1
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Giraud A, Imbert L, Favier A, Henot F, Duffieux F, Samson C, Frances O, Crublet E, Boisbouvier J. Enabling site-specific NMR investigations of therapeutic Fab using a cell-free based isotopic labeling approach: application to anti-LAMP1 Fab. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2024; 78:73-86. [PMID: 38546905 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-023-00433-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are biotherapeutics that have achieved outstanding success in treating many life-threatening and chronic diseases. The recognition of an antigen is mediated by the fragment antigen binding (Fab) regions composed by four different disulfide bridge-linked immunoglobulin domains. NMR is a powerful method to assess the integrity, the structure and interaction of Fabs, but site specific analysis has been so far hampered by the size of the Fabs and the lack of approaches to produce isotopically labeled samples. We proposed here an efficient in vitro method to produce [15N, 13C, 2H]-labeled Fabs enabling high resolution NMR investigations of these powerful therapeutics. As an open system, the cell-free expression mode enables fine-tuned control of the redox potential in presence of disulfide bond isomerase to enhance the formation of native disulfide bonds. Moreover, inhibition of transaminases in the S30 cell-free extract offers the opportunity to produce perdeuterated Fab samples directly in 1H2O medium, without the need for a time-consuming and inefficient refolding process. This specific protocol was applied to produce an optimally labeled sample of a therapeutic Fab, enabling the sequential assignment of 1HN, 15N, 13C', 13Cα, 13Cβ resonances of a full-length Fab. 90% of the backbone resonances of a Fab domain directed against the human LAMP1 glycoprotein were assigned successfully, opening new opportunities to study, at atomic resolution, Fabs' higher order structures, dynamics and interactions, using solution-state NMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Giraud
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 71, Avenue des Martyrs, 38044, Grenoble, France
- Sanofi Research & Development, 94403, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
- NMR-Bio, 5 place Robert Schuman, 38025, Grenoble, France
| | - Lionel Imbert
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 71, Avenue des Martyrs, 38044, Grenoble, France
| | - Adrien Favier
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 71, Avenue des Martyrs, 38044, Grenoble, France
| | - Faustine Henot
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 71, Avenue des Martyrs, 38044, Grenoble, France
- Sanofi Research & Development, 94403, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | | | - Camille Samson
- Sanofi Research & Development, 94403, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Oriane Frances
- Sanofi Research & Development, 94403, Vitry-sur-Seine, France.
| | - Elodie Crublet
- NMR-Bio, 5 place Robert Schuman, 38025, Grenoble, France.
| | - Jérôme Boisbouvier
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 71, Avenue des Martyrs, 38044, Grenoble, France.
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2
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Gao X, Kaluarachchi H, Zhang Y, Hwang S, Hannoush RN. A phage-displayed disulfide constrained peptide discovery platform yields novel human plasma protein binders. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299804. [PMID: 38547072 PMCID: PMC10977726 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Disulfide constrained peptides (DCPs) show great potential as templates for drug discovery. They are characterized by conserved cysteine residues that form intramolecular disulfide bonds. Taking advantage of phage display technology, we designed and generated twenty-six DCP phage libraries with enriched molecular diversity to enable the discovery of ligands against disease-causing proteins of interest. The libraries were designed based on five DCP scaffolds, namely Momordica charantia 1 (Mch1), gurmarin, Asteropsin-A, antimicrobial peptide-1 (AMP-1), and potato carboxypeptidase inhibitor (CPI). We also report optimized workflows for screening and producing synthetic and recombinant DCPs. Examples of novel DCP binders identified against various protein targets are presented, including human IgG Fc, serum albumin, vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). We identified DCPs against human IgG Fc and serum albumin with sub-micromolar affinity from primary panning campaigns, providing alternative tools for potential half-life extension of peptides and small protein therapeutics. Overall, the molecular diversity of the DCP scaffolds included in the designed libraries, coupled with their distinct biochemical and biophysical properties, enables efficient and robust identification of de novo binders to drug targets of therapeutic relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Gao
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Peptide Therapeutics, Genentech, South San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Harini Kaluarachchi
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Yingnan Zhang
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Sunhee Hwang
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Peptide Therapeutics, Genentech, South San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Rami N. Hannoush
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California, United States of America
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3
