1
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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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Zimmerberg J, Soubias O, Pastor RW. Special issue for Klaus Gawrisch. Biophys J 2023; 122:E1-E8. [PMID: 36921597 PMCID: PMC10111273 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Zimmerberg
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Olivier Soubias
- Macromolecular NMR Section, Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Richard W Pastor
- Laboratory of Computational Biology, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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3
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Loughran ST, Walls D. Tagging Recombinant Proteins to Enhance Solubility and Aid Purification. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2699:97-123. [PMID: 37646996 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3362-5_7] [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: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Protein fusion technology has had a major impact on the efficient production and purification of individual recombinant proteins. The use of genetically engineered affinity and solubility-enhancing polypeptide "tags" has a long history, and there is a considerable repertoire of these that can be used to address issues related to the expression, stability, solubility, folding, and purification of their fusion partner. In the case of large-scale proteomic studies, the development of purification procedures tailored to individual proteins is not practicable, and affinity tags have become indispensable tools for structural and functional proteomic initiatives that involve the expression of many proteins in parallel. In this chapter, the rationale and applications of a range of established and more recently developed solubility-enhancing and affinity tags is described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinéad T Loughran
- Department of Life and Health Sciences, School of Health and Science, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dundalk, Louth, Ireland.
| | - Dermot Walls
- School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
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4
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Loughran ST, Bree RT, Walls D. Poly-Histidine-Tagged Protein Purification Using Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography (IMAC). Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2699:193-223. [PMID: 37647000 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3362-5_11] [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: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
His-tagging is the most widespread and versatile strategy used to purify recombinant proteins for biochemical and structural studies. Recombinant DNA methods are first used to engineer the addition of a short tract of poly-histidine tag (His-tag) to the N-terminus or C-terminus of a target protein. The His-tag is then exploited to enable purification of the "tagged" protein by immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC). In this chapter, we describe efficient procedures for the isolation of highly purified His-tagged target proteins from an Escherichia coli host using IMAC in a bind-wash-elute strategy that can be performed under both native and denaturing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinéad T Loughran
- Department of Life and Health Sciences, School of Health and Science, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dundalk, Louth, Ireland.
| | - Ronan T Bree
- Department of Life and Health Sciences, School of Health and Science, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dundalk, Louth, Ireland
| | - Dermot Walls
- School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
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5
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Protein Fusion Strategies for Membrane Protein Stabilization and Crystal Structure Determination. CRYSTALS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst12081041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Crystal structures of membrane proteins are highly desired for their use in the mechanistic understanding of their functions and the designing of new drugs. However, obtaining the membrane protein structures is difficult. One way to overcome this challenge is with protein fusion methods, which have been successfully used to determine the structures of many membrane proteins, including receptors, enzymes and adhesion molecules. Existing fusion strategies can be categorized into the N or C terminal fusion, the insertion fusion and the termini restraining. The fusions facilitate protein expression, purification, crystallization and phase determination. Successful applications often require further optimization of protein fusion linkers and interactions, whose design can be facilitated by a shared helix strategy and by AlphaFold prediction in the future.
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6
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Haslem L, Brown M, Zhang XA, Hays JM, Hays FA. Purification of Membrane Proteins Overexpressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2507:143-173. [PMID: 35773581 PMCID: PMC9400948 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2368-8_8] [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] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Membrane protein (MP) functional and structural characterization requires large quantities of high-purity protein for downstream studies. Barriers to MP characterization include ample overexpression, solubilization, and purification of target proteins while maintaining native activity and structure. These barriers can be overcome by utilizing an efficient purification protocol in a high-yield eukaryotic expression system such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. S. cerevisiae offers improved protein folding and posttranslational modifications compared to prokaryotic expression systems. This chapter contains practices used to overcome barriers of solubilization and purification using S. cerevisiae that are broadly applicable to diverse membrane associated, and membrane integrated, protein targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Landon Haslem
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Marina Brown
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Xin A Zhang
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Jennifer M Hays
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Franklin A Hays
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
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7
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Optimizing the Expression of Human Dopamine Receptors in Escherichia coli. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168647. [PMID: 34445358 PMCID: PMC8395450 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The human dopamine receptors D2S and D3 belong to the group of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and are important drug targets. Structural analyses and development of new receptor subtype specific drugs have been impeded by low expression yields or receptor instability. Fusing the T4 lysozyme into the intracellular loop 3 improves crystallization but complicates conformational studies. To circumvent these problems, we expressed the human D2S and D3 receptors in Escherichia coli using different N- and C-terminal fusion proteins and thermostabilizing mutations. We optimized expression times and used radioligand binding assays with whole cells and membrane homogenates to evaluate KD-values and the number of receptors in the cell membrane. We show that the presence but not the type of a C-terminal fusion protein is important. Bacteria expressing receptors capable of ligand binding can be selected using FACS analysis and a fluorescently labeled ligand. Improved receptor variants can thus be generated using error-prone PCR. Subsequent analysis of clones showed the distribution of mutations over the whole gene. Repeated cycles of PCR and FACS can be applied for selecting highly expressing receptor variants with high affinity ligand binding, which in the future can be used for analytical studies.
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8
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Yeliseev AA, Zoretich K, Hooper L, Teague W, Zoubak L, Hines KG, Gawrisch K. Site-selective labeling and electron paramagnetic resonance studies of human cannabinoid receptor CB 2. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2021; 1863:183621. [PMID: 33865808 PMCID: PMC8154700 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2021.183621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Integral membrane G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) regulate multiple physiological processes by transmitting signals from extracellular milieu to intracellular proteins and are major targets of pharmaceutical drug development. Since GPCR are inherently flexible proteins, their conformational dynamics can be studied by spectroscopic techniques such as electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) which requires selective chemical labeling of the protein. Here, we developed protocols for selective chemical labeling of the recombinant human cannabinoid receptor CB2 by judiciously replacing naturally occurring reactive cysteine residues and introducing a new single cysteine residue in selected positions. The majority of the 47 newly generated single cysteine constructs expressed well in E. coli cells, and more than half of them retained high functional activity. The reactivity of newly introduced cysteine residues was assessed by incorporating nitroxide spin label and EPR measurement. The conformational transition of the receptor between the inactive and activated form were studied by EPR of selectively labeled constructs in the presence of either a full agonist CP-55,940 or an inverse agonist SR-144,528. We observed evidence for higher mobility of labels in the center of internal loop 3 and a structural change between agonist vs. inverse agonist-bound CB2 in the extracellular tip of transmembrane helix 6. Our results demonstrate the utility of EPR for studies of conformational dynamics of CB2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexei A Yeliseev
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Kaeli Zoretich
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Levi Hooper
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Walter Teague
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Lioudmila Zoubak
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kirk G Hines
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Klaus Gawrisch
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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9
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Recombinant Expression and Purification of Cannabinoid Receptor CB 2, a G Protein-Coupled Receptor. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 34085261 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1221-7_4] [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
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) are integral membrane proteins that regulate multiple cellular processes. To obtain insights into structural properties of GPCR and mechanism of activity, these proteins should be isolated in significant (milligram) quantities, in a pure, homogenous, and stable form. Here we describe the expression and purification of type II human cannabinoid receptor CB2, a class A GPCR, in two different types of expression hosts: in Escherichia coli and in mammalian suspension cell culture Expi293. Our method allows preparation of milligram quantities of the purified receptors suitable for a wide array of downstream applications including high-resolution structural studies and functional assays.
