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Eigenfeld M, Lupp KFM, Schwaminger SP. Role of Natural Binding Proteins in Therapy and Diagnostics. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:630. [PMID: 38792650 PMCID: PMC11122601 DOI: 10.3390/life14050630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
This review systematically investigates the critical role of natural binding proteins (NBPs), encompassing DNA-, RNA-, carbohydrate-, fatty acid-, and chitin-binding proteins, in the realms of oncology and diagnostics. In an era where cancer continues to pose significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide, the innovative exploration of NBPs offers a promising frontier for advancing both the diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic efficacy of cancer management strategies. This manuscript provides an in-depth examination of the unique mechanisms by which NBPs interact with specific molecular targets, highlighting their potential to revolutionize cancer diagnostics and therapy. Furthermore, it discusses the burgeoning research on aptamers, demonstrating their utility as 'nucleic acid antibodies' for targeted therapy and precision diagnostics. Despite the promising applications of NBPs and aptamers in enhancing early cancer detection and developing personalized treatment protocols, this review identifies a critical knowledge gap: the need for comprehensive studies to understand the diverse functionalities and therapeutic potentials of NBPs across different cancer types and diagnostic scenarios. By bridging this gap, this manuscript underscores the importance of NBPs and aptamers in paving the way for next-generation diagnostics and targeted cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Eigenfeld
- Otto-Loewi Research Center, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Kilian F. M. Lupp
- Otto-Loewi Research Center, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Sebastian P. Schwaminger
- Otto-Loewi Research Center, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6, 8010 Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed-Graz, Mozartgasse 12/II, 8010 Graz, Austria
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2
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Zeng G, Zheng Y, Xiang Y, Liu R, Yang X, Lin Z. A novel protein purification scheme based on salt inducible self-assembling peptides. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:224. [PMID: 37899435 PMCID: PMC10614350 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02229-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Protein purification remains a critical need for biosciences and biotechnology. It frequently requires multiple rounds of chromatographic steps that are expensive and time-consuming. Our lab previously reported a cleavable self-aggregating tag (cSAT) scheme for streamlined protein expression and purification. The tag consists of a self-assembling peptide (SAP) and a controllable self-cleaving intein. The SAP drives the target protein into an active aggregate, then by intein-mediated cleavage, the target protein is released. Here we report a novel cSAT scheme in which the self-assembling peptide is replaced with a salt inducible self-assembling peptide. This allows a target protein to be expressed first in the soluble form, and the addition of salt then drives the target protein into the aggregated form, followed by cleavage and release. RESULTS In this study, we used MpA (MKQLEDKIEELLSKAAMKQLEDKIEELLSK) as a second class of self-assembling peptide in the cSAT scheme. This scheme utilizes low salt concentration to keep the fusion protein soluble, while eliminating insoluble cellular matters by centrifugation. Salt then triggers MpA-mediated self-aggregation of the fusion, removing soluble background host cell proteins. Finally, intein-mediated cleavage releases the target protein into solution. As a proof-of-concept, we successfully purified four proteins and peptides (human growth hormone, 22.1 kDa; LCB3, 7.7 kDa; SpyCatcherΔN-ELP-SpyCatcherΔN, 26.2 kDa; and xylanase, 45.3 kDa) with yields ranging from 12 to 87 mg/L. This was comparable to the classical His-tag method both in yield and purity (72-97%), but without the His-tag. By using a further two-step column purification process that included ion-exchange chromatography and size-exclusion chromatography, the purity was increased to over 99%. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that a salt-inducible self-assembling peptide can serve as a controllable aggregating tag, which might be advantageous in applications where soluble expression of the target protein is preferred. This work also demonstrates the potential and advantages of utilizing salt inducible self-assembling peptides for protein separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Zeng
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, 382 East Outer Loop Road, University Park, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yinzhen Zheng
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, 382 East Outer Loop Road, University Park, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Ya Xiang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, 382 East Outer Loop Road, University Park, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Run Liu
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, 382 East Outer Loop Road, University Park, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Xiaofeng Yang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, 382 East Outer Loop Road, University Park, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Zhanglin Lin
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, 382 East Outer Loop Road, University Park, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
- Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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3
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Staii C. Conformational Changes in Surface-Immobilized Proteins Measured Using Combined Atomic Force and Fluorescence Microscopy. Molecules 2023; 28:4632. [PMID: 37375186 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28124632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological organisms rely on proteins to perform the majority of their functions. Most protein functions are based on their physical motions (conformational changes), which can be described as transitions between different conformational states in a multidimensional free-energy landscape. A comprehensive understanding of this free-energy landscape is therefore of paramount importance for understanding the biological functions of proteins. Protein dynamics includes both equilibrium and nonequilibrium motions, which typically exhibit a wide range of characteristic length and time scales. The relative probabilities of various conformational states in the energy landscape, the energy barriers between them, their dependence on external parameters such as force and temperature, and their connection to the protein function remain largely unknown for most proteins. In this paper, we present a multimolecule approach in which the proteins are immobilized at well-defined locations on Au substrates using an atomic force microscope (AFM)-based patterning method called nanografting. This method enables precise control over the protein location and orientation on the substrate, as well as the creation of biologically active protein ensembles that self-assemble into well-defined nanoscale regions (protein patches) on the gold substrate. We performed AFM-force compression and fluorescence experiments on these protein patches and measured the fundamental dynamical parameters such as protein stiffness, elastic modulus, and transition energies between distinct conformational states. Our results provide new insights into the processes that govern protein dynamics and its connection to protein function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Staii
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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4