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Stump WH, Klingenberg HJ, Ott AC, Gonzales DM, Burns JM. Design and Evaluation of Chimeric Plasmodium falciparum Circumsporozoite Protein-Based Malaria Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:351. [PMID: 38675734 PMCID: PMC11053680 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12040351] [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: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Efficacy data on two malaria vaccines, RTS,S and R21, targeting Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP), are encouraging. Efficacy may be improved by induction of additional antibodies to neutralizing epitopes outside of the central immunodominant repeat domain of PfCSP. We designed four rPfCSP-based vaccines in an effort to improve the diversity of the antibody response. We also evaluated P. falciparum merozoite surface protein 8 (PfMSP8) as a malaria-specific carrier protein as an alternative to hepatitis B surface antigen. We measured the magnitude, specificity, subclass, avidity, durability, and efficacy of vaccine-induced antibodies in outbred CD1 mice. In comparison to N-terminal- or C-terminal-focused constructs, immunization with near full-length vaccines, rPfCSP (#1) or the chimeric rPfCSP/8 (#2), markedly increased the breadth of B cell epitopes recognized covering the N-terminal domain, junctional region, and central repeat. Both rPfCSP (#1) and rPfCSP/8 (#2) also elicited a high proportion of antibodies to conformation-dependent epitopes in the C-terminus of PfCSP. Fusion of PfCSP to PfMSP8 shifted the specificity of the T cell response away from PfCSP toward PfMSP8 epitopes. Challenge studies with transgenic Plasmodium yoelii sporozoites expressing PfCSP demonstrated high and consistent sterile protection following rPfCSP/8 (#2) immunization. Of note, antibodies to conformational C-terminal epitopes were not required for protection. These results indicate that inclusion of the N-terminal domain of PfCSP can drive responses to protective, repeat, and non-repeat B cell epitopes and that PfMSP8 is an effective carrier for induction of high-titer, durable anti-PfCSP antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - James M. Burns
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; (W.H.S.); (H.J.K.); (A.C.O.); (D.M.G.)
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4
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Oda K, Wlodawer A. Development of Enzyme-Based Approaches for Recycling PET on an Industrial Scale. Biochemistry 2024. [PMID: 38285602 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Pollution by plastics such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PUR), polyamide (PA), polystyrene (PS), and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is now gaining worldwide attention as a critical environmental issue, closely linked to climate change. Among them, PET is particularly prone to hydrolysis, breaking down into its constituents, ethylene glycol (EG) and terephthalate (TPA). Biorecycling or bioupcycling stands out as one of the most promising methods for addressing PET pollution. For dealing with pollution by the macrosize PET, a French company Carbios has developed a pilot-scale plant for biorecycling waste PET beverage bottles into new bottles using derivatives of thermophilic leaf compost cutinase (LCC). However, this system still provides significant challenges in its practical implementation. For the micro- or nanosize PET pollution that poses significant human health risks, including cancer, no industrial-scale approach has been established so far, despite the need to develop such technologies. In this Perspective, we explore the enhancement of the low activity and thermostability of the enzyme PETase to match that of LCC, along with the potential application of microbes and enzymes for the treatment of waste PET as microplastics. Additionally, we discuss the shortcomings of the current biorecycling protocols from a life cycle assessment perspective, covering aspects such as the diversity of PET-hydrolyzing enzymes in nature, the catalytic mechanism for crystallized PET, and more. We also provide an overview of the Ideonella sakaiensis system, highlighting its ability to operate and grow at moderate temperatures, in contrast to high-temperature processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Oda
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
| | - Alexander Wlodawer
- Center for Structural Biology, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
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5
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Gomez-Lugo JJ, Casillas-Vega NG, Gomez-Loredo A, Balderas-Renteria I, Zarate X. High-Yield Expression and Purification of Scygonadin, an Antimicrobial Peptide, Using the Small Metal-Binding Protein SmbP. Microorganisms 2024; 12:278. [PMID: 38399682 PMCID: PMC10893511 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12020278] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Producing active antimicrobial peptides with disulfide bonds in bacterial strains is challenging. The cytoplasm of Escherichia coli has a reducing environment, which is not favorable to the formation of disulfide bonds. Additionally, E. coli may express proteins as insoluble aggregates known as inclusion bodies and have proteolytic systems that can degrade recombinant peptides. Using E. coli strains like SHuffle and tagging the peptides with fusion proteins is a common strategy to overcome these difficulties. Still, the larger size of carrier proteins can affect the final yield of recombinant peptides. Therefore, a small fusion protein that can be purified using affinity chromatography may be an ideal strategy for producing antimicrobial peptides in E. coli. (2) Methods: In this study, we investigated the use of the small metal-binding protein SmbP as a fusion