterial strains, which are frequently utilized for recombinant MP production. We anticipate that SuptoxRNE22 will become a widely utilized host for recombinant MP production in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Vasilopoulou
- Institute for Bio‐innovationBiomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”VariGreece
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research FoundationAthensGreece
- Department of Biochemistry and BiotechnologyUniversity of ThessalyLarisaGreece
| | - Tania Chroumpi
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research FoundationAthensGreece
| | - Georgios Skretas
- Institute for Bio‐innovationBiomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”VariGreece
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research FoundationAthensGreece
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3
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Hattab G, Anžel A, Spänig S, Neumann N, Heider D. A parametric approach for molecular encodings using multilevel atomic neighborhoods applied to peptide classification. NAR Genom Bioinform 2023; 5:lqac103. [PMID: 36632611 PMCID: PMC9830542 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqac103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Exploring new ways to represent and discover organic molecules is critical to the development of new therapies. Fingerprinting algorithms are used to encode or machine-read organic molecules. Molecular encodings facilitate the computation of distance and similarity measurements to support tasks such as similarity search or virtual screening. Motivated by the ubiquity of carbon and the emerging structured patterns, we propose a parametric approach for molecular encodings using carbon-based multilevel atomic neighborhoods. It implements a walk along the carbon chain of a molecule to compute different representations of the neighborhoods in the form of a binary or numerical array that can later be exported into an image. Applied to the task of binary peptide classification, the evaluation was performed by using forty-nine encodings of twenty-nine data sets from various biomedical fields, resulting in well over 1421 machine learning models. By design, the parametric approach is domain- and task-agnostic and scopes all organic molecules including unnatural and exotic amino acids as well as cyclic peptides. Applied to peptide classification, our results point to a number of promising applications and extensions. The parametric approach was developed as a Python package (cmangoes), the source code and documentation of which can be found at https://github.com/ghattab/cmangoes and https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7483771.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aleksandar Anžel
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Sebastian Spänig
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Nils Neumann
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Dominik Heider
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg 35032, Germany
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4
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Diagne AM, Pelletier A, Durmort C, Faure A, Kanonenberg K, Freton C, Page A, Delolme F, Vorac J, Vallet S, Bellard L, Vivès C, Fieschi F, Vernet T, Rousselle P, Guiral S, Grangeasse C, Jault JM, Orelle C. Identification of a two-component regulatory system involved in antimicrobial peptide resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010458. [PMID: 35395062 PMCID: PMC9020739 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Two-component regulatory systems (TCS) are among the most widespread mechanisms that bacteria use to sense and respond to environmental changes. In the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, a total of 13 TCS have been identified and many of them have been linked to pathogenicity. Notably, TCS01 strongly contributes to pneumococcal virulence in several infection models. However, it remains one of the least studied TCS in pneumococci and its functional role is still unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that TCS01 cooperates with a BceAB-type ABC transporter to sense and induce resistance to structurally-unrelated antimicrobial peptides of bacterial origin that all target undecaprenyl-pyrophosphate or lipid II, which are essential precursors of cell wall biosynthesis. Even though tcs01 and bceAB genes do not locate in the same gene cluster, disruption of either of them equally sensitized the bacterium to the same set of antimicrobial peptides. We show that the key function of TCS01 is to upregulate the expression of the transporter, while the latter appears the main actor in resistance. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays further demonstrated that the response regulator of TCS01 binds to the promoter region of the bceAB genes, implying a direct control of these genes. The BceAB transporter was overexpressed and purified from E. coli. After reconstitution in liposomes, it displayed substantial ATPase and GTPase activities that were stimulated by antimicrobial peptides to which it confers resistance to, revealing new functional features of a BceAB-type transporter. Altogether, this inducible defense mechanism likely contributes to the survival of the opportunistic microorganism in the human host, in which competition among commensal microorganisms is a key determinant for effective host colonization and invasive path. Streptococcus pneumoniae is a commensal bacterium of the human nasopharynx that can switch to an invasive pathogen causing a variety of diseases, leading to over one million deaths worldwide each year. The sophisticated strategies that allow S. pneumoniae to survive in various environments within the human body are still poorly understood. One of the most widespread tools that enable bacteria to sense environmental changes and to promote adaptative responses by modulating gene expression are two-component regulatory systems (TCS). TCS01 was identified as an important virulence factor, and understanding its biological function is key to comprehend bacterial pathogenesis. In this study, we demonstrated that this TCS upregulates the expression of an ABC transporter that mediates resistance to bacterial antimicrobial peptides targeting cell wall synthesis. Because competition among microorganisms is a key element for host colonization and persistence, our findings contribute to explain the potent role of TCS01 in bacterial survival within the human host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aissatou Maty Diagne
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), UMR 5086 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Anaïs Pelletier
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), UMR 5086 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Claire Durmort
- Institute of Structural Biology (IBS), UMR 5075 CNRS/University of Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Agathe Faure
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), UMR 5086 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Kerstin Kanonenberg
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), UMR 5086 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Céline Freton
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), UMR 5086 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Adeline Page
- Protein Science Facility, SFR BioSciences, CNRS, UMS3444, INSERM US8, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Frédéric Delolme
- Protein Science Facility, SFR BioSciences, CNRS, UMS3444, INSERM US8, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Jaroslav Vorac