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10
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Cholesterol as a modulator of cannabinoid receptor CB 2 signaling. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3706. [PMID: 33580091 PMCID: PMC7881127 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83245-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Signaling through integral membrane G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is influenced by lipid composition of cell membranes. By using novel high affinity ligands of human cannabinoid receptor CB2, we demonstrate that cholesterol increases basal activation levels of the receptor and alters the pharmacological categorization of these ligands. Our results revealed that (2-(6-chloro-2-((2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropane-1-carbonyl)imino)benzo[d]thiazol-3(2H)-yl)ethyl acetate ligand (MRI-2646) acts as a partial agonist of CB2 in membranes devoid of cholesterol and as a neutral antagonist or a partial inverse agonist in cholesterol-containing membranes. The differential effects of a specific ligand on activation of CB2 in different types of membranes may have implications for screening of drug candidates in a search of modulators of GPCR activity. MD simulation suggests that cholesterol exerts an allosteric effect on the intracellular regions of the receptor that interact with the G-protein complex thereby altering the recruitment of G protein.
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11
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Abiko LA, Rogowski M, Gautier A, Schertler G, Grzesiek S. Efficient production of a functional G protein-coupled receptor in E. coli for structural studies. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2021; 75:25-38. [PMID: 33501610 PMCID: PMC7897205 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-020-00354-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are transmembrane signal transducers which regulate many key physiological process. Since their discovery, their analysis has been limited by difficulties in obtaining sufficient amounts of the receptors in high-quality, functional form from heterologous expression hosts. Albeit highly attractive because of its simplicity and the ease of isotope labeling for NMR studies, heterologous expression of functional GPCRs in E. coli has proven particularly challenging due to the absence of the more evolved protein expression and folding machinery of higher eukaryotic hosts. Here we first give an overview on the previous strategies for GPCR E. coli expression and then describe the development of an optimized robust protocol for the E. coli expression and purification of two mutants of the turkey β1-adrenergic receptor (β1AR) uniformly or selectively labeled in 15N or 2H,15N. These mutants had been previously optimized for thermal stability using insect cell expression and used successfully in crystallographic and NMR studies. The same sequences were then used for E. coli expression. Optimization of E. coli expression was achieved by a quantitative analysis of losses of receptor material at each step of the solubilization and purification procedure. Final yields are 0.2-0.3 mg receptor per liter culture. Whereas both expressed mutants are well folded and competent for orthosteric ligand binding, the less stable YY-β1AR mutant also comprises the two native tyrosines Y5.58 and Y7.53, which enable G protein binding. High-quality 1H-15N TROSY spectra were obtained for E. coli-expressed YY-β1AR in three different functional states (antagonist, agonist, and agonist + G protein-mimicking nanobody-bound), which are identical to spectra obtained of the same forms of the receptor expressed in insect cells. NdeI and AgeI restriction sites introduced into the expression plasmid allow for the easy replacement of the receptor gene by other GPCR genes of interest, and the provided quantitative workflow analysis may guide the respective adaptation of the purification protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layara Akemi Abiko
- Focal Area Structural Biology and Biophysics, Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Marco Rogowski
- Focal Area Structural Biology and Biophysics, Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Antoine Gautier
- Focal Area Structural Biology and Biophysics, Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
- Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | | | - Stephan Grzesiek
- Focal Area Structural Biology and Biophysics, Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
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12
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Yeliseev A, van den Berg A, Zoubak L, Hines K, Stepnowski S, Williston K, Yan W, Gawrisch K, Zmuda J. Thermostability of a recombinant G protein-coupled receptor expressed at high level in mammalian cell culture. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16805. [PMID: 33033368 PMCID: PMC7546613 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73813-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rational design of pharmaceutical drugs targeting integral membrane G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) requires thorough understanding of ligand binding and mechanism of activation through high resolution structural studies of purified proteins. Due to inherent conformational flexibility of GPCR, stabilization of these proteins solubilized from cell membranes into detergents is a challenging task. Here, we take advantage of naturally occurring post-translational modifications for stabilization of purified GPCR in detergent micelles. The recombinant cannabinoid CB2 receptor was expressed at high yield in Expi293F mammalian cell cultures, solubilized and purified in Façade detergent. We report superior stability of the mammalian cell-expressed receptor compared to its E.coli-expressed counterpart, due to contributions from glycosylation of the N terminus and palmitoylation of the C terminus of CB2. Finally, we demonstrate that the mammalian Expi293F amino acid labelling kit is suitable for preparation of multi-milligram quantities of high quality, selectively stable isotope-labeled GPCR for studies by nuclear magnetic resonance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexei Yeliseev
- National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | | | - Lioudmila Zoubak
- National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Kirk Hines
- National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Sam Stepnowski
- ThermoFisher Scientific, 7335 Executive Way, Frederick, MD, 21704, USA
| | - Kyle Williston
- ThermoFisher Scientific, 7335 Executive Way, Frederick, MD, 21704, USA
| | - Wanhua Yan
- ThermoFisher Scientific, 7335 Executive Way, Frederick, MD, 21704, USA
| | - Klaus Gawrisch
- National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jonathan Zmuda
- ThermoFisher Scientific, 7335 Executive Way, Frederick, MD, 21704, USA
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13
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Wiseman DN, Otchere A, Patel JH, Uddin R, Pollock NL, Routledge SJ, Rothnie AJ, Slack C, Poyner DR, Bill RM, Goddard AD. Expression and purification of recombinant G protein-coupled receptors: A review. Protein Expr Purif 2020; 167:105524. [PMID: 31678667 PMCID: PMC6983937 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2019.105524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Given their extensive role in cell signalling, GPCRs are significant drug targets; despite this, many of these receptors have limited or no available prophylaxis. Novel drug design and discovery significantly rely on structure determination, of which GPCRs are typically elusive. Progress has been made thus far to produce sufficient quantity and quality of protein for downstream analysis. As such, this review highlights the systems available for recombinant GPCR expression, with consideration of their advantages and disadvantages, as well as examples of receptors successfully expressed in these systems. Additionally, an overview is given on the use of detergents and the styrene maleic acid (SMA) co-polymer for membrane solubilisation, as well as purification techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Wiseman
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK.
| | - Abigail Otchere
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK.
| | - Jaimin H Patel
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK.
| | - Romez Uddin
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK.
| | | | - Sarah J Routledge
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK.
| | - Alice J Rothnie
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK.
| | - Cathy Slack
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK.
| | - David R Poyner
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK.
| | - Roslyn M Bill
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK.
| | - Alan D Goddard
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK.