partner for expressing and purifying the antimicrobial peptide scygonadin in E. coli. Two constructs were designed: a monomer and a tandem repeat; both were tagged with SmbP at the N-terminus. The constructs were expressed in E. coli SHuffle T7 and purified using immobilized metal-affinity chromatography. Finally, their antimicrobial activity was determined against Staphylococcus aureus. (3) Results: SmbP is a remarkable fusion partner for purifying both scygonadin constructs, yielding around 20 mg for the monomer and 30 mg for the tandem repeat per 1 mL of IMAC column, reaching 95% purity. Both protein constructs demonstrated antimicrobial activity against S. aureus at MICs of 4 μM and 40 μM, respectively. (4) Conclusions: This study demonstrates the potential of SmbP for producing active peptides for therapeutic applications. The two scygonadin constructs in this work showed promising antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, suggesting they could be potential candidates for developing new antimicrobial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica J. Gomez-Lugo
- Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Avenida Universidad s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolas de los Garza 66455, Mexico; (J.J.G.-L.); (A.G.-L.); (I.B.-R.)
| | - Nestor G. Casillas-Vega
- Departamento de Patologia Clinica, Hospital Universitario Dr. Jose Eleuterio Gonzalez, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Monterrey 64460, Mexico;
| | - Alma Gomez-Loredo
- Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Avenida Universidad s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolas de los Garza 66455, Mexico; (J.J.G.-L.); (A.G.-L.); (I.B.-R.)
- Centro de Investigacion en Biotecnologia y Nanotecnologia, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Parque de Investigacion e Innovacion Tecnologica, Km 10 Autopista al Aeropuerto Mariano Escobedo, Apodaca 66629, Mexico
| | - Isaias Balderas-Renteria
- Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Avenida Universidad s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolas de los Garza 66455, Mexico; (J.J.G.-L.); (A.G.-L.); (I.B.-R.)
| | - Xristo Zarate
- Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Avenida Universidad s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolas de los Garza 66455, Mexico; (J.J.G.-L.); (A.G.-L.); (I.B.-R.)
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6
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Blake-Hedges J, Groff D, Foo W, Hanson J, Castillo E, Wen M, Cheung D, Masikat MR, Lu J, Park Y, Carlos NA, Usman H, Fong K, Yu A, Zhou S, Kwong J, Tran C, Li X, Yuan D, Hallam T, Yin G. Production of antibodies and antibody fragments containing non-natural amino acids in Escherichia coli. MAbs 2024; 16:2316872. [PMID: 38381460 PMCID: PMC10883104 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2024.2316872] [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: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic bioconjugates are emerging as an essential tool to combat human disease. Site-specific conjugation technologies are widely recognized as the optimal approach for producing homogeneous drug products. Non-natural amino acid (nnAA) incorporation allows the introduction of bioconjugation handles at genetically defined locations. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a facile host for therapeutic nnAA protein synthesis because it can stably replicate plasmids encoding genes for product and nnAA incorporation. Here, we demonstrate that by engineering E. coli to incorporate high levels of nnAAs, it is feasible to produce nnAA-containing antibody fragments and full-length immunoglobulin Gs (IgGs) in the cytoplasm of E. coli. Using high-density fermentation, it was possible to produce both of these types of molecules with site-specifically incorporated nnAAs at titers > 1 g/L. We anticipate this strategy will help simplify the production and manufacture of promising antibody therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dan Groff
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Wilson Foo
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Hanson
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elenor Castillo
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Miao Wen
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Diana Cheung
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mary Rose Masikat
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jian Lu
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Young Park
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nina Abi Carlos
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Hans Usman
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kevin Fong
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Abigail Yu
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sihong Zhou
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joyce Kwong
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Cuong Tran
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Xiaofan Li
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Dawei Yuan
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Trevor Hallam
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Gang Yin
- Research and Process Development, Sutro Biopharma, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
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7
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Schütz A, Bernhard F, Berrow N, Buyel JF, Ferreira-da-Silva F, Haustraete J, van den Heuvel J, Hoffmann JE, de Marco A, Peleg Y, Suppmann S, Unger T, Vanhoucke M, Witt S, Remans K. A concise guide to choosing suitable gene expression systems for recombinant protein production. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102572. [PMID: 37917580 PMCID: PMC10643540 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