- Institute of Structural Biology (IBS), UMR 5075 CNRS/University of Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Sylvain Vallet
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), UMR 5086 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Laure Bellard
- Institute of Structural Biology (IBS), UMR 5075 CNRS/University of Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Corinne Vivès
- Institute of Structural Biology (IBS), UMR 5075 CNRS/University of Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Franck Fieschi
- Institute of Structural Biology (IBS), UMR 5075 CNRS/University of Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Thierry Vernet
- Institute of Structural Biology (IBS), UMR 5075 CNRS/University of Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Patricia Rousselle
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et Ingénierie Thérapeutique (LBTI), UMR 5305 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Sébastien Guiral
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), UMR 5086 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Christophe Grangeasse
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), UMR 5086 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Jean-Michel Jault
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), UMR 5086 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Cédric Orelle
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), UMR 5086 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France
- * E-mail:
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5
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Di Cesare M, Diagne AM, Bourgey B, Jault JM, Orelle C. Functional Overexpression of Membrane Proteins in E. coli: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2507:41-58. [PMID: 35773576 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2368-8_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Overexpression of properly folded membrane proteins is a mandatory step for their functional and structural characterization. One of the most used expression systems for the production of proteins is Escherichia coli. Many advantageous strains combined with T7 expression systems have been developed over the years. Recently, we showed that the choice of the strain is critical for the functionality of membrane proteins, even when the proteins are successfully incorporated in the membrane (Mathieu et al. Sci Rep. 2019; 9(1):2654). Notably, the amount and/or activity of the T7-RNA polymerase, which drives the transcription of the genes of interest, may indirectly affect the folding and functionality of overexpressed membrane proteins. Moreover, we reported a general trend in which mild detergents mainly extract the population of active membrane proteins, whereas a harsher detergent like Fos-choline 12 could solubilize them irrespectively of their functionality. Based on these observations, we provide some guidelines to optimize the quality of membrane proteins overexpressed in E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margot Di Cesare
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR 5086 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Aissatou Maty Diagne
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR 5086 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Benjamin Bourgey
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR 5086 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Jean-Michel Jault
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR 5086 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France.
| | - Cédric Orelle
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR 5086 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France.
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6
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Royes J, Talbot P, Le Bon C, Moncoq K, Uzan M, Zito F, Miroux B. Membrane Protein Production in Escherichia coli: Protocols and Rules. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2507:19-39. [PMID: 35773575 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2368-8_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite recent progresses in the use of eukaryotic expression system, production of membrane proteins for structural studies still relies on microbial expression systems. In this review, we provide protocols to achieve high level expression of membrane proteins in Escherichia coli, especially using the T7 RNA polymerase based expression system. From the design of the construct, the choice of the appropriate vector-host combination, the assessment of the bacterial fitness, to the selection of bacterial mutant adapted to the production of the target membrane protein, the chapter covers all necessary methods for a rapid optimization of a specific target membrane protein. In addition, we provide a protocol for membrane protein solubilization based on our recent analysis of the Protein Data Bank.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Royes
- Laboratoire de Colloïdes et Matériaux Divisés École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris 10, Paris, France
| | - Pauline Talbot
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France
| | - Christel Le Bon
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France
| | - Karine Moncoq
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France
| | - Marc Uzan
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France
| | - Francesca Zito
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France
| | - Bruno Miroux
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France.
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7
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Petrovskaya LE, Ziganshin RH, Kryukova EA, Zlobinov AV, Gapizov SS, Shingarova LN, Mironov VA, Lomakina GY, Dolgikh DA, Kirpichnikov MP. Increased Synthesis of a Magnesium Transporter MgtA During Recombinant Autotransporter Expression in Escherichia coli. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2021; 193:3672-3703. [PMID: 34351586 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-021-03634-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Overproduction of the membrane proteins in Escherichia coli cells is a common approach to obtain sufficient material for their functional and structural studies. However, the efficiency of this process can be limited by toxic effects which decrease the viability of the host and lead to low yield of the product. During the expression of the esterase autotransporter AT877 from Psychrobacter cryohalolentis K5T, we observed significant growth inhibition of the C41(DE3) cells in comparison with the same cells producing other recombinant proteins. Induction of AT877 synthesis also resulted in the elevated expression of a magnesium transporter MgtA and decreased ATP content of the cells. To characterize the response to overexpression of the autotransporter in bacterial cells, we performed a comparative analysis of their proteomic profile by mass spectrometry. According to the obtained data, E. coli cells which synthesize AT877 experience complex stress condition presumably associated with secretion apparatus overloading and improper localization of the recombinant protein. Several response pathways were shown to be activated by AT877 overproduction including Cpx, PhoP/PhoQ, Psp, and σE The obtained results open new opportunities for optimization of the recombinant membrane protein expression in E. coli for structural studies and biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lada E Petrovskaya
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic , Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia.