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Zhou R, Zhang L, Zeng B, Zhou Y, Jin W, Zhang G. A novel self-purified auxiliary protein enhances the lichenase activity towards lichenan for biomass degradation. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023:10.1007/s00253-023-12608-y. [PMID: 37272940 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12608-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Due to the complex composition of lichenan, lichenase alone cannot always hydrolyze it efficiently. Carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) have been confirmed to increase the hydrolysis efficiency of lichenases. However, their practical application was hampered by the complex and costly preparation procedure, as well as the poor stability of LPMOs. Herein, we discovered a novel and stable auxiliary protein named SCE to boost the hydrolysis efficiency. SCE was composed of SpyCatcher (SC) and elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) and could be easily and cheaply prepared. Under the optimal conditions, the boosting degree for SCE/lichenase was 1.45, and the reducing sugar yield improved by nearly 45%. The results of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) indicated that SCE had no influence on the hydrolysis pattern of lichenase. Through the experimental verification and bioinformatics analysis, we proposed the role of SCE in promoting the interaction between the lichenase and substrates. These findings endow SC with a novel function in binding to insoluble lichenan, paving the way for biomass degradation and biorefinery. KEY POINTS: • A novel self-purification auxiliary protein that could boost the hydrolysis efficiency of lichenase has been identified. • The protein is highly produced, simple to prepare, well stable, and does not require any external electron donor. • The novel function of SpyCatcher in binding to insoluble lichenan was first demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhou
- College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, 361021, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingzhi Zhang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, 361021, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Zeng
- College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, 361021, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanhong Zhou
- College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, 361021, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenhui Jin
- Technology Innovation Center for Exploitation of Marine Biological Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangya Zhang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, 361021, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
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5
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Fages-Lartaud M, Mueller Y, Elie F, Courtade G, Hohmann-Marriott MF. Standard Intein Gene Expression Ramps (SIGER) for Protein-Independent Expression Control. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1058-1071. [PMID: 36920366 PMCID: PMC10127266 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Coordination of multigene expression is one of the key challenges of metabolic engineering for the development of cell factories. Constraints on translation initiation and early ribosome kinetics of mRNA are imposed by features of the 5'UTR in combination with the start of the gene, referred to as the "gene ramp", such as rare codons and mRNA secondary structures. These features strongly influence the translation yield and protein quality by regulating the ribosome distribution on mRNA strands. The utilization of genetic expression sequences, such as promoters and 5'UTRs in combination with different target genes, leads to a wide variety of gene ramp compositions with irregular translation rates, leading to unpredictable levels of protein yield and quality. Here, we present the Standard Intein Gene Expression Ramp (SIGER) system for controlling protein expression. The SIGER system makes use of inteins to decouple the translation initiation features from the gene of a target protein. We generated sequence-specific gene expression sequences for two inteins (DnaB and DnaX) that display defined levels of protein expression. Additionally, we used inteins that possess the ability to release the C-terminal fusion protein in vivo to avoid the impairment of protein functionality by the fused intein. Overall, our results show that SIGER systems are unique tools to mitigate the undesirable effects of gene ramp variation and to control the relative ratios of enzymes involved in molecular pathways. As a proof of concept of the potential of the system, we also used a SIGER system to express two difficult-to-produce proteins, GumM and CBM73.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Fages-Lartaud
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Yasmin Mueller
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Florence Elie
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Gaston Courtade
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Martin Frank Hohmann-Marriott
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway.,United Scientists CORE (Limited), Dunedin 9016, Aotearoa, New Zealand
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6
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Yuan H, Liu G, Chen Y, Yi Z, Jin W, Zhang G. A versatile tag for simple preparation of cutinase towards enhanced biodegradation of polyethylene terephthalate. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 225:149-161. [PMID: 36403765 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.11.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Enzymatic degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) suffered from challenges such as complex and costly enzyme preparation, difficult access to PET substrates, poor reusability of free enzymes and sometimes MHET inhibitions. Herein, we propose an "all-in-one" strategy to address these issues with a well-designed elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) tag. The preparation of the ELPs-tagged cutinase (ET-C) was efficient and easy to scale up by centrifugation, with an activity recovery of 57.55 % and a yield of 160 mg/L. Besides, the activity of the ET-C was 1.3 and 1.66-fold higher in degrading PET micro- and macro-plastics compared to wild-type cutinase. The self-immobilized cutinase (ET-C@SiO2) obtained by the ELPs-mediated biosilicification exhibited high loading capacity, activity, and thermostability and maintained 77.65 % of the original activity after 10 reuses. Interestingly, the product of the ET-C was TPA, whereas the wild-type was TPA and MHET. This is a simple way to release the intermediates inhibition compared with the existing methods. Our results demonstrated the feasibility of the versatile ELPs tag, which will pave an alternative economic way for scalable PET biodegradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Yuan
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, Fujian Province, PR China
| | - Guanzhang Liu
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, Fujian Province, PR China
| | - Yaxin Chen
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, Fujian Province, PR China
| | - Zhiwei Yi
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Nature Resources, Xiamen 361005, Fujian Province, PR China
| | - Wenhui Jin
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Nature Resources, Xiamen 361005, Fujian Province, PR China
| | - Guangya Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, Fujian Province, PR China.
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7
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Khodakarami A, Dabirmanesh B, Asad S, Khaledi M. Enhanced Solubility and One-Step Purification of Functional Dimeric Carboxypeptidase G2. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2021; 86:190-196. [PMID: 33832417 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297921020073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Carboxypeptidase G2 is a bacterial enzyme that catalyzes methotrexate conversion to its inactive forms which are then eliminated via a non-renal pathway in patients with renal disorders during a high-dose methotrexate administration. Due to the increasing demand of this enzyme, it was of interest to simplify its production process. For this reason, we developed a method for production and one-step purification of this enzyme using an intein-mediated system with a chitin-binding affinity tag. The carboxypeptidase G2 gene from Pseudomonas RS16 was optimized, synthesized, cloned into the pTXB1 expression vector and finally transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) cells. The optimal condition for the enzyme soluble expression was achieved in 2×YT medium containing 1% glucose at 25°C for 30 h with 0.5 mM IPTG. The enzyme without intein was expressed as inclusion bodies indicating the importance of intein for the protein solubility. The expressed homodimer protein was purified to homogeneity on a chitin affinity column. The Km and kcat values of 6.5 µM and 4.57 s-1, respectively, were obtained for the purified enzyme. Gel filtration analysis indicated that the resulting recombinant protein was a dimer of 83 kDa. Fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy confirmed the enzyme tertiary and secondary structures, respectively. The use of intein-mediated system provided the possibility of the one-step carboxypeptidase G2 purification, paving the way to the application of this enzyme in pharmaceutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atefeh Khodakarami
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, 14115, Iran
| | - Bahareh Dabirmanesh
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, 14115, Iran.