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14
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Beckner RL, Zoubak L, Hines KG, Gawrisch K, Yeliseev AA. Probing thermostability of detergent-solubilized CB 2 receptor by parallel G protein-activation and ligand-binding assays. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:181-190. [PMID: 31776188 PMCID: PMC6952600 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.010696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) comprise a large class of integral membrane proteins involved in the regulation of a broad spectrum of physiological processes and are a major target for pharmaceutical drug development. Structural studies can help advance the rational design of novel specific pharmaceuticals that target GPCRs, but such studies require expression of significant quantities of these proteins in pure, homogenous, and sufficiently stable form. An essential precursor for these structural studies is an assessment of protein stability under experimental conditions. Here we report that solubilization of a GPCR, type II cannabinoid receptor CB2, in a Façade detergent enables radioligand thermostability assessments of this receptor with low background from nonspecific interactions with lipophilic cannabinoid ligand. Furthermore, this detergent is compatible with a [35S]GTPγS radionucleotide exchange assay measuring guanine exchange factor activity that can be applied after heat treatment to further assess receptor thermostability. We demonstrate that both assays can be utilized to determine differences in CB2 thermostability caused by mutations, detergent composition, and the presence of stabilizing ligands. We report that a constitutively active CB2 variant has higher thermostability than the WT receptor, a result that differs from a previous thermostability assessment of the analogous CB1 mutation. We conclude that both ligand-binding and activity-based assays under optimized detergent conditions can support selection of thermostable variants of experimentally demanding GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan L Beckner
- NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 208521
| | | | - Kirk G Hines
- NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 208521
| | - Klaus Gawrisch
- NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 208521
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15
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Yeliseev A. Expression and Preparation of a G-Protein-Coupled Cannabinoid Receptor CB 2 for NMR Structural Studies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 96:e83. [PMID: 30624864 DOI: 10.1002/cpps.83] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Cannabinoid receptor type II, or CB2 , is an integral membrane protein that belongs to a large class of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR)s. CB2 is a part of the endocannabinoid system, which plays an important role in the regulation of immune response, inflammation, and pain. Information about the structure and function of CB2 is essential for the development of specific ligands targeting this receptor. We present here a methodology for recombinant expression of CB2 and its stable isotope labeling, purification, and reconstitution into liposomes, in preparation for its characterization by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Correctly folded, functional CB2 labeled with [13 C,15 N]tryptophan or uniformly labeled with 13 C and 15 N is expressed in a medium of defined composition, under controlled aeration, pH, and temperature conditions. The receptor is purified by affinity chromatography and reconstituted into lipid bilayers in the form of proteoliposomes suitable for analysis by NMR spectroscopy. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexei Yeliseev
- National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland
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16
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Kwon OS, Song HS, Park TH, Jang J. Conducting Nanomaterial Sensor Using Natural Receptors. Chem Rev 2018; 119:36-93. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Oh Seok Kwon
- Bionanotechnology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Nanobiotechnology and Bioinformatics (Major), University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Seok Song
- Sensor System Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
- Division of Bioconvergence Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Cheongju 28119, Republic of Korea
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Tai Hyun Park
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jyongsik Jang
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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17
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Mhurchú NN, Zoubak L, McGauran G, Linse S, Yeliseev A, O’Connell DJ. Simplifying G Protein-Coupled Receptor Isolation with a Calcium-Dependent Fragment Complementation Affinity System. Biochemistry 2018; 57:4383-4390. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Niamh Ní Mhurchú
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin D04 V1W8, Ireland
| | - Lioudmila Zoubak
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Gavin McGauran
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin D04 V1W8, Ireland
| | - Sara Linse
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Lund University, Box 118, Lund 221 00, Sweden
| | - Alexei Yeliseev
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - David J. O’Connell
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin D04 V1W8, Ireland
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18
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Expression and purification of the mammalian translocator protein for structural studies. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0198832. [PMID: 29897975 PMCID: PMC5999236 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The translocator protein (TSPO) is an 18 kDa polytopic membrane protein of the outer mitochondrial membrane, abundantly present in the steroid-synthesising cells. TSPO has been linked to a number of disorders, and it is recognised as a promising drug target with a range of potential medical applications. Structural and biochemical characterisation of a mammalian TSPO requires expression and purification of the protein of high quality in sufficiently large quantities. Here we describe detailed procedures for heterologous expression and purification of mammalian TSPO in HEK293 cells. We demonstrate that the established procedures can be used for untagged TSPO as well as for C-terminally fused TSPO constructs. Our protocol can be routinely used to generate high-quality TSPO preparations for biochemical and structural studies.
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19
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Expression, Purification and Characterization of the Human Cannabinoid 1 Receptor. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2935. [PMID: 29440756 PMCID: PMC5811539 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-19749-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The human cannabinoid 1 receptor (hCB1) is involved in numerous physiological processes and therefore provides a wide scope of potential therapeutic opportunities to treat maladies such as obesity, cardio-metabolic disorders, substance abuse, neuropathic pain, and multiple sclerosis. Structure-based drug design using the current knowledge of the hCB1 receptor binding site is limited and requires purified active protein. Heterologous expression and purification of functional hCB1 has been the bottleneck for ligand binding structural studies using biophysical methods such as mass spectrometry, x-ray crystallography and NMR. We constructed several plasmids for in-cell or in vitro Escherichia coli (E. coli) based expression of truncated and stabilized hCB1 receptor (hΔCB1 and hΔCB1T4L) variants and evaluated their competency to bind the CP-55,940 ligand. MALDI-TOF MS analysis of in vitro expressed and purified hΔCB1T4Lhis6 variants, following trypsin digestion, generated ~80% of the receptor sequence coverage. Our data demonstrate the feasibility of a cell-free expression system as a promising part of the strategy for the elucidation of ligand binding sites of the hCB1 receptor using a "Ligand Assisted Protein Structure" (LAPS) approach.
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20
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Yeliseev A, Gawrisch K. Expression and NMR Structural Studies of Isotopically Labeled Cannabinoid Receptor Type II. Methods Enzymol 2017; 593:387-403. [PMID: 28750812 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2017.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cannabinoid receptor type II (CB2) is an integral membrane protein with seven transmembrane helices that belongs to the large superfamily of rhodopsin-like G protein-coupled receptors. The CB2 is a part of the endocannabinoid system that plays a vital role in regulation of immune response, inflammation, pain, and other metabolic processes. Information about the structure and function of CB2 in cell membranes is essential for development of specific pharmaceuticals that target CB2 signaling. Methodology for recombinant expression, stable isotope labeling, purification, reconstitution into liposomes, and NMR characterization of functionally active CB2 is presented. Uniformly 13C-, 15N-labeled CB2 protein is expressed by fermentation of Escherichia coli in a medium of defined composition under controlled aeration, pH, and temperature and purified by tandem affinity chromatography. The receptor reconstituted into lipid bilayers is suitable for structural studies by solid-state NMR spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexei Yeliseev
- Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, MD, Unites States.
| | - Klaus Gawrisch
- Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, MD, Unites States.
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21
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Yeliseev A, Zoubak L, Schmidt TGM. Application of Strep-Tactin XT for affinity purification of Twin-Strep-tagged CB 2, a G protein-coupled cannabinoid receptor. Protein Expr Purif 2017; 131:109-118. [PMID: 27867058 PMCID: PMC5406253 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2016.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Revised: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Human cannabinoid receptor CB2 belongs to the class A of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). CB2 is predominantly expressed in membranes of cells of immune origin and is implicated in regulation of metabolic pathways of inflammation, neurodegenerative disorders and pain sensing. High resolution structural studies of CB2 require milligram quantities of purified, structurally intact protein. While we previously reported on the methodology for expression of the recombinant CB2 and its stabilization in a functional state, here we describe an efficient protocol for purification of this protein using the Twin-Strep-tag/Strep-Tactin XT system. To improve the affinity of interaction of the recombinant CB2 with the resin, the double repeat of the Strep-tag (a sequence of eight amino acids WSHPQFEK), named the Twin-Strep-tag was attached either to the N- or C-terminus of CB2 via a short linker, and the recombinant protein was expressed in cytoplasmic membranes of E. coli as a fusion with the N-terminal maltose binding protein (MBP). The CB2 was isolated at high purity from dilute solutions containing high concentrations of detergents, glycerol and salts, by capturing onto the Strep-Tactin XT resin, and was eluted from the resin under mild conditions upon addition of biotin. Surface plasmon resonance studies performed on the purified protein demonstrate the high affinity of interaction between the Twin-Strep-tag fused to the CB2 and Strep-Tactin XT with an estimated Kd in the low nanomolar range. The affinity of binding did not vary significantly in response to the position of the tag at either N- or C-termini of the fusion. The binding capacity of the resin was several-fold higher for the tag located at the N-terminus of the protein as opposed to the C-terminus- or middle of the fusion. The variation in the length of the linker between the double repeats of the Strep-tag from 6 to 12 amino acid residues did not significantly affect the binding. The novel purification protocol reported here enables efficient isolation of a recombinant GPCR expressed at low titers in host cells. This procedure is suitable for preparation of milligram quantities of stable isotope-labelled receptor for high-resolution NMR studies.