| | - Rustam H Ziganshin
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic , Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Elena A Kryukova
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic , Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Kosygina str., 4, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Alexander V Zlobinov
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic , Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Sultan Sh Gapizov
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic , Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Kosygina str., 4, Moscow, 119334, Russia
- Department of Biology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Lyudmila N Shingarova
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic , Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Vasiliy A Mironov
- Roche Diagnostics Rus LLC, Letnikovskaya str. 2/2, Moscow, 115114, Russia
| | - Galina Yu Lomakina
- Department of Chemistry, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1/3, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Baumanskaya 2-ya, 5/1, Moscow, 105005, Russia
| | - Dmitriy A Dolgikh
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic , Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Kosygina str., 4, Moscow, 119334, Russia
- Department of Biology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Mikhail P Kirpichnikov
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic , Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Department of Biology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, Moscow, 119234, Russia
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8
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Puthenveetil R, Lee CJ, Banerjee A. Production of Recombinant Transmembrane Proteins from Mammalian Cells for Biochemical and Structural Analyses. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 87:e106. [PMID: 32515556 DOI: 10.1002/cpcb.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic integral membrane proteins are key components of various biological processes. Because they are implicated in multiple diseases, it is important to understand their mechanism of action by elucidating their structure and function. Complex technical challenges associated with the generation of recombinant membrane proteins severely impair our ability to understand them using structural and biochemical methods. Here, we provide a detailed procedure to address and mitigate difficulties involved in the large-scale heterologous overexpression and purification of eukaryotic membrane proteins using HEK293S GnTi- cells transduced with baculovirus. Two human proteins, hDHHC15 and hPORCN, are presented as examples, with step-by-step instructions for transient transfection and generation of baculoviruses, followed by overexpression and purification from HEK293S GnTi- cells. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Small-scale protein expression in mammalian HEK293T cells Basic Protocol 2: Generation of baculovirus from Sf9 (insect) cells Alternate Protocol: Enumeration-free method for generating P2 viral stock Support Protocol 1: Small-scale transduction of HEK293T cells with P2 baculovirus Basic Protocol 3: Large-scale viral transduction of HEK293S GnTi- cells Support Protocol 2: Large-scale membrane preparation from HEK293S GnTi- cells Basic Protocol 4: Large-scale purification of membrane proteins from HEK293S GnTi- cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robbins Puthenveetil
- Unit on Structural and Chemical Biology of Membrane Proteins, Neurosciences and Cellular and Structural Biology Division (NCSBD), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Chul-Jin Lee
- Unit on Structural and Chemical Biology of Membrane Proteins, Neurosciences and Cellular and Structural Biology Division (NCSBD), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Anirban Banerjee
- Unit on Structural and Chemical Biology of Membrane Proteins, Neurosciences and Cellular and Structural Biology Division (NCSBD), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland
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9
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James J, Yarnall B, Koranteng A, Gibson J, Rahman T, Doyle DA. Protein over-expression in Escherichia coli triggers adaptation analogous to antimicrobial resistance. Microb Cell Fact 2021; 20:13. [PMID: 33430875 PMCID: PMC7798265 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-020-01462-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The E. coli pET system is the most widely used protein over-expression system worldwide. It relies on the assumption that all cells produce target protein and it is generally believed that integral membrane protein (IMP) over-expression is more toxic than their soluble counterparts. RESULTS Using GFP-tagged proteins, high level over-expression of either soluble or IMP targets results in > 99.9% cell loss with survival rate of only < 0.03%. Selective pressure generates three phenotypes: large green, large white and small colony variants. As a result, in overnight cultures, ~ 50% of the overall cell mass produces no protein. Genome sequencing of the phenotypes revealed genomic mutations that causes either the loss of T7 RNAP activity or its transcriptional downregulation. The over-expression process is bactericidal and is observed for both soluble and membrane proteins. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that it is the act of high-level over-expression of exogenous proteins in E. coli that sets in motion a chain of events leading to > 99.9% cell death. These results redefine our understanding of protein over-production and link it to the adaptive survival response seen in the development of antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack James
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Benjamin Yarnall
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Andy Koranteng
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Jane Gibson
- Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Tahmina Rahman
- Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth Hospital University NHS Trust, Cosham, Portsmouth, PO6 3LY, UK
| | - Declan A Doyle
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.