| | - Sedigheh Asad
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, 14155, Iran
| | - Mohammad Khaledi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, 14115, Iran
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8
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Napiorkowska M, Pestalozzi L, Panke S, Held M, Schmitt S. High-Throughput Optimization of Recombinant Protein Production in Microfluidic Gel Beads. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2005523. [PMID: 33325637 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202005523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Efficient production hosts are a key requirement for bringing biopharmaceutical and biotechnological innovations to the market. In this work, a truly universal high-throughput platform for optimization of microbial protein production is described. Using droplet microfluidics, large genetic libraries of strains are encapsulated into biocompatible gel beads that are engineered to selectively retain any protein of interest. Bead-retained products are then fluorescently labeled and strains with superior production titers are isolated using flow cytometry. The broad applicability of the platform is demonstrated by successfully culturing several industrially relevant bacterial and yeast strains and detecting peptides or proteins of interest that are secreted or released from the cell via autolysis. Lastly, the platform is applied to optimize cutinase secretion in Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris) and a strain with 5.7-fold improvement is isolated. The platform permits the analysis of >106 genotypes per day and is readily applicable to any protein that can be equipped with a His6 -tag. It is envisioned that the platform will be useful for large screening campaigns that aim to identify improved hosts for large-scale production of biotechnologically relevant proteins, thereby accelerating the costly and time-consuming process of strain engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Napiorkowska
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, Basel, 4058, Switzerland
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Luzius Pestalozzi
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, Basel, 4058, Switzerland
| | - Sven Panke
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, Basel, 4058, Switzerland
| | - Martin Held
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, Basel, 4058, Switzerland
| | - Steven Schmitt
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, Basel, 4058, Switzerland
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9
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Hosseini ES, Zeinoddini M, Saeedinia AR, Babaeipour V. Optimization and One-Step Purification of Recombinant V Antigen Production from Yersinia pestis. Mol Biotechnol 2020; 62:177-184. [PMID: 31894514 PMCID: PMC7222043 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-019-00234-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to develop an efficient and inexpensive method for the useful production of recombinant protein V antigen, an important virulence factor for Yersinia pestis. To this end, the synthetic gene encoding the V antigen was subcloned into the downstream of the intein (INT) and chitin-binding domain (CBD) from the pTXB1 vector using specific primers. In the following, the produced new plasmid, pTX-V, was transformed into E. coli ER2566 strain, and the expression accuracy was confirmed using electrophoresis and Western blotting. In addition, the effects of medium, inducer, and temperature on the enhancement of protein production were studied using the Taguchi method. Finally, the V antigen was purified by a chitin affinity column using INT and CBD tag. The expression was induced by 0.05 mM IPTG at 25 °C under optimal conditions including TB medium. It was observed that the expression of the V-INT–CBD fusion protein was successfully increased to more than 40% of the total protein. The purity of V antigen was as high as 90%. This result indicates that V antigen can be produced at low cost and subjected to one-step purification using a self-cleaving INT tag.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elahe Seyed Hosseini
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.,Gametogenesis Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Mehdi Zeinoddini
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran. .,Gametogenesis Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
| | - Ali Reza Saeedinia
- Gametogenesis Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Valiollah Babaeipour
- Gametogenesis Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
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10
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Ranjbar S, Rahbarizadeh F, Ahmadvand D. Designing an ELP-intein system: toward a more realistic outlook. Prep Biochem Biotechnol 2019; 49:222-229. [PMID: 30806151 DOI: 10.1080/10826068.2018.1509087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Despite the ever-growing demand for proteins in pharmaceutical applications, downstream processing imposes many technical and economic limitations to recombinant technology. Elastin-like polypeptides tend to aggregate reversibly at a specific temperature. These biopolymers have been joined with self-cleaving inteins to develop a non-chromatographic platform for protein purification without the need for expensive enzymatic tag removal. Following the design and expression of an ELP-intein-tagged GFP, herein, we report certain complications and setbacks associated with this protein purification system, overlooked in previous studies. Based on our results, a recovery rate of 68% was achieved using inverse transition cycling. Fluorescence intensity analysis indicated a production yield of 11 mg GFP fusion protein per liter of bacterial culture. The low expression level is attributable to several factors, such as irreversible aggregation, slipped-strand mispairing or insufficiency of aminoacyl tRNAs during protein translation of the highly repetitive ELP tag. While the goals we set out to achieve were not entirely met, a number of useful tips could be gathered as a generic means for implementing ELP-intein protein purification. Overall, we believe that such reports help clarify the exact capacity of emerging techniques and build a fairly realistic prospect toward their application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeed Ranjbar
- a Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences , Tarbiat Modares University , Tehran , Iran
| | - Fatemeh Rahbarizadeh
- a Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences , Tarbiat Modares University , Tehran , Iran
| | - Davoud Ahmadvand
- b Department of Medical Laboratoty Sciences , Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.,c Neuroscience Research Center , Iran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
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11
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Lin Y, Jin W, Wang J, Cai Z, Wu S, Zhang G. A novel method for simultaneous purification and immobilization of a xylanase-lichenase chimera via SpyTag/SpyCatcher spontaneous reaction. Enzyme Microb Technol 2018; 115:29-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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12
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Hosseini ES, Moniri R, Goli YD, Kashani HH. Purification of Antibacterial CHAP K Protein Using a Self-Cleaving Fusion Tag and Its Activity Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2018; 8:202-210. [PMID: 27797005 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-016-9236-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic LysK-CHAP is a potent anti-staphylococcal protein that could be utilized as an antibiotic substitute. Intein-mediated protein purification is a reasonable and cost-effective method that is most recently used for recombinant therapeutic protein production. Intein (INT) is the internal parts of the protein that can be separated from the immature protein during protein splicing process. This sequence requires no specific enzyme or cofactor for separation. INT sequence and their characteristic of self-cleavage by thiol induction, temperature, and pH changes are used for protein purification. The current study presents the expression of CHAPK262 domain of LysK gene that is fused with INT/chitin-binding sequence while evaluating its purification procedure and antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The coding gene sequence of LysK-CHAP (CHAPK262) in pET22-b was amplified with polymerase chain reaction (PCR); the digested product was then cloned into the pTXB1 vector. Electrophoresis confirmed the cloning accuracy of the gene. The pTXB1-CHAPK262 plasmid was transformed to the Escherichia coli ER2566 (E. coli ER2566) expression strain and analyzed for expression of the recombinant protein by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting methods. Finally, CHAPK262 was purified by chitin affinity column using INT tag technology and confirmed by SDS-PAGE. Lytic activity of the purified protein was investigated by disk diffusion method. Cloning of CHAPK262 into the pTXB1 vector, which comprised INT/chitin-binding sequence, was successfully achieved. The SDS-PAGE data also revealed successful expression of the CHAPK262-INT fusion protein and Western blotting method validated the accuracy of the protein. Moreover, purification of CHAPK262 protein was induced by dithiothreitol (DTT) and confirmed by SDS-PAGE. Finally, inhibition zone in MRAS culture medium confirmed antibacterial activity of the protein. Application of intein-mediated antibacterial protein is an appropriate and streamlined method for one-step purification of CHAPK262 as a therapeutic and antibacterial protein. Self-cleaving tags like intein are cost-effective and could be used as a proper purification method for industrial purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elahe Seyed Hosseini
- Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Rezvan Moniri
- Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | | | - Hamed Haddad Kashani
- Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
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13
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New trends in aggregating tags for therapeutic protein purification. Biotechnol Lett 2018; 40:745-753. [PMID: 29605942 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-018-2543-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The rapid growth of the therapeutic protein market calls for more efficient purification methods. Various aggregating tags have recently emerged as simple, fast, cost-effective and column-free technologies for protein (and peptide) purification. In general, these column-free protein purification technologies involve the use of aggregating tags that induce the target protein into insoluble aggregates. These aggregates can be easily separated from soluble impurities and the target protein or peptide is then liberated by a cleavage process. This review summarizes the current state-of-the-art in using aggregating tags for protein purification. The methods are here categorized as follows: (1) tags that allow soluble expression of target protein in vivo and induce aggregation in vitro; (2) tags that induce soluble expression and self-assembling of target protein on insoluble biological polyester beads in vivo; (3) tags that induce formation of inactive aggregates in vivo; (4) tags that induce formation of active aggregates in vivo.