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MESH Headings
- Chromatography, Affinity/methods
- Escherichia coli
- Gene Expression
- Humans
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/biosynthesis
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/chemistry
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/isolation & purification
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/biosynthesis
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/chemistry
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/genetics
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/isolation & purification
- Surface Plasmon Resonance
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexei Yeliseev
- National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 5625 Fishers Lane, Room 3N17, Rockville, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Lioudmila Zoubak
- National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 5625 Fishers Lane, Room 3N17, Rockville, MD, 20892, USA
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22
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Abstract
His-tagging is the most widespread and versatile strategy used to purify recombinant proteins for biochemical and structural studies. Recombinant DNA methods are first used to engineer the addition of a short tract of poly-histidine tag (His-tag) to the N-terminus or C-terminus of a target protein. The His-tag is then exploited to enable purification of the "tagged" protein by Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography (IMAC). Here, we describe efficient procedures for the isolation of highly purified His-tagged target proteins from an E. coli host using IMAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinéad T Loughran
- Department of Applied Sciences, School of Health and Science, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dundalk, Louth, Ireland.
| | - Ronan T Bree
- Department of Applied Sciences, School of Health and Science, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dundalk, Louth, Ireland
| | - Dermot Walls
- School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland.,National Centre for Sensor Research, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland
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23
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Abstract
Protein fusion technology has had a major impact on the efficient production and purification of individual recombinant proteins. The use of genetically engineered affinity and solubility-enhancing polypeptide "tags" has increased greatly in recent years and there now exists a considerable repertoire of these that can be used to solve issues related to the expression, stability, solubility, folding, and purification of their fusion partner. In the case of large-scale proteomic studies, the development of purification procedures tailored to individual proteins is not practicable, and affinity tags have therefore become indispensable tools for structural and functional proteomic initiatives that involve the expression of many proteins in parallel. Here, the rationale and applications of a range of established and more recently developed solubility-enhancing and affinity tags is described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinéad T Loughran
- Department of Applied Sciences, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dundalk, Ireland
| | - Dermot Walls
- School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland.
- National Centre for Sensor Research, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland.
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24
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Kimura T, Jennings W, Epand RM. Roles of specific lipid species in the cell and their molecular mechanism. Prog Lipid Res 2016; 62:75-92. [PMID: 26875545 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Thousands of different molecular species of lipids are present within a single cell, being involved in modulating the basic processes of life. The vast number of different lipid species can be organized into a number of different lipid classes, which may be defined as a group of lipids with a common chemical structure, such as the headgroup, apart from the nature of the hydrocarbon chains. Each lipid class has unique biological roles. In some cases, a relatively small change in the headgroup chemical structure can result in a drastic change in function. Such phenomena are well documented, and largely understood in terms of specific interactions with proteins. In contrast, there are observations that the entire structural specificity of a lipid molecule, including the hydrocarbon chains, is required for biological activity through specific interactions with membrane proteins. Understanding of these phenomena represents a fundamental change in our thinking of the functions of lipids in biology. There are an increasing number of diverse examples of roles for specific lipids in cellular processes including: Signal transduction; trafficking; morphological changes; cell division. We are gaining knowledge and understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms. They are of growing importance in both basic and applied sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Kimura
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - William Jennings
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Richard M Epand
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
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25
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Murray D, Griffin J, Cross TA. Detergent optimized membrane protein reconstitution in liposomes for solid state NMR. Biochemistry 2014; 53:2454-63. [PMID: 24665863 PMCID: PMC4004220 DOI: 10.1021/bi500144h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2014] [Revised: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
For small helical membrane proteins, their structures are highly sensitive to their environment, and solid state NMR is a structural technique that can characterize these membrane proteins in native-like lipid bilayers and proteoliposomes. To date, a systematic method by which to evaluate the effect of the solubilizing detergent on proteoliposome preparations for solid state NMR of membrane proteins has not been presented in the literature. A set of experiments are presented aimed at determining the conditions most amenable to dialysis mediated reconstitution sample preparation. A membrane protein from M. tuberculosis is used to illustrate the method. The results show that a detergent that stabilizes the most protein is not always ideal and sometimes cannot be removed by dialysis. By focusing on the lipid and protein binding properties of the detergent, proteoliposome preparations can be readily produced, which provide double the signal-to-noise ratios for both the oriented sample and magic angle spinning solid state NMR. The method will allow more membrane protein drug targets to be structurally characterized in lipid bilayer environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan
T. Murray
- Institute
for Molecular Biophysics, Florida State
University, 91 Chieftan
Way, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, United States
- The
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, 1800 E. Paul Dirac Dr., Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
| | - James Griffin
- The
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, 1800 E. Paul Dirac Dr., Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State
University, 95 Chieftan
Way, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, United States
| | - Timothy A. Cross
- Institute
for Molecular Biophysics, Florida State
University, 91 Chieftan
Way, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, United States
- The
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, 1800 E. Paul Dirac Dr., Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State
University, 95 Chieftan
Way, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, United States
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26
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Expression and functional characterization of membrane-integrated mammalian corticotropin releasing factor receptors 1 and 2 in Escherichia coli. PLoS One 2014; 9:e84013. [PMID: 24465390 PMCID: PMC3894963 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2012] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptors (CRFRs) are class B1 G-protein-coupled receptors, which bind peptides of the corticotropin releasing factor family and are key mediators in the stress response. In order to dissect the receptors' binding specificity and enable structural studies, full-length human CRFR1α and mouse CRFR2β as well as fragments lacking the N-terminal extracellular domain, were overproduced in E. coli. The characteristics of different CRFR2β-PhoA gene fusion products expressed in bacteria were found to be in agreement with the predicted ones in the hepta-helical membrane topology model. Recombinant histidine-tagged CRFR1α and CRFR2β expression levels and bacterial subcellular localization were evaluated by cell fractionation and Western blot analysis. Protein expression parameters were assessed, including the influence of E. coli bacterial hosts, culture media and the impact of either PelB or DsbA signal peptide. In general, the large majority of receptor proteins became inserted in the bacterial membrane. Across all experimental conditions significantly more CRFR2β product was obtained in comparison to CRFR1α. Following a detergent screen analysis, bacterial membranes containing CRFR1α and CRFR2β were best solubilized with the zwitterionic detergent FC-14. Binding of different peptide ligands to CRFR1α and CRFR2β membrane fractions were similar, in part, to the complex pharmacology observed in eukaryotic cells. We suggest that our E. coli expression system producing functional CRFRs will be useful for large-scale expression of these receptors for structural studies.