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10
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Production of Multi-subunit Membrane Protein Complexes. Methods Mol Biol 2020. [PMID: 33301109 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1126-5_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Membrane proteins constitute an important class of proteins for medical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnological reasons. Understanding the structure and function of membrane proteins and their complexes is of key importance, but the progress in this area is slow because of the difficulties to produce them in sufficient quality and quantity. Overexpression of membrane proteins is often restricted by the limited capability of translocation systems to integrate proteins into the membrane and to fold them properly. Purification of membrane proteins requires their isolation from the membrane, which is a further challenge. The choice of expression system, detergents, and purification tags is therefore an important decision. Here, we present a protocol for expression in bacteria and isolation of a seven-subunit membrane protein complex, the bacterial holo-translocon, which can serve as a starting point for the production of other membrane protein complexes for structural and functional studies.
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11
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Low temperature bacterial expression of the neutral amino acid transporters SLC1A5 (ASCT2), and SLC6A19 (B0AT1). Mol Biol Rep 2020; 47:7283-7289. [PMID: 32772343 PMCID: PMC7415195 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-020-05717-8] [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: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that Escherichia coli represents a powerful tool for the over-expression of human proteins for structure/function studies. In many cases, such as for membrane transporters, the bacterial toxicity or the aggregation of the target protein hamper the expression limiting the application of this tool. The aim of this study was finding the appropriate conditions for the expression of reluctant proteins that is the human neutral amino acid transporters ASCT2 and B0AT1, that have great relevance to human health in cancer therapy and in COVID-19 research, respectively. The cDNAs coding for the proteins of interest were cloned in the pCOLD I vector and different E. coli strains (BL21 codon plus RIL, and RosettaGami2) were cultured in absence or in presence of glucose (0.5–1%), at low temperature (15 °C), and low inducer concentrations (10–100 µM). Cell growth and protein production were monitored by optical density measurements and western blotting assay, respectively. Even though in different conditions, the expression of both amino acid transporters was obtained.Reducing the growth rate of specific E. coli strains by lowering the temperature and the IPTG concentration, together with the addition of glucose, two reluctant human neutral amino acid transporters have been expressed in E. coli. The results have a potentially great interest in drug discovery since ASCT2 is an acknowledged target of anticancer therapy, and B0AT1 together with ACE2 is part of a receptor for the SARS-Cov-2 RBD proteins.
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12
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Danmaliki GI, Hwang PM. Solution NMR spectroscopy of membrane proteins. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183356. [PMID: 32416193 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Integral membrane proteins (IMPs) perform unique and indispensable functions in the cell, making them attractive targets for fundamental research and drug discovery. Developments in protein production, isotope labeling, sample preparation, and pulse sequences have extended the utility of solution NMR spectroscopy for studying IMPs with multiple transmembrane segments. Here we review some recent applications of solution NMR for studying structure, dynamics, and interactions of polytopic IMPs, emphasizing strategies used to overcome common technical challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaddafi I Danmaliki
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Peter M Hwang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H7, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H7, Canada.
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13
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Bonetti S, Hirschi S, Bosshart PD. Expression, purification and crystallization of an SLC16 monocarboxylate transporter family homologue specific for l-lactate. Protein Expr Purif 2020; 165:105484. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2019.105484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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14
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Cai H, Yao H, Li T, Tang Y, Li D. High-level heterologous expression of the human transmembrane sterol Δ8,Δ7-isomerase in Pichia pastoris. Protein Expr Purif 2019; 164:105463. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2019.105463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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15
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Soares A, Azevedo A, Gomes LC, Mergulhão FJ. Recombinant protein expression in biofilms. AIMS Microbiol 2019; 5:232-250. [PMID: 31663059 PMCID: PMC6787351 DOI: 10.3934/microbiol.2019.3.232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilm research is usually focused on the prevention or control of biofilm formation. Recently, the significance of the biofilm mode of growth in biotechnological applications received increased attention. Since biofilm reactors show many advantages over suspended cell reactors, especially in their higher biomass density and operational stability, bacterial biofilms have emerged as an interesting approach for the expression of specific proteins. Despite the potential of biofilm systems, recombinant protein production using biofilms has been scarcely investigated for the past 25 years. Our group has demonstrated that E. coli biofilms were able to produce a model recombinant protein, the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP), at much higher levels than their planktonic counterparts. Even without optimization of cultivation conditions, an attractive productivity was obtained, indicating that biofilm cultures can be used as an alternative form of high cell density cultivation (HCDC). E. coli remains one of the favorite hosts for recombinant protein production and it has been successfully used in metabolic engineering for the synthesis of high value products. This review presents the advantages and concerns of using biofilms for the production of recombinant proteins and summarizes the different biofilm systems which have been described for this purpose. The relative advantages and disadvantages of the four microbial hosts tested for recombinant protein production in biofilms (two bacteria and two filamentous fungi) are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Soares
- Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Azevedo
- Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Luciana C Gomes
- Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Filipe J Mergulhão
- Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
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16
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Pedro AQ, Queiroz JA, Passarinha LA. Smoothing membrane protein structure determination by initial upstream stage improvements. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 103:5483-5500. [PMID: 31127356 PMCID: PMC7079970 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-09873-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Membrane proteins (MP) constitute 20–30% of all proteins encoded by the genome of various organisms and perform a wide range of essential biological functions. However, despite they represent the largest class of protein drug targets, a relatively small number high-resolution 3D structures have been obtained yet. Membrane protein biogenesis is more complex than that of the soluble proteins and its recombinant biosynthesis has been a major drawback, thus delaying their further structural characterization. Indeed, the major limitation in structure determination of MP is the low yield achieved in recombinant expression, usually coupled to low functionality, pinpointing the optimization target in recombinant MP research. Recently, the growing attention that have been dedicated to the upstream stage of MP bioprocesses allowed great advances, permitting the evolution of the number of MP solved structures. In this review, we analyse and discuss effective solutions and technical advances at the level of the upstream stage using prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms foreseeing an increase in expression yields of correctly folded MP and that may facilitate the determination of their three-dimensional structure. A section on techniques used to protein quality control and further structure determination of MP is also included. Lastly, a critical assessment of major factors contributing for a good decision-making process related to the upstream stage of MP is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augusto Quaresma Pedro
- CICS-UBI - Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6201-001, Covilhã, Portugal
- CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - João António Queiroz
- CICS-UBI - Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6201-001, Covilhã, Portugal
| | - Luís António Passarinha
- CICS-UBI - Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6201-001, Covilhã, Portugal.