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14
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Ji Y, Lu Y, Yan Y, Liu X, Su N, Zhang C, Bi S, Xing XH. Design of Fusion Proteins for Efficient and Soluble Production of Immunogenic Ebola Virus Glycoprotein in Escherichia coli. Biotechnol J 2018; 13:e1700627. [PMID: 29500882 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201700627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The Ebola hemorrhagic fever caused by Ebola virus is an extremely dangerous disease, and effective therapeutic agents are still lacking. Platforms for the efficient production of vaccines are crucial to ensure quick response against an Ebola virus outbreak. Ebola virus glycoprotein (EbolaGP) on the virion surface is responsible for membrane binding and virus entry, thus becoming the key target for vaccine development. However, heterologous expression of this protein still faces engineering challenges such as low production levels and insoluble aggregation. Here, the authors design and compare various fusion strategies, attaching great importance to the solubility-enhancing effect, and tag removal process. It is found that a C-terminal intein-based tag greatly enhances the solubility of EbolaGP and allows one-step chromatographic purification of the untagged EbolaGP through thiol-catalyzed self-cleavage. The purified untagged EbolaGP alone or with Freund's adjuvant are highly immunogenic, as confirmed in a mouse model. Consequently, the present study puts forward a new strategy for the efficient and soluble expression of untagged immunogenic EbolaGP. The intein-based protein fusion approach may be of importance for the large-scale production of Ebola virus subunit vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Ji
- MOE Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Yuan Lu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Yishu Yan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Xinxin Liu
- Bio-Cell Co. Ltd., Beijing, 100085, P. R. China
| | - Nan Su
- Bio-Cell Co. Ltd., Beijing, 100085, P. R. China
| | - Chong Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China.,Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Shengli Bi
- Institute of Virology Disease Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Xin-Hui Xing
- MOE Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China.,Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
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Zhang Y, Fan Y. A Mutant Sumo Facilitates Quick Plasmid Construction for Expressing Proteins with Native N-termini After Tag Removal. Mol Biotechnol 2017; 59:159-167. [DOI: 10.1007/s12033-017-9998-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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16
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Production of a polar fish antimicrobial peptide in Escherichia coli using an ELP-intein tag. J Biotechnol 2016; 234:83-89. [PMID: 27485812 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2016.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
An important aspect related to infectious pathogens is their exceptional adaptability in developing resistance, which leads to a perpetual challenge in the discovery of antimicrobial drugs with novel mechanisms of action. Among them, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) stand out as promising anti-infective molecules. In order to overcome the high costs associated with isolation from natural sources or chemical synthesis of AMPs we propose the expression of Pa-MAP 2, a polyalanine AMP. Pa-MAP 2 was fused to an ELP-intein tag where the ELP (Elastin-like polypeptide) was used to promote aggregation and fast and cost-effective isolation after expression, and the intein was used to stimulate a controlled AMP release. For these, the vector pET21a was used to produce Pa-MAP 2 fused to the N-termini region of a modified Mxe GyrA intein followed by 60 repetitions of ELP. Purified Pa-MAP 2 showed a MIC of 25μM against E. coli ATCC 8739. Batch fermentation demonstrated that Pa-MAP-2 can be produced in both rich and defined media at yields 50-fold higher than reported for other AMPs produced by the ELP-intein system, and in comparable yields to expression systems with protease or chemical cleavage.