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27
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Locatelli-Hoops SC, Yeliseev AA. Use of tandem affinity chromatography for purification of cannabinoid receptor CB₂. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1177:107-20. [PMID: 24943318 PMCID: PMC4784266 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1034-2_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Tandem affinity purification has been increasingly applied to isolation of recombinant proteins. It relies on two consecutive chromatographic steps that take advantage of the affinity tags placed at opposing ends of the target protein. This allows for efficient removal of contaminating proteins, including products of proteolytic degradation of the fusion that lack either N- or C-terminal tags. Here, we describe the use of two small affinity tags, a poly-histidine tag and a Strep-tag for expression and purification of the human cannabinoid receptor CB2, an integral membrane G protein-coupled receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia C Locatelli-Hoops
- Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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28
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Bacterial-based membrane protein production. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2013; 1843:1739-49. [PMID: 24200679 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2013.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2013] [Revised: 10/20/2013] [Accepted: 10/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Escherichia coli is by far the most widely used bacterial host for the production of membrane proteins. Usually, different strains, culture conditions and production regimes are screened for to design the optimal production process. However, these E. coli-based screening approaches often do not result in satisfactory membrane protein production yields. Recently, it has been shown that (i) E. coli strains with strongly improved membrane protein production characteristics can be engineered or selected for, (ii) many membrane proteins can be efficiently produced in E. coli-based cell-free systems, (iii) bacteria other than E. coli can be used for the efficient production of membrane proteins, and, (iv) membrane protein variants that retain functionality but are produced at higher yields than the wild-type protein can be engineered or selected for. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Protein trafficking and secretion in bacteria. Guest Editors: Anastassios Economou and Ross Dalbey.
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29
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Kimura T, Vukoti K, Lynch DL, Hurst DP, Grossfield A, Pitman MC, Reggio PH, Yeliseev AA, Gawrisch K. Global fold of human cannabinoid type 2 receptor probed by solid-state 13C-, 15N-MAS NMR and molecular dynamics simulations. Proteins 2013; 82:452-65. [PMID: 23999926 DOI: 10.1002/prot.24411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2013] [Revised: 08/12/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The global fold of human cannabinoid type 2 (CB2 ) receptor in the agonist-bound active state in lipid bilayers was investigated by solid-state (13)C- and (15)N magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR, in combination with chemical-shift prediction from a structural model of the receptor obtained by microsecond-long molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Uniformly (13)C- and (15)N-labeled CB2 receptor was expressed in milligram quantities by bacterial fermentation, purified, and functionally reconstituted into liposomes. (13)C MAS NMR spectra were recorded without sensitivity enhancement for direct comparison of Cα, Cβ, and C=O bands of superimposed resonances with predictions from protein structures generated by MD. The experimental NMR spectra matched the calculated spectra reasonably well indicating agreement of the global fold of the protein between experiment and simulations. In particular, the (13) C chemical shift distribution of Cα resonances was shown to be very sensitive to both the primary amino acid sequence and the secondary structure of CB2. Thus the shape of the Cα band can be used as an indicator of CB2 global fold. The prediction from MD simulations indicated that upon receptor activation a rather limited number of amino acid residues, mainly located in the extracellular Loop 2 and the second half of intracellular Loop 3, change their chemical shifts significantly (≥ 1.5 ppm for carbons and ≥ 5.0 ppm for nitrogens). Simulated two-dimensional (13) Cα(i)-(13)C=O(i) and (13)C=O(i)-(15)NH(i + 1) dipolar-interaction correlation spectra provide guidance for selective amino acid labeling and signal assignment schemes to study the molecular mechanism of activation of CB2 by solid-state MAS NMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Kimura
- Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
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30
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Yeliseev AA. Methods for recombinant expression and functional characterization of human cannabinoid receptor CB2. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2013; 6:e201303011. [PMID: 24688719 PMCID: PMC3962128 DOI: 10.5936/csbj.201303011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2013] [Revised: 08/08/2013] [Accepted: 08/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoid receptor CB2 is a seven transmembrane-domain integral membrane protein that belongs to a large superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). CB2 is a part of the endocannabinoid system that plays vital role in regulation of immune response, inflammation, pain sensitivity, obesity and other physiological responses. Information about the structure and mechanisms of functioning of this receptor in cell membranes is essential for the rational development of specific pharmaceuticals. Here we review the methodology for recombinant expression, purification, stabilization and biochemical characterization of CB2 suitable for preparation of multi-milligram quantities of functionally active receptor. The biotechnological protocols include expression of the recombinant CB2 in E. coli cells as a fusion with the maltose binding protein, stabilization with a high affinity ligand and a derivative of cholesterol in detergent micelles, efficient purification by tandem affinity chromatography, and reconstitution of the receptor into lipid bilayers. The purified recombinant CB2 receptor is amenable to functional and structural studies including nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and a wide range of biochemical and biophysical techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexei A Yeliseev
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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31
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Locatelli-Hoops S, Yeliseev AA, Gawrisch K, Gorshkova I. Surface plasmon resonance applied to G protein-coupled receptors. BIOMEDICAL SPECTROSCOPY AND IMAGING 2013; 2:155-181. [PMID: 24466506 PMCID: PMC3898597 DOI: 10.3233/bsi-130045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) are integral membrane proteins that transmit signals from external stimuli to the cell interior via activation of GTP-binding proteins (G proteins) thereby mediating key sensorial, hormonal, metabolic, immunological, and neurotransmission processes. Elucidating their structure and mechanism of interaction with extracellular and intracellular binding partners is of fundamental importance and highly relevant to rational design of new effective drugs. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has become a method of choice for studying biomolecular interactions at interfaces because measurements take place in real-time and do not require labeling of any of the interactants. However, due to the particular challenges imposed by the high hydrophobicity of membrane proteins and the great diversity of receptor-stimulating ligands, the application of this technique to characterize interactions of GPCR is still in the developmental phase. Here we give an overview of the principle of SPR and analyze current approaches for the preparation of the sensor chip surface, capture and stabilization of GPCR, and experimental design to characterize their interaction with ligands, G proteins and specific antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Locatelli-Hoops
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National
Institutes of Health, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Alexei A. Yeliseev
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National
Institutes of Health, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Klaus Gawrisch
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National
Institutes of Health, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Inna Gorshkova
- Biomedical Engineering and Physical Science Shared Resource,
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of
Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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32
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Expression, surface immobilization, and characterization of functional recombinant cannabinoid receptor CB2. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2013; 1834:2045-56. [PMID: 23777860 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2013.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Revised: 06/05/2013] [Accepted: 06/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Human peripheral cannabinoid receptor CB2, a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) involved in regulation of immune response has become an important target for pharmaceutical drug development. Structural and functional studies on CB2 may benefit from immobilization of the purified and functional receptor onto a suitable surface at a controlled density and, preferably in a uniform orientation. The goal of this project was to develop a generic strategy for preparation of functional recombinant CB2 and immobilization at solid interfaces. Expression of CB2 as a fusion with Rho-tag (peptide composed of the last nine amino acids of rhodopsin) in E. coli was evaluated in terms of protein levels, accessibility of the tag, and activity of the receptor. The structural integrity of CB2 was tested by ligand binding to the receptor solubilized in detergent micelles, captured on tag-specific monoclonal 1D4 antibody-coated resin. Highly pure and functional CB2 was obtained by sequential chromatography on a 1D4- and Ni-NTA-resin and its affinity to the 1D4 antibody characterized by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Either the purified receptor or fusion CB2 from the crude cell extract was captured onto a 1D4-coated CM4 chip (Biacore) in a quantitative fashion at uniform orientation as demonstrated by the SPR signal. Furthermore, the accessibility of the extracellular surface of immobilized CB2 and the affinity of interaction with a novel monoclonal antibody NAA-1 was studied by SPR. In summary, we present an integral strategy for purification, surface immobilization, ligand- and antibody binding studies of functional cannabinoid receptor CB2.