- UCIBIO@REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal.
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17
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Mathieu K, Javed W, Vallet S, Lesterlin C, Candusso MP, Ding F, Xu XN, Ebel C, Jault JM, Orelle C. Functionality of membrane proteins overexpressed and purified from E. coli is highly dependent upon the strain. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2654. [PMID: 30804404 PMCID: PMC6390180 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39382-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Overexpression of correctly folded membrane proteins is a fundamental prerequisite for functional and structural studies. One of the most commonly used expression systems for the production of membrane proteins is Escherichia coli. While misfolded proteins typically aggregate and form inclusions bodies, membrane proteins that are addressed to the membrane and extractable by detergents are generally assumed to be properly folded. Accordingly, GFP fusion strategy is often used as a fluorescent proxy to monitor their expression and folding quality. Here we investigated the functionality of two different multidrug ABC transporters, the homodimer BmrA from Bacillus subtilis and the heterodimer PatA/PatB from Streptococcus pneumoniae, when produced in several E. coli strains with T7 expression system. Strikingly, while strong expression in the membrane of several strains could be achieved, we observed drastic differences in the functionality of these proteins. Moreover, we observed a general trend in which mild detergents mainly extract the population of active transporters, whereas a harsher detergent like Fos-choline 12 could solubilize transporters irrespective of their functionality. Our results suggest that the amount of T7 RNA polymerase transcripts may indirectly but notably impact the structure and activity of overexpressed membrane proteins, and advise caution when using GFP fusion strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadija Mathieu
- Université de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5086 "Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry", IBCP, 69367, Lyon, France
| | - Waqas Javed
- Université de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5086 "Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry", IBCP, 69367, Lyon, France.,Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Sylvain Vallet
- Université de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5086 "Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry", IBCP, 69367, Lyon, France
| | - Christian Lesterlin
- Université de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5086 "Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry", IBCP, 69367, Lyon, France
| | - Marie-Pierre Candusso
- Université de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5086 "Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry", IBCP, 69367, Lyon, France
| | - Feng Ding
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA
| | - Xiaohong Nancy Xu
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA
| | - Christine Ebel
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Jean-Michel Jault
- Université de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5086 "Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry", IBCP, 69367, Lyon, France.
| | - Cédric Orelle
- Université de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5086 "Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry", IBCP, 69367, Lyon, France.