This overview guides both novices and experienced researchers facing challenging targets to select the most appropriate gene expression system for producing a particular protein. By answering four key questions, readers can determine the most suitable gene expression system following a decision scheme. This guide addresses the most commonly used and accessible systems and provides brief descriptions of the main gene expression systems' key characteristics to assist decision making. Additionally, information has been included for selected less frequently used "exotic" gene expression systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Schütz
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Technology Platform for Protein Production & Characterization, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre of Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Nick Berrow
- Protein Expression Core Facility, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Johannes F Buyel
- Univeristy of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering (IBSE), Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Frederico Ferreira-da-Silva
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC) and Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Jurgen Haustraete
- VIB, Center for Inflammation Research & Ugent, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Joop van den Heuvel
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Department of Structure and Function of Proteins, Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jan-Erik Hoffmann
- Protein Chemistry Facility, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Str. 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Ario de Marco
- Laboratory of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Nova Gorica, Vipavska Cesta 13, 5000 Nova Gorica, Slovenia
| | - Yoav Peleg
- Structural Proteomics Unit (SPU), Department of Life Sciences Core Facilities (LSCF), Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Sabine Suppmann
- Protein Expression and Purification Core Facility, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Tamar Unger
- Structural Proteomics Unit (SPU), Department of Life Sciences Core Facilities (LSCF), Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Martine Vanhoucke
- BCCM/GeneCorner Plasmid Collection, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 71, 9052 Gent, Belgium
| | - Susanne Witt
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Notkestr. 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kim Remans
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Protein Expression and Purification Core Facility, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
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8
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Niazi SK. A Critical Analysis of the FDA's Omics-Driven Pharmacodynamic Biomarkers to Establish Biosimilarity. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1556. [PMID: 38004421 PMCID: PMC10675618 DOI: 10.3390/ph16111556] [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: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Demonstrating biosimilarity entails comprehensive analytical assessment, clinical pharmacology profiling, and efficacy testing in patients for at least one medical indication, as required by the U.S. Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA). The efficacy testing can be waived if the drug has known pharmacodynamic (PD) markers, leaving most therapeutic proteins out of this concession. To overcome this, the FDA suggests that biosimilar developers discover PD biomarkers using omics technologies such as proteomics, glycomics, transcriptomics, genomics, epigenomics, and metabolomics. This approach is redundant since the mode-action-action biomarkers of approved therapeutic proteins are already available, as compiled in this paper for the first time. Other potential biomarkers are receptor binding and pharmacokinetic profiling, which can be made more relevant to ensure biosimilarity without requiring biosimilar developers to conduct extensive research, for which they are rarely qualified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarfaraz K Niazi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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9
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Tomisch J, Busse V, Rosato F, Makshakova ON, Salavei P, Kittel AS, Gillon E, Lataster L, Imberty A, Meléndez AV, Römer W. A Shiga Toxin B-Subunit-Based Lectibody Boosts T Cell Cytotoxicity towards Gb3-Positive Cancer Cells. Cells 2023; 12:1896. [PMID: 37508560 PMCID: PMC10378424 DOI: 10.3390/cells12141896] [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: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant glycosylation plays a crucial role in tumour progression and invasiveness. Tumour-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs) represent a valuable set of targets for immunotherapeutic approaches. The poor immunogenicity of glycan structures, however, requires a more effective and well-directed way of targeting TACAs on the surface of cancer cells than antibodies. The glycosphingolipid globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) is a well-established TACA present in a multitude of cancer types. Its overexpression has been linked to metastasis, invasiveness, and multidrug resistance. In the present study, we propose to use a dimeric fragment of the Shiga toxin B-subunit (StxB) to selectively target Gb3-positive cancer cells in a StxB-scFv UCHT1 lectibody. The lectibody, comprised of a lectin and