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33
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Application of HaloTag technology to expression and purification of cannabinoid receptor CB2. Protein Expr Purif 2013; 89:62-72. [PMID: 23470778 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2013.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2012] [Revised: 02/06/2013] [Accepted: 02/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Expression of milligram quantities of functional, stable G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) for high-resolution structural studies remains a challenging task. The goal of this work was to evaluate the usefulness of the HaloTag system (Promega) for expression and purification of the human cannabinoid receptor CB(2), an important target for development of drugs for treatment of immune disorders, inflammation, and pain. Here we investigated expression in Escherichia coli cells of the integral membrane receptor CB(2) as a fusion with the 34 kDa HaloTag at N- or C-terminal location, either in the presence or in the absence of the N-terminal maltose-binding protein (MBP). The CB(2) was flanked at both ends by the tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease cleavage sites to allow for subsequent removal of expression partners. Expression by induction with either IPTG (in E. coli BL21(DE3) cell cultures) or by auto-induction (in E. coli KRX cells) were compared. While the N-terminal location of the HaloTag resulted in high levels of expression of the fusion CB(2), the recombinant receptor was not functional. However, when the HaloTag was placed in the C-terminal location, a fully active receptor was produced irrespective of induction method or bacterial strain used. For purification, the fusion protein was captured onto HaloLink resin in the presence of detergents. Treatment with specific TEV protease released the CB(2) upon washing. To our knowledge, this study represents the first example of expression, surface immobilization and purification of a functional GPCR using HaloTag technology.
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34
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Berger C, Berndt S, Pichert A, Theisgen S, Huster D. Efficient isotopic tryptophan labeling of membrane proteins by an indole controlled process conduct. Biotechnol Bioeng 2013; 110:1681-90. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.24830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2012] [Revised: 12/11/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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35
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Na JH, Shin J, Jung Y, Lim D, Shin YK, Yu YG. Bacterially expressed human serotonin receptor 3A is functionally reconstituted in proteoliposomes. Protein Expr Purif 2013; 88:190-5. [PMID: 23321066 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2013.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2012] [Revised: 12/31/2012] [Accepted: 01/02/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Human serotonin receptor 3A (5-HT3A) is a ligand-gated ion channel regulated by serotonin. A fusion protein (P9-5-HT3A) of 5-HT3A with the P9 protein, a major envelope protein of bacteriophage phi6, was highly expressed in the membrane fraction of Escherichia coli, and the expressed protein was purified to homogeneity using an affinity chromatography. P9-5-HT3A was observed as mixed oligomers in detergents. The purified P9-5-HT3A was efficiently reconstituted into proteoliposomes, and the serotonin-dependent ion-channel activity of P9-5-HT3A was observed by measuring the increased fluorescence of Fluo-3 attributed to the formation of a complex with the Ca(2+) ions released from the proteoliposomes. Alanine substitution for Trp178 of 5-HT3A abolished the serotonin-dependent ion-channel activity, confirming the importance of Trp178 as a ligand-binding site. Furthermore, the ion-channel activity of the reconstituted P9-5-HT3A was effectively blocked by treatment with ondansetron, an antagonist of 5-HT3A. The bacterial expression system of human 5-HT3A and the proteoliposomes reconstituted with 5-HT3A would provide biophysical and structural analyses of 5-HT3A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Hyun Na
- Department of Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 136-702, Republic of Korea
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36
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Atypical features of Thermus thermophilus succinate:quinone reductase. PLoS One 2013; 8:e53559. [PMID: 23308253 PMCID: PMC3538594 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2012] [Accepted: 11/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The Thermus thermophilus succinate:quinone reductase (SQR), serving as the respiratory complex II, has been homologously produced under the control of a constitutive promoter and subsequently purified. The detailed biochemical characterization of the resulting wild type (wt-rcII) and His-tagged (rcII-His8-SdhB and rcII-SdhB-His6) complex II variants showed the same properties as the native enzyme with respect to the subunit composition, redox cofactor content and sensitivity to the inhibitors malonate, oxaloacetate, 3-nitropropionic acid and nonyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide (NQNO). The position of the His-tag determined whether the enzyme retained its native trimeric conformation or whether it was present in a monomeric form. Only the trimer exhibited positive cooperativity at high temperatures. The EPR signal of the [2Fe-2S] cluster was sensitive to the presence of substrate and showed an increased rhombicity in the presence of succinate in the native and in all recombinant forms of the enzyme. The detailed analysis of the shape of this signal as a function of pH, substrate concentration and in the presence of various inhibitors and quinones is presented, leading to a model for the molecular mechanism that underlies the influence of succinate on the rhombicity of the EPR signal of the proximal iron-sulfur cluster.
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Xie XQ, Chowdhury A. Advances in methods to characterize ligand-induced ionic lock and rotamer toggle molecular switch in G protein-coupled receptors. Methods Enzymol 2013; 520:153-74. [PMID: 23332699 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-391861-1.00007-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Structural biology of GPCRs has made significant progress upon recently developed technologies for GPCRs expression/purification and elucidation of GPCRs crystal structures. The crystal structures provide a snapshot of the receptor structural disposition of GPCRs itself or with cocrystallized ligands, and the results are congruent with biophysical and computer modeling studies reported about GPCRs conformational and dynamics flexibility, regulated activation, and the various stabilizing interactions, such as "molecular switches." The molecular switches generally constitute the most conserved domains within a particular GPCR superfamily. Often agonist-induced receptor activation proceeds by the disruption of majority of these interactions, while antagonist and inverse agonist act as blockers and structural stabilizers, respectively. Several elegant studies, particularly for the β2AR, have demonstrated the relationship between ligand structure, receptor conformational changes, and corresponding pharmacological outcomes. Thus, it is of great importance to understand GPCRs activation related to cell signaling pathways. Herein, we summarize the steps to produce functional GPCRs, generate suitably fluorescent labeled GPCRs and the procedure to use that to understand if ligand-induced activation can proceed by activation of the GPCRs via ionic lock switch and/or rotamer toggle switch mechanisms. Such understanding of ligand structure and mechanism of receptor activation will provide great insight toward uncovering newer pathways of GPCR activation and aid in structure-based drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Qun Xie
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening Center, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
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Stabilization of functional recombinant cannabinoid receptor CB(2) in detergent micelles and lipid bilayers. PLoS One 2012; 7:e46290. [PMID: 23056277 PMCID: PMC3463599 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Accepted: 08/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is among the most challenging tasks for modern membrane biology. For studies by high resolution analytical methods, these integral membrane receptors have to be expressed in large quantities, solubilized from cell membranes and purified in detergent micelles, which may result in a severe destabilization and a loss of function. Here, we report insights into differential effects of detergents, lipids and cannabinoid ligands on stability of the recombinant cannabinoid receptor CB2, and provide guidelines for preparation and handling of the fully functional receptor suitable for a wide array of downstream applications. While we previously described the expression in Escherichia coli, purification and liposome-reconstitution of multi-milligram quantities of CB2, here we report an efficient stabilization of the recombinant receptor in micelles - crucial for functional and structural characterization. The effects of detergents, lipids and specific ligands on structural stability of CB2 were assessed by studying activation of G proteins by the purified receptor reconstituted into liposomes. Functional structure of the ligand binding pocket of the receptor was confirmed by binding of 2H-labeled ligand measured by solid-state NMR. We demonstrate that a concerted action of an anionic cholesterol derivative, cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CHS) and high affinity cannabinoid ligands CP-55,940 or SR-144,528 are required for efficient stabilization of the functional fold of CB2 in dodecyl maltoside (DDM)/CHAPS detergent solutions. Similar to CHS, the negatively charged phospholipids with the serine headgroup (PS) exerted significant stabilizing effects in micelles while uncharged phospholipids were not effective. The purified CB2 reconstituted into lipid bilayers retained functionality for up to several weeks enabling high resolution structural studies of this GPCR at physiologically relevant conditions.