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Last D, Müller J, Dawood AWH, Moldenhauer EJ, Pavlidis IV, Bornscheuer UT. Highly efficient and easy protease-mediated protein purification. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2015; 100:1945-1953. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-015-7206-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Revised: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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18
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Lin Z, Zhao Q, Xing L, Zhou B, Wang X. Aggregating tags for column-free protein purification. Biotechnol J 2015; 10:1877-86. [PMID: 26556016 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201500299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Revised: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Protein purification remains a central need for biotechnology. In recent years, a class of aggregating tags has emerged, which offers a quick, cost-effective and column-free alternative for producing recombinant proteins (and also peptides) with yield and purity comparable to that of the popular His-tag. These column-free tags induce the formation of aggregates (during or after expression) when fused to a target protein or peptide, and upon separation from soluble impurities, the target protein or peptide is subsequently released via a cleavage site. In this review, we categorize these tags as follows: (i) tags that induce inactive protein aggregates in vivo; (ii) tags that induce active protein aggregates in vivo; and (iii) tags that induce soluble expression in vivo, but aggregates in vitro. The respective advantages and disadvantages of these tags are discussed, and compared to the three conventional tags (His-tag, maltose-binding protein [MBP] tag, and intein-mediated purification with a chitin-binding tag [IMPACT-CN]). While this new class of aggregating tags is promising, more systematic tests are required to further the use. It is conceivable, however, that the combination of these tags and the more traditional columns may significantly reduce the costs for resins and columns, particularly for the industrial scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanglin Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Laboratory for Industrial Enzymes, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
| | - Qing Zhao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Laboratory for Industrial Enzymes, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Xing
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Laboratory for Industrial Enzymes, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Bihong Zhou
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Laboratory for Industrial Enzymes, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Laboratory for Industrial Enzymes, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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Wang X, Zhou B, Hu W, Zhao Q, Lin Z. Formation of active inclusion bodies induced by hydrophobic self-assembling peptide GFIL8. Microb Cell Fact 2015; 14:88. [PMID: 26077447 PMCID: PMC4467046 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-015-0270-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In the last few decades, several groups have observed that proteins expressed as inclusion bodies (IBs) in bacteria could still be biologically active when terminally fused to an appropriate aggregation-prone partner such as pyruvate oxidase from Paenibacillus polymyxa (PoxB). More recently, we have demonstrated that three amphipathic self-assembling peptides, an alpha helical peptide 18A, a beta-strand peptide ELK16, and a surfactant-like peptide L6KD, have properties that induce target proteins into active IBs. We have developed an efficient protein expression and purification approach for these active IBs by introducing a self-cleavable intein molecule. Results In this study, the self-assembling peptide GFIL8 (GFILGFIL) with only hydrophobic residues was analyzed, and this peptide effectively induced the formation of cytoplasmic IBs in Escherichia coli when terminally attached to lipase A and amadoriase II. The protein aggregates in cells were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy analysis and retained ~50% of their specific activities relative to the native counterparts. We constructed an expression and separation coupled tag (ESCT) by incorporating an intein molecule, the Mxe GyrA intein. Soluble target proteins were successfully released from active IBs upon cleavage of the intein between the GFIL8 tag and the target protein, which was mediated by dithiothreitol. A variant of GFIL8, GFIL16 (GFILGFILGFILGFIL), improved the ESCT scheme by efficiently eliminating interference from the soluble intein-GFIL8 molecule. The yields of target proteins at the laboratory scale were 3.0–7.5 μg/mg wet cell pellet, which is comparable to the yields from similar ESCT constructs using 18A, ELK16, or the elastin-like peptide tag scheme. Conclusions The all-hydrophobic self-assembling peptide GFIL8 induced the formation of active IBs in E. coli when terminally attached to target proteins. GFIL8 and its variant GFIL16 can act as a “pull-down” tag to produce purified soluble proteins with reasonable quantity and purity from active aggregates. Owing to the structural simplicity, strong hydrophobicity, and high aggregating efficiency, these peptides can be further explored for enzyme production and immobilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, One Tsinghua Garden Road, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Bihong Zhou
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, One Tsinghua Garden Road, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Weike Hu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, One Tsinghua Garden Road, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Qing Zhao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, One Tsinghua Garden Road, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Zhanglin Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, One Tsinghua Garden Road, Beijing, 100084, China.
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Miraula M, Enculescu C, Schenk G, Mitić N. Inteins—A Focus on the Biotechnological Applications of Splicing-Promoting Proteins. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.4236/ajmb.2015.52005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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21
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Comparative Analysis of the Effectiveness of C-terminal Cleavage Intein-Based Constructs in Producing a Recombinant Analog of Anophelin, an Anticoagulant from Anopheles albimanus. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2014; 175:2468-88. [DOI: 10.1007/s12010-014-1400-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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22
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Müller H, Salzig D, Czermak P. Considerations for the process development of insect-derived antimicrobial peptide production. Biotechnol Prog 2014; 31:1-11. [DOI: 10.1002/btpr.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Revised: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hagen Müller
- Inst. of Bioprocess Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Applied Sciences Mittelhessen; Wiesenstrasse 14 Giessen 35390 Germany
| | - Denise Salzig
- Inst. of Bioprocess Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Applied Sciences Mittelhessen; Wiesenstrasse 14 Giessen 35390 Germany
| | - Peter Czermak
- Inst. of Bioprocess Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Applied Sciences Mittelhessen; Wiesenstrasse 14 Giessen 35390 Germany
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry; Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen; Germany
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering; Kansas State University; Manhattan KS USA
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME); Project group “Bioresources”, Winchesterstrasse 3; Giessen 35394 Germany
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23
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Kowalczyk T, Hnatuszko-Konka K, Gerszberg A, Kononowicz AK. Elastin-like polypeptides as a promising family of genetically-engineered protein based polymers. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 30:2141-52. [PMID: 24699809 PMCID: PMC4072924 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-014-1649-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 03/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELP) are artificial, genetically encodable biopolymers, belonging to elastomeric proteins, which are widespread in a wide range of living organisms. They are composed of a repeating pentapeptide sequence Val-Pro-Gly-Xaa-Gly, where the guest residue (Xaa) can be any naturally occurring amino acid except proline. These polymers undergo reversible phase transition that can be triggered by various environmental stimuli, such as temperature, pH or ionic strength. This behavior depends greatly on the molecular weight, concentration of ELP in the solution and composition of the amino acids constituting ELPs. At a temperature below the inverse transition temperature (Tt), ELPs are soluble, but insoluble when the temperature exceeds Tt. Furthermore, this feature is retained even when ELP is fused to the protein of interest. These unique properties make ELP very useful for a wide variety of biomedical applications (e.g. protein purification, drug delivery etc.) and it can be expected that smart biopolymers will play a significant role in the development of most new materials and technologies. Here we present the structure and properties of thermally responsive elastin-like polypeptides with a particular emphasis on biomedical and biotechnological application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Kowalczyk
- Department of Genetics and Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lodz, Banacha Street 12/16, 90-237, Lodz, Poland,
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24
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Several affinity tags commonly used in chromatographic purification. JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL METHODS IN CHEMISTRY 2013; 2013:581093. [PMID: 24490106 PMCID: PMC3893739 DOI: 10.1155/2013/581093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2013] [Revised: 11/11/2013] [Accepted: 12/02/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Affinity tags have become powerful tools from basic biological research to structural and functional proteomics. They were widely used to facilitate the purification and detection of proteins of interest, as well as the separation of protein complexes. Here, we mainly discuss the benefits and drawbacks of several affinity or epitope tags frequently used, including hexahistidine tag, FLAG tag, Strep II tag, streptavidin-binding peptide (SBP) tag, calmodulin-binding peptide (CBP), glutathione S-transferase (GST), maltose-binding protein (MBP), S-tag, HA tag, and c-Myc tag. In some cases, a large-size affinity tag, such as GST or MBP, can significantly impact on the structure and biological activity of the fusion partner protein. So it is usually necessary to excise the tag by protease. The most commonly used endopeptidases are enterokinase, factor Xa, thrombin, tobacco etch virus, and human rhinovirus 3C protease. The proteolysis features of these proteases are described in order to provide a general guidance on the proteolytic removal of the affinity tags.