the UCHT1 antibody fragment, was produced in E. coli and purified via Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Specificity of the lectibody towards Gb3-positive cancer cell lines and specificity towards the CD3 receptor on T cells, was assessed using flow cytometry. We evaluated the efficacy of the lectibody in redirecting T cell cytotoxicity towards Gb3-overexpressing cancer cells in luciferase-based cytotoxicity in vitro assays. The StxB-scFv UCHT1 lectibody has proven specific for Gb3 and could induce the killing of up to 80% of Gb3-overexpressing cancer cells in haemorrhagic and solid tumours. The lectibody developed in this study, therefore, highlights the potential that lectibodies and lectins in general have for usage in immunotherapeutic approaches to boost the efficacy of established cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Tomisch
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Vincent Busse
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Francesca Rosato
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Olga N Makshakova
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Kazan Institute for Biochemistry and Biophysics, FRC Kazan Scientific Center of RAS, 420111 Kazan, Russia
| | - Pavel Salavei
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Core Facility Signalling Factory & Robotics, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anna-Sophia Kittel
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Emilie Gillon
- CNRS, CERMAV, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Levin Lataster
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anne Imberty
- CNRS, CERMAV, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Ana Valeria Meléndez
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Winfried Römer
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS), University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
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10
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Zhang J, Su X, Wang Y, Wang X, Zhou S, Jia H, Jing X, Gong Y, Wang J, Xu J. Improved single-cell genome amplification by a high-efficiency phi29 DNA polymerase. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1233856. [PMID: 37456715 PMCID: PMC10347390 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1233856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Single-cell genomic whole genome amplification (WGA) is a crucial step in single-cell sequencing, yet its low amplification efficiency, incomplete and uneven genome amplification still hinder the throughput and efficiency of single-cell sequencing workflows. Here we introduce a process called Improved Single-cell Genome Amplification (iSGA), in which the whole single-cell sequencing cycle is completed in a high-efficient and high-coverage manner, through phi29 DNA polymerase engineering and process engineering. By establishing a disulfide bond of F137C-A377C, the amplification ability of the enzyme was improved to that of single-cell. By further protein engineering and process engineering, a supreme enzyme named HotJa Phi29 DNA Polymerase was developed and showed significantly better coverage (99.75%) at a higher temperature (40°C). High single-cell genome amplification ability and high coverage (93.59%) were also achieved for commercial probiotic samples. iSGA is more efficient and robust than the wild-type phi29 DNA polymerase, and it is 2.03-fold more efficient and 10.89-fold cheaper than the commercial Thermo Scientific EquiPhi29 DNA Polymerase. These advantages promise its broad applications in large-scale single-cell sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Zhang
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolu Su
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yefei Wang
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels and Shandong Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaohang Wang
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shiqi Zhou
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Jia
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyan Jing
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanhai Gong
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jichao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Jian Xu
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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11
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Ye X, Ling X, Wu M, Bai G, Yuan M, Rao L. Improving Soluble Expression of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Priming Protease TMPRSS2 with an Artificial Fusing Protein. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10475. [PMID: 37445653 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310475] [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: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 relies on the recognition of the spike protein by the host cell receptor ACE2 for cellular entry. In this process, transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) plays a pivotal role, as it acts as the principal priming agent catalyzing spike protein cleavage to initiate the fusion of the cell membrane with the virus. Thus, TMPRSS2 is an ideal pharmacological target for COVID-19 therapy development, and the effective production of high-quality TMPRSS2 protein is essential for basic and pharmacological research. Unfortunately, as a mammalian-originated protein, TMPRSS2 could not be solubly expressed in the prokaryotic system. In this study, we applied different protein engineering methods and found that an artificial protein XXA derived from an antifreeze protein can effectively promote the proper folding of TMPRSS2, leading to a significant improvement in the yield of its soluble form. Our study also showed that the fused XXA protein did not influence the enzymatic catalytic activity; instead, it greatly enhanced TMPRSS2's thermostability. Therefore, our strategy for increasing TMPRSS2 expression would be beneficial for the large-scale production of this stable enzyme, which would accelerate aniti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Ye