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18
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Burschel S, Kreuzer Decovic D, Nuber F, Stiller M, Hofmann M, Zupok A, Siemiatkowska B, Gorka M, Leimkühler S, Friedrich T. Iron-sulfur cluster carrier proteins involved in the assembly of Escherichia coli
NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I). Mol Microbiol 2018; 111:31-45. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Burschel
- Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Institut für Biochemie; Albertstr. 21 D-79104 Freiburg Germany
| | - Doris Kreuzer Decovic
- Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Institut für Biochemie; Albertstr. 21 D-79104 Freiburg Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM); University of Freiburg; Germany
| | - Franziska Nuber
- Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Institut für Biochemie; Albertstr. 21 D-79104 Freiburg Germany
| | - Marie Stiller
- Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Institut für Biochemie; Albertstr. 21 D-79104 Freiburg Germany
| | - Maud Hofmann
- Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Institut für Biochemie; Albertstr. 21 D-79104 Freiburg Germany
| | - Arkadiusz Zupok
- University of Potsdam; Institut für Biochemie und Biologie; Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25 14476 Potsdam-Golm Germany
| | - Beata Siemiatkowska
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology; Am Mühlenberg 1 14476 Potsdam-Golm Germany
| | - Michal Gorka
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology; Am Mühlenberg 1 14476 Potsdam-Golm Germany
| | - Silke Leimkühler
- University of Potsdam; Institut für Biochemie und Biologie; Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25 14476 Potsdam-Golm Germany
| | - Thorsten Friedrich
- Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Institut für Biochemie; Albertstr. 21 D-79104 Freiburg Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM); University of Freiburg; Germany
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19
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Angius F, Ilioaia O, Amrani A, Suisse A, Rosset L, Legrand A, Abou-Hamdan A, Uzan M, Zito F, Miroux B. A novel regulation mechanism of the T7 RNA polymerase based expression system improves overproduction and folding of membrane proteins. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8572. [PMID: 29872064 PMCID: PMC5988807 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26668-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Membrane protein (MP) overproduction is one of the major bottlenecks in structural genomics and biotechnology. Despite the emergence of eukaryotic expression systems, bacteria remain a cost effective and powerful tool for protein production. The T7 RNA polymerase (T7RNAP)-based expression system is a successful and efficient expression system, which achieves high-level production of proteins. However some foreign MPs require a fine-tuning of their expression to minimize the toxicity associated with their production. Here we report a novel regulation mechanism for the T7 expression system. We have isolated two bacterial hosts, namely C44(DE3) and C45(DE3), harboring a stop codon in the T7RNAP gene, whose translation is under the control of the basal nonsense suppressive activity of the BL21(DE3) host. Evaluation of hosts with superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) revealed an unprecedented tighter control of transgene expression with a marked accumulation of the recombinant protein during stationary phase. Analysis of a collection of twenty MP fused to GFP showed an improved production yield and quality of several bacterial MPs and of one human monotopic MP. These mutant hosts are complementary to the other existing T7 hosts and will increase the versatility of the T7 expression system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Angius
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France
| | - Oana Ilioaia
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France
| | - Amira Amrani
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France
| | - Annabelle Suisse
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France.,Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center at the Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine and Department of Cell Biology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Lindsay Rosset
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France
| | - Amélie Legrand
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France
| | - Abbas Abou-Hamdan
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative de la Cellule, CNRS, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Marc Uzan
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France
| | - Francesca Zito
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France
| | - Bruno Miroux
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France.
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20
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Le Bon C, Marconnet A, Masscheleyn S, Popot JL, Zoonens M. Folding and stabilizing membrane proteins in amphipol A8-35. Methods 2018; 147:95-105. [PMID: 29678587 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2018.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Membrane proteins (MPs) are important pharmacological targets because of their involvement in many essential cellular processes whose dysfunction can lead to a large variety of diseases. A detailed knowledge of the structure of MPs and the molecular mechanisms of their activity is essential to the design of new therapeutic agents. However, studying MPs in vitro is challenging, because it generally implies their overexpression under a functional form, followed by their extraction from membranes and purification. Targeting an overexpressed MP to a membrane is often toxic and expression yields tend to be limited. One alternative is the formation of inclusion bodies (IBs) in the cytosol of the cell, from which MPs need then to be folded to their native conformation before structural and functional analysis can be contemplated. Folding MPs targeted to IBs is a difficult task. Specially designed amphipathic polymers called 'amphipols' (APols), which have been initially developed with the view of improving the stability of MPs in aqueous solutions compared to detergents, can be used to fold both α-helical and β-barrel MPs. APols represent an interesting novel amphipathic medium, in which high folding yields can be achieved. In this review, the properties of APol A8-35 and of the complexes they form with MPs are summarized. An overview of the most important studies reported so far using A8-35 to fold MPs is presented. Finally, from a practical point of view, a detailed description of the folding and trapping methods is given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christel Le Bon
- CNRS/Université Paris-7 UMR 7099, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, 13, rue Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Anaïs Marconnet
- CNRS/Université Paris-7 UMR 7099, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, 13, rue Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Masscheleyn
- CNRS/Université Paris-7 UMR 7099, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, 13, rue Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Luc Popot
- CNRS/Université Paris-7 UMR 7099, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, 13, rue Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Manuela Zoonens
- CNRS/Université Paris-7 UMR 7099, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, 13, rue Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, F-75005 Paris, France.
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21
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Dilworth MV, Piel MS, Bettaney KE, Ma P, Luo J, Sharples D, Poyner DR, Gross SR, Moncoq K, Henderson PJF, Miroux B, Bill RM. Microbial expression systems for membrane proteins. Methods 2018; 147:3-39. [PMID: 29656078 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2018.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite many high-profile successes, recombinant membrane protein production remains a technical challenge; it is still the case that many fewer membrane protein structures have been published than those of soluble proteins. However, progress is being made because empirical methods have been developed to produce the required quantity and quality of these challenging targets. This review focuses on the microbial expression systems that are a key source of recombinant prokaryotic and eukaryotic membrane proteins for structural studies. We provide an overview of the host strains, tags and promoters that, in our experience, are most likely to yield protein suitable for structural and functional characterization. We also catalogue the detergents used for solubilization and crystallization studies of these proteins. Here, we emphasize a combination of practical methods, not necessarily high-throughput, which can be implemented in any laboratory equipped for recombinant DNA technology and microbial cell culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marvin V Dilworth
- School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK
| | - Mathilde S Piel
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, UMR 7099, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Kim E Bettaney
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology and School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Pikyee Ma
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology and School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Ji Luo
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology and School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - David Sharples
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology and School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - David R Poyner
- School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK
| | - Stephane R Gross
- School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK
| | - Karine Moncoq
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, UMR 7099, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Peter J F Henderson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology and School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Bruno Miroux
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, UMR 7099, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Roslyn M Bill
- School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK.