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25
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Bell MR, Engleka MJ, Malik A, Strickler JE. To fuse or not to fuse: what is your purpose? Protein Sci 2013; 22:1466-77. [PMID: 24038604 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2013] [Revised: 08/19/2013] [Accepted: 08/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Since the dawn of time, or at least the dawn of recombinant DNA technology (which for many of today's scientists is the same thing), investigators have been cloning and expressing heterologous proteins in a variety of different cells for a variety of different reasons. These range from cell biological studies looking at protein-protein interactions, post-translational modifications, and regulation, to laboratory-scale production in support of biochemical, biophysical, and structural studies, to large scale production of potential biotherapeutics. In parallel, fusion-tag technology has grown-up to facilitate microscale purification (pull-downs), protein visualization (epitope tags), enhanced expression and solubility (protein partners, e.g., GST, MBP, TRX, and SUMO), and generic purification (e.g., His-tags, streptag, and FLAG™-tag). Frequently, these latter two goals are combined in a single fusion partner. In this review, we examine the most commonly used fusion methodologies from the perspective of the ultimate use of the tagged protein. That is, what are the most commonly used fusion partners for pull-downs, for structural studies, for production of active proteins, or for large-scale purification? What are the advantages and limitations of each? This review is not meant to be exhaustive and the approach undoubtedly reflects the experiences and interests of the authors. For the sake of brevity, we have largely ignored epitope tags although they receive wide use in cell biology for immunopreciptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R Bell
- LifeSensors, Inc., Malvern, Pennsylvania, 19083
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26
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Liu F, Chen W. Engineering a recyclable elastin-like polypeptide capturing scaffold for non-chromatographic protein purification. Biotechnol Prog 2013; 29:968-71. [PMID: 23801586 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.1757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2013] [Revised: 05/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Previously, we reported a non-chromatographic protein purification method exploiting the highly specific interaction between the dockerin and cohesin domains from Clostridium thermocellum and the reversible aggregation property of elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) to provide fast and cost-effective protein purification. However, the bound dockerin-intein tag cannot be completely dissociated from the ELP-cohesin capturing scaffold due to the high binding affinity, resulting in a single-use approach. In order to further reduce the purification cost by recycling the ELP capturing scaffold, a truncated dockerin domain with the calcium-coordinating function partially impaired was employed. We demonstrated that the truncated dockerin domain was sufficient to function as an effective affinity tag, and the target protein was purified directly from cell extracts in a single binding step followed by intein cleavage. The efficient EDTA-mediated dissociation of the bound dockerin-intein tag from the ELP-cohesin capturing scaffold was realized, and the regenerated ELP capturing scaffold was reused in another purification cycle without any decrease in the purification efficiency. This recyclable non-chromatographic based affinity method provides an attractive approach for efficient and cost-effective protein purification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Liu
- Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
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27
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Callahan BP, Stanger M, Belfort M. A redox trap to augment the intein toolbox. Biotechnol Bioeng 2013; 110:1565-73. [PMID: 23280506 DOI: 10.1002/bit.24821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2012] [Revised: 11/14/2012] [Accepted: 12/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The unregulated activity of inteins during expression and consequent side reactions during work-up limits their widespread use in biotechnology and chemical biology. Therefore, we exploited a mechanism-based approach to regulate intein autocatalysis for biotechnological application. The system, inspired by our previous structural studies, is based on reversible trapping of the intein's catalytic cysteine residue through a disulfide bond. Using standard mutagenesis, the disulfide trap can be implemented to impart redox control over different inteins and for a variety of applications both in vitro and in Escherichia coli. Thereby, we first enhanced the output for bioconjugation in intein-mediated protein ligation, also referred to as expressed protein ligation, where precursor recovery and product yield were augmented fourfold to sixfold. Second, in bioseparation experiments, the redox trap boosted precursor recovery and product yield twofold. Finally, the disulfide-trap intein technology stimulated development of a novel bacterial redox sensor. This sensor reliably identified hyperoxic E. coli harboring mutations that disrupt the reductive pathways for thioredoxin and glutathione, against a background of wild-type cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian P Callahan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, Life Sciences Building 2061, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222, USA.