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering, The Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Xue Ling
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Min Wu
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Guijie Bai
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Meng Yuan
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Lang Rao
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
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12
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Serebryany E, Zhao VY, Park K, Bitran A, Trauger SA, Budnik B, Shakhnovich EI. Systematic conformation-to-phenotype mapping via limited deep sequencing of proteins. Mol Cell 2023; 83:1936-1952.e7. [PMID: 37267908 PMCID: PMC10281453 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.05.006] [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: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Non-native conformations drive protein-misfolding diseases, complicate bioengineering efforts, and fuel molecular evolution. No current experimental technique is well suited for elucidating them and their phenotypic effects. Especially intractable are the transient conformations populated by intrinsically disordered proteins. We describe an approach to systematically discover, stabilize, and purify native and non-native conformations, generated in vitro or in vivo, and directly link conformations to molecular, organismal, or evolutionary phenotypes. This approach involves high-throughput disulfide scanning (HTDS) of the entire protein. To reveal which disulfides trap which chromatographically resolvable conformers, we devised a deep-sequencing method for double-Cys variant libraries of proteins that precisely and simultaneously locates both Cys residues within each polypeptide. HTDS of the abundant E. coli periplasmic chaperone HdeA revealed distinct classes of disordered hydrophobic conformers with variable cytotoxicity depending on where the backbone was cross-linked. HTDS can bridge conformational and phenotypic landscapes for many proteins that function in disulfide-permissive environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Serebryany
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Victor Y Zhao
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Kibum Park
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Amir Bitran
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Sunia A Trauger
- Center for Mass Spectrometry, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Bogdan Budnik
- Center for Mass Spectrometry, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Eugene I Shakhnovich
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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13
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Alonso Villela SM, Kraïem-Ghezal H, Bouhaouala-Zahar B, Bideaux C, Aceves Lara CA, Fillaudeau L. Production of recombinant scorpion antivenoms in E. coli: current state and perspectives. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023:10.1007/s00253-023-12578-1. [PMID: 37199752 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12578-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Scorpion envenomation is a serious health problem in tropical and subtropical zones. The access to scorpion antivenom is sometimes limited in availability and specificity. The classical production process is cumbersome, from the hyper-immunization of the horses to the IgG digestion and purification of the F(ab)'2 antibody fragments. The production of recombinant antibody fragments in Escherichia coli is a popular trend due to the ability of this microbial host to produce correctly folded proteins. Small recombinant antibody fragments, such as single-chain variable fragments (scFv) and nanobodies (VHH), have been constructed to recognize and neutralize the neurotoxins responsible for the envenomation symptoms in humans. They are the focus of interest of the most recent studies and are proposed as potentially new generation of pharmaceuticals for their use in immunotherapy against scorpion stings of the Buthidae family. This literature review comprises the current status on the scorpion antivenom market and the analyses of cross-reactivity of commercial scorpion anti-serum against non-specific scorpion venoms. Recent studies on the production of new recombinant scFv and nanobodies will be presented, with a focus on the Androctonus and Centruroides scorpion species. Protein engineering-based technology could be the key to obtaining the next generation of therapeutics capable of neutralizing and cross-reacting against several types of scorpion venoms. KEY POINTS: • Commercial antivenoms consist of predominantly purified equine F(ab)'2fragments. • Nanobody-based antivenom can neutralize Androctonus venoms and have a low immunogenicity. • Affinity maturation and directed evolution are used to obtain potent scFv families against Centruroides scorpions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hazar Kraïem-Ghezal
- Laboratoire Des Venins Et Molécules Thérapeutiques, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP74, 1002, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Balkiss Bouhaouala-Zahar
- Laboratoire Des Venins Et Molécules Thérapeutiques, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP74, 1002, Tunis, Tunisia.
- Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
| | - Carine Bideaux
- TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Luc Fillaudeau
- TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France
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14
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Beygmoradi A, Homaei A, Hemmati R, Fernandes P. Recombinant protein expression: Challenges in production and folding related matters. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 233:123407. [PMID: 36708896 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Protein folding is a biophysical process by which proteins reach a specific three-dimensional structure. The amino acid sequence of a polypeptide chain contains all the information needed to determine the final three-dimensional structure of a protein. When producing a recombinant protein, several problems can occur, including proteolysis, incorrect folding, formation of inclusion bodies, or protein aggregation, whereby the protein loses its natural structure. To overcome such limitations, several strategies have been developed to address each specific issue. Identification of proper protein refolding conditions can be challenging, and to tackle this high throughput screening for different recombinant protein folding conditions can prove a sound solution. Different approaches have emerged to tackle refolding issues. One particular approach to address folding issues involves molecular chaperones, highly conserved proteins that contribute to proper folding by shielding folding proteins from other proteins that could hinder the process. Proper protein folding is one of the main prerequisites for post-translational modifications. Incorrect folding, if not dealt with, can lead to a buildup of protein misfoldings that damage cells and cause widespread abnormalities. Said post-translational modifications, widespread in eukaryotes, are critical for protein structure, function and biological activity. Incorrect post-translational protein modifications may lead to individual consequences or aggregation of therapeutic proteins. In this review article, we have tried to examine some key aspects of recombinant protein expression. Accordingly, the relevance of these proteins is highlighted, major problems related to the production of recombinant protein and to refolding issues are pinpointed and suggested solutions are presented. An overview of post-translational modification, their biological significance and methods of identification are also provided. Overall, the work is expected to illustrate challenges in recombinant protein expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azadeh Beygmoradi
- Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Ahmad Homaei
- Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
| | - Roohullah Hemmati
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Pedro Fernandes
- DREAMS and Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, Av. Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal; iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
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15
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Rong Y, Jensen SI, Lindorff-Larsen K, Nielsen AT. Folding of heterologous proteins in bacterial cell factories: Cellular mechanisms and engineering strategies. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 63:108079. [PMID: 36528238 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The expression of correctly folded and functional heterologous proteins is important in many biotechnological production processes, whether it is enzymes, biopharmaceuticals or biosynthetic pathways for production of sustainable chemicals. For industrial applications, bacterial platform organisms, such as E. coli, are still broadly used due to the availability of tools and proven suitability at industrial scale. However, expression of heterologous proteins in these organisms can result in protein aggregation and low amounts of functional protein. This review provides an overview of the cellular mechanisms that can influence protein folding and expression, such as co-translational folding and assembly, chaperone binding, as well as protein quality control, across different model organisms. The knowledge of these mechanisms is then linked to different experimental methods that have been applied in order to improve functional heterologous protein folding, such as codon optimization, fusion tagging, chaperone co-production, as well as strain and protein engineering strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Rong
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sheila Ingemann Jensen
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Kresten Lindorff-Larsen
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaloes Vej 5, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Alex Toftgaard Nielsen
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
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16
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Cloning, Expression, and Purification of the Human Synthetic Survivin Protein in Escherichia coli Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Mol Biotechnol 2023; 65:326-336. [PMID: 34564769 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-021-00399-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Survivin is one of the novel members of the apoptosis inhibitor protein family in humans. The main activity of the Survivin protein is to suppress caspases activity resulting in negative regulation of apoptosis. Survivin protein can be a potential target for the treatment of cancers between cancerous and normal cells. In the present research, the synthetic Survivin gene with PelB secretion signal peptide was cloned into a prokaryotic expression vector pET21a. The recombinant plasmid pET21a-PelB-Surv was expressed in Escherichia coli (E.coli) BL21, and the relative molecular mass of expressed protein was calculated 34,000 g/mol, approximately. The recombinant protein was purified through chromatography column and characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to design 20 experiments for optimization of IPTG concentration, post-induction period, and cell density of induction (OD600). The optimum levels of the selected parameters were successfully determined to be 0.28 mM for IPTG concentration, 10 h for post-induction period, and 3.40768 for cell density (OD600). These findings resulted in 4.14-fold increases in the Survivin production rate of optimum expression conditions (93.6363 mg/ml).