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39
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Lee K, Jung Y, Lee JY, Lee WK, Lim D, Yu YG. Purification and characterization of recombinant human endothelin receptor type A. Protein Expr Purif 2012; 84:14-8. [PMID: 22561246 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2012.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2012] [Revised: 04/12/2012] [Accepted: 04/17/2012] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Human endothelin receptor type A (ET(A)) is a G-protein coupled receptor that mediates vasoconstriction of blood vessels. To determine the structural characteristics and signaling mechanism of ET(A), we have expressed recombinant ET(A) as a fusion protein with p9 envelope protein from phi6 bacteriophage. The His-tag-labeled p9-ET(A) fusion protein was highly expressed in the membrane fraction of Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity by single affinity chromatography after solubilization with detergents. Purified p9-ET(A) appeared as an oligomer and presented mainly as an α-helical structure. The protein also showed specific binding to endothelin-1 (ET-1) and the alpha subunit of G(q) protein with apparent K(D) values of 17 and 20 nM, respectively. An antagonist of ET(A), bosentan, prevented the interaction between p9-ET(A) and ET-1 in a concentration-dependent manner. These results indicate that recombinant p9-ET(A) has a competent conformation for interactions with ET-1 and the alpha subunit of G(q) protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwangkyu Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Kookmin University, 861-1 Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-702, Republic of Korea
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Chowdhury A, Feng R, Tong Q, Zhang Y, Xie XQ. Mistic and TarCF as fusion protein partners for functional expression of the cannabinoid receptor 2 in Escherichia coli. Protein Expr Purif 2012; 83:128-34. [PMID: 22406258 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2012.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2011] [Revised: 01/14/2012] [Accepted: 01/16/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are key players in signal recognition and cellular communication making them important therapeutic targets. Large-scale production of these membrane proteins in their native form is crucial for understanding their mechanism of action and target-based drug design. Here we report the overexpression system for a GPCR, the cannabinoid receptor subtype 2 (CB2), in Escherichia coli C43(DE3) facilitated by two fusion partners: Mistic, an integral membrane protein expression enhancer at the N-terminal, and TarCF, a C-terminal fragment of the bacterial chemosensory transducer Tar at the C-terminal of the CB2 open reading frame region. Multiple histidine tags were added on both ends of the fusion protein to facilitate purification. Using individual and combined fusion partners, we found that CB2 fusion protein expression was maximized only when both partners were used. Variable growth and induction conditions were conducted to determine and optimize protein expression. More importantly, this fusion protein Mistic-CB2-TarCF can localize into the E. coli membrane and exhibit functional binding activities with known CB2 ligands including CP55,940, WIN55,212-2 and SR144,528. These results indicate that this novel expression and purification system provides us with a promising strategy for the preparation of biologically active GPCRs, as well as general application for the preparation of membrane-bound proteins using the two new fusion partners described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananda Chowdhury
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
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41
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Park SH, Casagrande F, Chu M, Maier K, Kiefer H, Opella SJ. Optimization of purification and refolding of the human chemokine receptor CXCR1 improves the stability of proteoliposomes for structure determination. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2012; 1818:584-91. [PMID: 22024025 PMCID: PMC3777732 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2011.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2011] [Revised: 10/03/2011] [Accepted: 10/06/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The human chemokine receptor CXCR1 is a G-protein coupled receptor that has been successfully expressed in E. coli as inclusion bodies, and purified and refolded in multi-milligram quantities required for structural studies. Expression in E. coli enables selective and uniform isotopic labeling with (13)C and (15)N for NMR studies. Long-term chemical and conformational stability and oligomeric homogeneity of CXCR1 in phospholipid bilayers are crucial for structural studies under physiological conditions. Here we describe substantial refinements in our previously described purification and reconstitution procedures for CXCR1 in phospholipid bilayers. These refinements have led to the preparation of highly purified, completely monomeric, proteoliposome samples that are stable for months at 35°C while subject to the high power radiofrequency irradiations of solid-state NMR experiments. The principal changes from the previously described methods include: 1) ensure that CXCR1 is pure and homogeneously monomeric within the limits of detection (>98%); 2) monitor and control the pH at all times especially following the addition of TCEP, which serves as a reducing agent but also changes the pH; 3) slowly refold CXCR1 with the complete removal of all traces of SDS using a KCl precipitation/dialysis method; and 4) ensure that the molar ratio between the CXCR1 and the phospholipids does not change during refolding and detergent removal. NMR samples prepared with these protocols yield reproducible results over a period of many months at 35°C. This purification and refolding protocol is likely to be applicable with minimal changes to other GPCRs as well as other membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Ho Park
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0307, USA
| | - Fabio Casagrande
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0307, USA
| | - Mignon Chu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0307, USA
| | - Klaus Maier
- Membrane Receptor Technologies, San Diego, CA 92121-3832, USA
| | | | - Stanley J. Opella
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0307, USA
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Kimura T, Yeliseev AA, Vukoti K, Rhodes SD, Cheng K, Rice KC, Gawrisch K. Recombinant cannabinoid type 2 receptor in liposome model activates g protein in response to anionic lipid constituents. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:4076-87. [PMID: 22134924 PMCID: PMC3281699 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.268425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2011] [Revised: 11/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cannabinoid type 2 (CB(2)) receptor expressed in Escherichia coli was purified and successfully reconstituted in the functional form into lipid bilayers composed of POPC, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-L-serine (POPS), and cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CHS). Reconstitution was performed by detergent removal from the protein/lipid/detergent mixed micelles either on an adsorbent column, or by rapid dilution to below the critical micelle concentration of detergent followed by removal of detergent monomers on a concentrator. Proteoliposomes prepared at a protein/phospholipid/CHS molar ratio of 1/620-650/210-220 are free of detergent as shown by (1)H NMR, have a homogeneous protein/lipid ratio shown by isopycnic gradient ultracentrifugation, and are small in size with a mean diameter of 150-200 nm as measured by dynamic light scattering. Functional integrity of the reconstituted receptor was confirmed by quantitative binding of (2)H-labeled agonist CP-55,940-d(6) measured by (2)H magic angle spinning NMR, as well as by activation of G protein. The efficiency of G protein activation by agonist-bound CB(2) receptor was affected by negative electric surface potentials of proteoliposomes controlled by the content of anionic CHS or POPS. The activation was highest at an anionic lipid content of about 50 mol %. There was no correlation between the efficiency of G protein activation and an increase of hydrocarbon chain order induced by CHS or cholesterol. The results suggest the importance of anionic lipids in regulating signal transduction by CB(2) receptor and other class A GPCR. The successful reconstitution of milligram quantities of pure, functional CB(2) receptor enables a wide variety of structural studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Kimura
- From the Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, NIAAA, and
| | | | - Krishna Vukoti
- From the Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, NIAAA, and
| | - Steven D. Rhodes
- From the Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, NIAAA, and
| | - Kejun Cheng
- the Chemical Biology Research Branch, NIDA and NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20852
| | - Kenner C. Rice
- the Chemical Biology Research Branch, NIDA and NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20852
| | - Klaus Gawrisch
- From the Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, NIAAA, and