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Cai L, Zhao D, Hou J, Wu J, Cai S, Dassarma P, Xiang H. Cellular and organellar membrane-associated proteins in haloarchaea: Perspectives on the physiological significance and biotechnological applications. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2012; 55:404-14. [DOI: 10.1007/s11427-012-4321-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2012] [Accepted: 04/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Lyons RE, Elvin CM, Taylor K, Lekieffre N, Ramshaw JA. Purification of recombinant protein by cold-coacervation of fusion constructs incorporating resilin-inspired polypeptides. Biotechnol Bioeng 2012; 109:2947-54. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.24565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2012] [Revised: 05/10/2012] [Accepted: 05/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Jahns AC, Rehm BHA. Relevant uses of surface proteins--display on self-organized biological structures. Microb Biotechnol 2011; 5:188-202. [PMID: 21906264 PMCID: PMC3815779 DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-7915.2011.00293.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteins are often found attached to surfaces of self‐assembling biological units such as whole microbial cells or subcellular structures, e.g. intracellular inclusions. In the last two decades surface proteins were identified that could serve as anchors for the display of foreign protein functions. Extensive protein engineering based on structure–function data enabled efficient display of technically and/or medically relevant protein functions. Small size, diversity of the anchor protein as well as support structure, genetic manipulability and controlled cultivation of phages, bacterial cells and yeasts contributed to the establishment of designed and specifically functionalized tools for applications as sensors, catalysis, biomedicine, vaccine development and library‐based screening technologies. Traditionally, phage display is employed for library screening but applications in biomedicine and vaccine development are also perceived. For some diagnostic purposes phages are even too small in size so other carrier materials where needed and gave way for cell and yeast display. Only recently, intracellular inclusions such as magnetosomes, polyhydroxyalkanoate granules and lipid bodies were conceived as stable subcellular structures enabling the display of foreign protein functions and showing potential as specific and tailor‐made devices for medical and biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anika C Jahns
- Institute of Molecular BioSciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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31
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Xing L, Wu W, Zhou B, Lin Z. Streamlined protein expression and purification using cleavable self-aggregating tags. Microb Cell Fact 2011; 10:42. [PMID: 21631955 PMCID: PMC3124420 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2859-10-42] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2011] [Accepted: 06/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recombinant protein expression and purification remains a fundamental issue for biotechnology. Recently we found that two short self-assembling amphipathic peptides 18A (EWLKAFYEKVLEKLKELF) and ELK16 (LELELKLKLELELKLK) can induce the formation of active protein aggregates in Escherichia coli (E. coli), in which the target proteins retain high enzymatic activities. Here we further explore this finding to develop a novel, facile, matrix-free protein expression and purification approach. Results In this paper, we describe a streamlined protein expression and purification approach by using cleavable self-aggregating tags comprising of one amphipathic peptide (18A or ELK16) and an intein molecule. In such a scheme, a target protein is first expressed as active protein aggregate, separated by simple centrifugation, and then released into solution by intein-mediated cleavage. Three target proteins including lipase A, amadoriase II and β-xylosidase were used to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach. All the target proteins released after cleavage were highly active and pure (over 90% in the case of intein-ELK16 fusions). The yields were in the range of 1.6-10.4 μg/mg wet cell pellet at small laboratory scale, which is comparable with the typical yields from the classical his-tag purification, the IMPACT-CN system (New England Biolabs, Beverly, MA), and the ELP tag purification scheme. Conclusions This tested single step purification is capable of producing proteins with high quantity and purity. It can greatly reduce the cost and time, and thus provides application potentials for both industrial scale up and laboratorial usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Xing
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, One Tsinghua Garden Road, Beijing 100084, China
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33
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Fong BA, Wu WY, Wood DW. The potential role of self-cleaving purification tags in commercial-scale processes. Trends Biotechnol 2010; 28:272-9. [PMID: 20359761 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2010.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2009] [Revised: 02/13/2010] [Accepted: 02/22/2010] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Purification tags are robust tools that can be used to purify a wide selection of target proteins, which makes them attractive candidates for implementation into platform processes. However, tag removal remains an expensive and significant issue that must be resolved before these tags can become widely used. One alternative is self-cleaving purification tags, which can provide the purity and versatility of conventional tags but eliminate the need for proteolytic tag removal. Many of these self-cleaving tags are based on inteins, but other emerging technologies, such as the FrpC and SrtAc proteins, have also been reported. In this review, we cover affinity and non-chromatographic self-cleaving purification tags and their potential industrial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baley A Fong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, A217 E-Quad, Olden St., Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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Moore BD, Deere J, Edrada-Ebel R, Ingram A, van der Walle CF. Isolation of recombinant proteins from culture broth by co-precipitation with an amino acid carrier to form stable dry powders. Biotechnol Bioeng 2010; 106:764-73. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.22730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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35
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Wu WY, Fong BA, Gilles AG, Wood DW. Recombinant protein purification by self-cleaving elastin-like polypeptide fusion tag. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; Chapter 26:26.4.1-26.4.18. [PMID: 19937722 DOI: 10.1002/0471140864.ps2604s58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
This unit presents a rapid and simple method for the nonchromatographic purification of recombinant proteins expressed in E. coli. This method relies on a thermally responsive elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) tag, where the tagged protein is precipitated using a mild temperature shift. The tag is then induced to self-cleave by a mild pH shift and is subsequently removed by a final thermal precipitation. The result is a purified native protein target, without the requirement for affinity apparatus or protease removal of the tag. This protocol describes the required cloning methods to insert a given target into the expression vector, as well as the general method for purifying the resulting expressed protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Yi Wu
- Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
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Fong BA, Wu WY, Wood DW. Optimization of ELP-intein mediated protein purification by salt substitution. Protein Expr Purif 2009; 66:198-202. [PMID: 19345265 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2009.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2009] [Revised: 03/25/2009] [Accepted: 03/26/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
In this paper we discuss improvements to our previously reported ELP-intein purification system described by Banki et al. [M.R. Banki, L. Feng, D.W. Wood, Simple bioseparations using self-cleaving elastin-like polypeptide tags, Nat. Methods 2 (2005) 659-661; W.Y. Wu, C. Mee, F. Califano, R. Banki, D.W. Wood, Recombinant protein purification by self-cleaving aggregation tag, Nat. Protoc. 1 (2006) 2257-2262]. This method is based on the selective and reversible precipitation of ELP-tagged target proteins by gentle heating in the presence of high concentrations of sodium chloride. A critical aspect of this system is that the ELP tag is induced to self-cleave by a mild pH shift after purification. An examination of the Hofmeister series of ions suggested that salts other than sodium chloride may be more efficient for ELP precipitation. Specifically, by replacing sodium chloride with ammonium sulfate to induce ELP aggregation, we were able to reduce the required salt concentration by almost 4-fold, and the precipitation steps could be conducted at room temperature instead of 37 degrees C. This results in a cheaper, gentler, and more scaleable purification method. To demonstrate these advantages, green fluorescent protein and beta-lactamase were purified using the newly optimized conditions in side-by-side comparisons to the previous method. The results indicate that both specific activity and yield were improved with the new conditions. These improvements thus significantly increase the attractiveness of this highly general and economical method for recombinant protein purification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baley A Fong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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De Felice M, Mattanovich D, Papagianni M, Wegrzyn G, Villaverde A. The scientific impact of microbial cell factories. Microb Cell Fact 2008; 7:33. [PMID: 19046424 PMCID: PMC2630955 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2859-7-33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2008] [Accepted: 12/01/2008] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maurilio De Felice
- Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Singh PK, Gupta MN. Simultaneous refolding and purification of a recombinant lipase with an intein tag by affinity precipitation with chitosan. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2008; 1784:1825-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2008.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2008] [Revised: 07/03/2008] [Accepted: 07/29/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Gillies AR, Hsii JF, Oak S, Wood DW. Rapid cloning and purification of proteins: gateway vectors for protein purification by self-cleaving tags. Biotechnol Bioeng 2008; 101:229-40. [PMID: 18727029 DOI: 10.1002/bit.21974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
We have combined Invitrogen's Gateway cloning technology with self-cleaving purification tags to generate a new system for rapid production of recombinant protein products. To accomplish this, we engineered our previously reported DeltaI-CM cleaving intein to include a Gateway cloning recognition sequence, and demonstrated that the resulting Gateway-competent intein is unaffected. This intein can therefore be used in several previously reported purification methods, while at the same time being compatible with Gateway cloning. We have incorporated this intein into a set of Gateway vectors, which include self-cleaving elastin-like polypeptide (ELP), chitin binding domain (CBD), phasin (polyhydroxybutyrate-binding), or maltose binding domain (MBD) tags. These vectors were verified by Gateway cloning of TEM-1 beta-lactamase and Escherichia coli catalase genes, and the expressed target proteins were purified using the four methods encoded on the vectors. The purification methods were unaffected by replacing the DeltaI-CM intein with the Gateway intein. It was observed that some purification methods were more appropriate for each target than others, suggesting utility of this technology for rapid process identification and optimization. The modular design of the Gateway system and intein purification method suggests that any tag and promoter can be trivially added to this system for the development of additional expression vectors. This technology could greatly facilitate process optimization, allowing several targets and methods to be tested in a high-throughput manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison R Gillies
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, A417 Engineering Quadrangle, Olden Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
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Staii C, Wood DW, Scoles G. Ligand-induced structural changes in maltose binding proteins measured by atomic force microscopy. NANO LETTERS 2008; 8:2503-2509. [PMID: 18642963 DOI: 10.1021/nl801553h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
We use atomic force microscopy (AFM) based force-compression measurements to probe the ligand-induced functional conformational changes in surface-immobilized dicysteine-terminated maltose binding proteins (dicys-MBPs). The proteins are immobilized at well-defined locations directly on Au substrates using the previously reported technique of nanografting. By measuring the difference between the ligand-free and ligand-bound mechanical work performed by the AFM-tip during the protein compression, we determine the open-closed transition energy for dicys-MBPs to be DeltaE0 = (8 +/- 4) Kcal/mol. We also compare the binding kinetics of two different ligands (maltose and maltotriose) to dicys-MBPs by performing AFM-friction measurements. We show that our results are consistent with a simple model for the surface-immobilized dicys-MBPs: the protein consists of two rigid lateral lobes connected by a hinge-loaded spring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Staii
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA.
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Staii C, Wood DW, Scoles G. Verification of Biochemical Activity for Proteins Nanografted on Gold Surfaces. J Am Chem Soc 2008; 130:640-6. [DOI: 10.1021/ja076157+] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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N(pro) fusion technology to produce proteins with authentic N termini in E. coli. Nat Methods 2007; 4:1037-43. [PMID: 18026112 DOI: 10.1038/nmeth1116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2007] [Accepted: 10/24/2007] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We describe a prokaryotic expression system using the autoproteolytic function of N(pro) from classical swine fever virus. Proteins or peptides expressed as N(pro) fusions are deposited as inclusion bodies. On in vitro refolding by switching from chaotropic to kosmotropic conditions, the fusion partner is released from the C-terminal end of the autoprotease by self-cleavage, leaving the target protein with an authentic N terminus. A tailor-made N(pro) mutant called EDDIE, with increased in vitro and decreased in vivo cleavage rates, has enabled us to express proinsulin, domain-D of staphylococcal protein A, hepcidin, interferon-alpha1, keratin-associated protein 10-4, green fluorescent protein, inhibitorial peptide of senescence-evasion-factor, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and toxic gyrase inhibitor, among others. This N(pro) expression system can be used as a generic tool for the high-level production of recombinant toxic peptides and proteins (up to 12 g/l) in Escherichia coli without the need for chemical or enzymatic removal of the fusion tag.
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Wu WY, Mee C, Califano F, Banki R, Wood DW. Recombinant protein purification by self-cleaving aggregation tag. Nat Protoc 2007; 1:2257-62. [PMID: 17406465 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2006.314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A simple technique is presented for non-chromatographic purification of recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli. This method is based on a reversibly precipitating, self-cleaving purification tag. The tag is made up of two components: an elastin-like polypeptide (ELP), which reversibly self-associates in high-salt buffers at temperatures above 30 degrees C; and an intein, which causes the ELP tag to self-cleave in response to a mild pH shift. Thus, a tripartite ELP-intein-target protein precursor can be purified by cycles of salt addition, heating and centrifugation. Once purified, intein-mediated self-cleavage, followed by precipitation of the cleaved ELP tag, allows easy and effective isolation of the pure, native target protein without the need for chromatographic separations. Recoveries of 50-100 mg of cleaved, native target protein per liter of shake-flask culture have been achieved for over a dozen proteins, typically in 8-24 h depending on specific process parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Yi Wu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, A-217 Engineering Quadrangle, Princeton University, New Jersey 08544-5263, USA
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Diao H, Guo C, Lin D, Zhang Y. Intein-mediated expression is an effective approach in the study of β-defensins. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2007; 357:840-6. [PMID: 17445764 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.03.149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2007] [Accepted: 03/26/2007] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian beta-defensins are an important family of host defense peptides with diverse functions. Surprisingly most of the mammalian beta-defensin genes are revealed preferentially expressed in the male organs. There is a pressing need to understand how the ample defensin repertoires work in both host defense and fertility with an aim to overcome antibiotic resistance of pathogens and reproductive problems. The biggest obstacle is the production of beta-defensin peptides as beta-defensins are small, antimicrobial and multi-disulfide molecules. In this study, the well documented HBD2, function-unknown RBD1 and function-partly-known rBin1b are successfully expressed and assayed. This approach overcomes the difficulties in beta-defensin production and provides a convenient and economical peptide-production platform to elucidate the antimicrobial activities and clinical prospects of beta-defensins. In the strategy of recombinant expression, this approach may be the best to develop the "natural" peptide pools for both host defense and fertility in a cost-effective manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Diao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Andrology, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, People's Republic of China
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