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22
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Ahmad I, Nawaz N, Darwesh NM, ur Rahman S, Mustafa MZ, Khan SB, Patching SG. Overcoming challenges for amplified expression of recombinant proteins using Escherichia coli. Protein Expr Purif 2018; 144:12-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2017.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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23
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Abstract
The terminal alkyne is a readily derivatized functionality valued for its diverse applications in material synthesis, pharmaceutical science, and chemical biology. The synthetic biology routes to terminal alkynes are highly desired and yet underexplored. Some marine natural products contain a terminal alkyne functionality, and the discovery of the biosynthetic gene clusters for jamaicamide B and carmabin A marked the beginning of a new era in the understanding and engineering of terminal alkyne biosynthesis. In this chapter, we will overview recent advances in understanding the biosynthetic machinery for terminal alkyne synthesis. We will first describe how to elucidate terminal alkyne biosynthetic mechanism through heterologous expression, purification, and in vitro biochemical assays of individual pathway proteins. This will be followed by the description of an in vivo reporting system for the characterization of a membrane-bound bifunctional desaturase/acetylenase involved in terminal alkyne formation. The chapter will also cover the strategies for discovering additional protein homologs for terminal alkyne synthesis from microbes as well as the applications of click chemistry to identify and quantify terminal alkyne-bearing metabolites from microbial cultures. We will conclude this chapter with current challenges and future directions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejun Zhu
- University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Wenjun Zhang
- University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, United States.
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24
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Abstract
Functional and structural studies on membrane proteins are limited by the difficulty to produce them in large amount and in a functional state. In this review, we provide protocols to achieve high-level expression of membrane proteins in Escherichia coli. The T7 RNA polymerase-based expression system is presented in detail and protocols to assess and improve its efficiency are discussed. Protocols to isolate either membrane or inclusion bodies and to perform an initial qualitative test to assess the solubility of the recombinant protein are also included.
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25
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Öztürk S, Ergün BG, Çalık P. Double promoter expression systems for recombinant protein production by industrial microorganisms. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2017; 101:7459-7475. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-017-8487-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Revised: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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26
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Marino J, Holzhüter K, Kuhn B, Geertsma ER. Efficient Screening and Optimization of Membrane Protein Production in Escherichia coli. Methods Enzymol 2017; 594:139-164. [PMID: 28779839 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2017.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2022]
Abstract
Escherichia coli is one of the most widely used expression hosts for membrane proteins. However, establishing conditions for its recombinant production of membrane proteins remains difficult. Attempts to produce membrane proteins frequently result in either no expression or expression as misfolded aggregates. We developed an efficient pipeline for improving membrane protein overexpression in E. coli that is based on two approaches. The first involves transcriptional fusions, small additional RNA sequences upstream of the target open reading frame, to overcome no or poor overall expression levels. The other is based on a tunable promoter in combination with a fusion to green fluorescent protein serving as a reporter for the folding state of the target membrane protein. The latter combination allows adjusting the membrane protein expression rate to the downstream folding capacity, in order to decrease the formation of protein aggregates. This pipeline has proven successful for the efficient and parallel optimization of a diverse set of membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Benedikt Kuhn
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
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27
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Bajinting A, Ng HL. Recombinant expression in E. coli of human FGFR2 with its transmembrane and extracellular domains. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3512. [PMID: 28674664 PMCID: PMC5493969 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) are a family of receptor tyrosine kinases containing three domains: an extracellular receptor domain, a single transmembrane helix, and an intracellular tyrosine kinase domain. FGFRs are activated by fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) as part of complex signal transduction cascades regulating angiogenesis, skeletal formation, cell differentiation, proliferation, cell survival, and cancer. We have developed the first recombinant expression system in E. coli to produce a construct of human FGFR2 containing its transmembrane and extracellular receptor domains. We demonstrate that the expressed construct is functional in binding heparin and dimerizing. Size exclusion chromatography demonstrates that the purified FGFR2 does not form a complex with FGF1 or adopts an inactive dimer conformation. Progress towards the successful recombinant production of intact FGFRs will facilitate further biochemical experiments and structure determination that will provide insight into how extracellular FGF binding activates intracellular kinase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Bajinting
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, United States of America.,School of Medicine, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Ho Leung Ng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, United States of America.,University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, HI, United States of America