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Hu J, Qin H, Gao FP, Cross TA. A systematic assessment of mature MBP in membrane protein production: overexpression, membrane targeting and purification. Protein Expr Purif 2011; 80:34-40. [PMID: 21689756 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2011.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2011] [Revised: 06/01/2011] [Accepted: 06/02/2011] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Obtaining enough membrane protein in native or native-like status is still a challenge in membrane protein structure biology. Maltose binding protein (MBP) has been widely used as a fusion partner in improving membrane protein production. In the present work, a systematic assessment on the application of mature MBP (mMBP) for membrane protein overexpression and purification was performed on 42 membrane proteins, most of which showed no or poor expression level in membrane fraction fused with an N-terminal Histag. It was found that most of the small membrane proteins were overexpressed in the native membrane of Escherichia coli when using mMBP. In addition, the proteolysis of the fusions were performed on the membrane without solubilization with detergents, leading to the development of an efficient protocol to directly purify the target membrane proteins from the membrane fraction through a one-step affinity chromatography. Our results indicated that mMBP is an excellent fusion partner for overexpression, membrane targeting and purification of small membrane proteins. The present expression and purification method may be a good solution for the large scale preparation of small membrane proteins in structural and functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Hu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA
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44
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Solution- and solid-state NMR studies of GPCRs and their ligands. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2011; 1808:1462-75. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2010.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2010] [Revised: 10/02/2010] [Accepted: 10/05/2010] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Abstract
His-tagging is the most widespread and versatile strategy used to purify recombinant proteins for biochemical and structural studies. Recombinant DNA methods are first used to engineer the addition of a short tract of poly-histidine tag (His-tag) to the N terminus or C terminus of a target protein. The His-tag is then exploited to enable purification of the "tagged" protein by immobilised metal affinity chromatography (IMAC). Here, we describe efficient procedures for the isolation of highly purified His-tagged target proteins from an Escherichia coli host using IMAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinéad T Loughran
- School of Biotechnology and National Centre for Sensor Research, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
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46
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Samuelson JC. Recent developments in difficult protein expression: a guide to E. coli strains, promoters, and relevant host mutations. Methods Mol Biol 2011; 705:195-209. [PMID: 21125387 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-61737-967-3_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Escherichia coli is a versatile and popular tool for heterologous protein production. Some of the reasons for its popularity include rapid growth, a variety of portable vectors, relatively simple genetics, and the potential for high-density cultivation. In addition, the extensive laboratory use of E. coli has resulted in technologies to target protein overexpression to various intracellular compartments. This is advantageous because these compartments have different environments that may facilitate folding of particular proteins of interest. This chapter discusses the properties of many of the E. coli strains available for protein expression in order to facilitate the choice of the best expression host for a particular protein of interest.
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47
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Walls D, Loughran ST. Tagging recombinant proteins to enhance solubility and aid purification. Methods Mol Biol 2011; 681:151-175. [PMID: 20978965 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-60761-913-0_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Protein fusion technology has enormously facilitated the efficient production and purification of individual recombinant proteins. The use of genetically engineered affinity and solubility-enhancing polypeptide "tags" has increased greatly in recent years and there now exists a considerable repertoire of these that can be used to solve issues related to the expression, stability, solubility, folding, and purification of their fusion partner. In the case of large-scale proteomic studies, the development of purification procedures tailored to individual proteins is not practicable, and affinity tags have therefore become indispensable tools for structural and functional proteomic initiatives that involve the expression of many proteins in parallel. Here, the rationale and applications of a range of established and more recently developed solubility-enhancing and affinity tags are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dermot Walls
- School of Biotechnology and National Centre for Sensor Research, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
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48
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Petrovskaya LE, Shulga AA, Bocharova OV, Ermolyuk YS, Kryukova EA, Chupin VV, Blommers MJJ, Arseniev AS, Kirpichnikov MP. Expression of G-protein coupled receptors in Escherichia coli for structural studies. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2010; 75:881-91. [PMID: 20673212 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297910070102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
To elaborate a high-performance system for expression of genes of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR), methods of direct and hybrid expression of 17 GPCR genes in Escherichia coli and selection of strains and bacteria cultivation conditions were investigated. It was established that expression of most of the target GPCR fused with the N-terminal fragment of OmpF or Mistic using media for autoinduction provides high output (up to 50 mg/liter).
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Affiliation(s)
- L E Petrovskaya
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
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49
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White JF, Grisshammer R. Stability of the neurotensin receptor NTS1 free in detergent solution and immobilized to affinity resin. PLoS One 2010; 5:e12579. [PMID: 20830205 PMCID: PMC2935352 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2010] [Accepted: 08/08/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Purification of recombinant membrane receptors is commonly achieved by use of an affinity tag followed by an additional chromatography step if required. This second step may exploit specific receptor properties such as ligand binding. However, the effects of multiple purification steps on protein yield and integrity are often poorly documented. We have previously reported a robust two-step purification procedure for the recombinant rat neurotensin receptor NTS1 to give milligram quantities of functional receptor protein. First, histidine-tagged receptors are enriched by immobilized metal affinity chromatography using Ni-NTA resin. Second, remaining contaminants in the Ni-NTA column eluate are removed by use of a subsequent neurotensin column yielding pure NTS1. Whilst the neurotensin column eluate contained functional receptor protein, we observed in the neurotensin column flow-through misfolded NTS1. METHODS AND FINDINGS To investigate the origin of the misfolded receptors, we estimated the amount of functional and misfolded NTS1 at each purification step by radio-ligand binding, densitometry of Coomassie stained SDS-gels, and protein content determination. First, we observed that correctly folded NTS1 suffers damage by exposure to detergent and various buffer compositions as seen by the loss of [(3)H]neurotensin binding over time. Second, exposure to the neurotensin affinity resin generated additional misfolded receptor protein. CONCLUSION Our data point towards two ways by which misfolded NTS1 may be generated: Damage by exposure to buffer components and by close contact of the receptor to the neurotensin affinity resin. Because NTS1 in detergent solution is stabilized by neurotensin, we speculate that the occurrence of aggregated receptor after contact with the neurotensin resin is the consequence of perturbations in the detergent belt surrounding the NTS1 transmembrane core. Both effects reduce the yield of functional receptor protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim F. White
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Reinhard Grisshammer
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
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50
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Patel H, Raval G, Nazari M, Heerklotz H. Effects of glycerol and urea on micellization, membrane partitioning and solubilization by a non-ionic surfactant. Biophys Chem 2010; 150:119-28. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2010.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2010] [Revised: 03/18/2010] [Accepted: 03/18/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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