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Baumgarten T, Schlegel S, Wagner S, Löw M, Eriksson J, Bonde I, Herrgård MJ, Heipieper HJ, Nørholm MHH, Slotboom DJ, de Gier JW. Isolation and characterization of the E. coli membrane protein production strain Mutant56(DE3). Sci Rep 2017; 7:45089. [PMID: 28338018 PMCID: PMC5364489 DOI: 10.1038/srep45089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane protein production is usually toxic to E. coli. However, using genetic screens strains can be isolated in which the toxicity of membrane protein production is reduced, thereby improving production yields. Best known examples are the C41(DE3) and C43(DE3) strains, which are both derived from the T7 RNA polymerase (P)-based BL21(DE3) protein production strain. In C41(DE3) and C43(DE3) mutations lowering t7rnap expression levels result in strongly reduced T7 RNAP accumulation levels. As a consequence membrane protein production stress is alleviated in the C41(DE3) and C43(DE3) strains, thereby increasing membrane protein yields. Here, we isolated Mutant56(DE3) from BL21(DE3) using a genetic screen designed to isolate BL21(DE3)-derived strains with mutations alleviating membrane protein production stress other than the ones in C41(DE3) and C43(DE3). The defining mutation of Mutant56(DE3) changes one amino acid in its T7 RNAP, which weakens the binding of the T7 RNAP to the T7 promoter governing target gene expression rather than lowering T7 RNAP levels. For most membrane proteins tested yields in Mutant56(DE3) were considerably higher than in C41(DE3) and C43(DE3). Thus, the isolation of Mutant56(DE3) shows that the evolution of BL21(DE3) can be promoted towards further enhanced membrane protein production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Baumgarten
- Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Susan Schlegel
- Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Samuel Wagner
- Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Mirjam Löw
- Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Jonas Eriksson
- Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Ida Bonde
- Technical University of Denmark, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Kogle Alle 6, Hørsholm, 2970, Denmark
| | - Markus J Herrgård
- Technical University of Denmark, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Kogle Alle 6, Hørsholm, 2970, Denmark
| | - Hermann J Heipieper
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig, 04318, Germany
| | - Morten H H Nørholm
- Technical University of Denmark, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Kogle Alle 6, Hørsholm, 2970, Denmark
| | - Dirk Jan Slotboom
- Groningen Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, AG, 9747, The Netherlands
| | - Jan-Willem de Gier
- Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden
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Errasti-Murugarren E, Rodríguez-Banqueri A, Vázquez-Ibar JL. Split GFP Complementation as Reporter of Membrane Protein Expression and Stability in E. coli: A Tool to Engineer Stability in a LAT Transporter. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1586:181-195. [PMID: 28470605 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6887-9_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Obtaining enough quantity of recombinant membrane transport proteins with optimal purity and stability for structural studies is a remarkable challenge. In this chapter, we describe a protocol to engineer SteT, the amino acid transporter of Bacillus subtilis, in order to improve its heterologous expression in Escherichia coli and its stability in detergent micelles. We built a library of 70 SteT mutants, combining a random mutagenesis protocol with a split GFP assay as reporter of protein folding and membrane insertion. Mutagenesis was restricted to residues situated in the transmembrane domains. Improved versions of SteT were successfully identified after analyzing the expression yield and monodispersity in detergent micelles of the library's members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaitz Errasti-Murugarren
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arturo Rodríguez-Banqueri
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Unitat de Proteòmica Aplicada i Enginyeria de Proteïnes, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina (IBB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Luis Vázquez-Ibar
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), iBiTec-S/SB2SM, CEA Saclay CNRS UMR 9198, University Paris-Sud, University Paris-Saclay, Bâtiment 21, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France.
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Pandey A, Shin K, Patterson RE, Liu XQ, Rainey JK. Current strategies for protein production and purification enabling membrane protein structural biology. Biochem Cell Biol 2016; 94:507-527. [PMID: 27010607 PMCID: PMC5752365 DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2015-0143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane proteins are still heavily under-represented in the protein data bank (PDB), owing to multiple bottlenecks. The typical low abundance of membrane proteins in their natural hosts makes it necessary to overexpress these proteins either in heterologous systems or through in vitro translation/cell-free expression. Heterologous expression of proteins, in turn, leads to multiple obstacles, owing to the unpredictability of compatibility of the target protein for expression in a given host. The highly hydrophobic and (or) amphipathic nature of membrane proteins also leads to challenges in producing a homogeneous, stable, and pure sample for structural studies. Circumventing these hurdles has become possible through the introduction of novel protein production protocols; efficient protein isolation and sample preparation methods; and, improvement in hardware and software for structural characterization. Combined, these advances have made the past 10-15 years very exciting and eventful for the field of membrane protein structural biology, with an exponential growth in the number of solved membrane protein structures. In this review, we focus on both the advances and diversity of protein production and purification methods that have allowed this growth in structural knowledge of membrane proteins through X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Pandey
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Kyungsoo Shin
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Robin E. Patterson
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Xiang-Qin Liu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jan K. Rainey
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
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