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17
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Won SJ, Yim JH, Kim HK. Synthesis of Short-Chain Alkyl Butyrate through Esterification Reaction Using Immobilized Rhodococcus Cutinase and Analysis of Substrate Specificity through Molecular Docking. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 33:268-276. [PMID: 36524336 PMCID: PMC9998203 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2211.11022] [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: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Alkyl butyrate with fruity flavor is known as an important additive in the food industry. We synthesized various alkyl butyrates from various fatty alcohol and butyric acid using immobilized Rhodococcus cutinase (Rcut). Esterification reaction was performed in a non-aqueous system including heptane, isooctane, hexane, and cyclohexane. As a result of performing the alkyl butyrate synthesis reaction using alcohols of various chain lengths, it was found that the preference for the alcohol substrate had the following order: C6 > C4 > C8 > C10 > C2. Through molecular docking analysis, it was found that the greater the hydrophobicity of alcohol, the higher the accessibility to the active site of the enzyme. However, since the number of torsions increased as the chain length increased, it became difficult for the hydroxyl oxygen of the alcohol to access the γO of serine at the enzyme active site. These molecular docking results were consistent with substrate preference results of the Rcut enzyme. The Rcut maintained the synthesis efficiency at least for 5 days in isooctane solvent. We synthesized as much as 452 mM butyl butyrate by adding 100 mM substrate daily for 5 days and performing the reaction. These results show that Rcut is an efficient enzyme for producing alkyl butyrate used in the food industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seok-Jae Won
- Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon 14662, Republic of Korea
| | - Joung Han Yim
- Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon 406-840, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung Kwoun Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon 14662, Republic of Korea
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18
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Serebryany E, Zhao VY, Park K, Bitran A, Trauger SA, Budnik B, Shakhnovich EI. Systematic conformation-to-phenotype mapping via limited deep-sequencing of proteins. ARXIV 2023:2204.06159. [PMID: 36776823 PMCID: PMC9915745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
Abstract
Non-native conformations drive protein misfolding diseases, complicate bioengineering efforts, and fuel molecular evolution. No current experimental technique is well-suited for elucidating them and their phenotypic effects. Especially intractable are the transient conformations populated by intrinsically disordered proteins. We describe an approach to systematically discover, stabilize, and purify native and non-native conformations, generated in vitro or in vivo, and directly link conformations to molecular, organismal, or evolutionary phenotypes. This approach involves high-throughput disulfide scanning (HTDS) of the entire protein. To reveal which disulfides trap which chromatographically resolvable conformers, we devised a deep-sequencing method for double-Cys variant libraries of proteins that precisely and simultaneously locates both Cys residues within each polypeptide. HTDS of the abundant E. coli periplasmic chaperone HdeA revealed distinct classes of disordered hydrophobic conformers with variable cytotoxicity depending on where the backbone was cross-linked. HTDS can bridge conformational and phenotypic landscapes for many proteins that function in disulfide-permissive environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Serebryany
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
| | - Victor Y. Zhao
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
| | - Kibum Park
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
| | - Amir Bitran
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Bogdan Budnik
- Center for Mass Spectrometry, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
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19
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Winegar PH, Figg CA, Teplensky MH, Ramani N, Mirkin CA. Modular Nucleic Acid Scaffolds for Synthesizing Monodisperse and Sequence-Encoded Antibody Oligomers. Chem 2022; 8:3018-3030. [PMID: 36405374 PMCID: PMC9674055 DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Synthesizing protein oligomers that contain exact numbers of multiple different proteins in defined architectures is challenging. DNA-DNA interactions can be used to program protein assembly into oligomers; however, existing methods require changes to DNA design to achieve different numbers and oligomeric sequences of proteins. Herein, we develop a modular DNA scaffold that uses only six synthetic oligonucleotides to organize proteins into defined oligomers. As a proof-of-concept, model proteins (antibodies) are oligomerized into dimers and trimers, where antibody function is retained. Illustrating the modularity of this technique, dimer and trimer building blocks are then assembled into pentamers containing three different antibodies in an exact stoichiometry and oligomeric sequence. In sum, this report describes a generalizable method for organizing proteins into monodisperse, sequence-encoded oligomers using DNA. This advance will enable studies into how oligomeric protein sequences affect material properties in areas spanning pharmaceutical development, cascade catalysis, synthetic photosynthesis, and membrane transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter H. Winegar
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - C. Adrian Figg
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Michelle H. Teplensky
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Namrata Ramani
- International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Chad A. Mirkin
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Lead contact
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20
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An in silico reverse vaccinology study of Brachyspira pilosicoli, the causative organism of intestinal spirochaetosis, to identify putative vaccine candidates. Process Biochem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2022.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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21
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Rauniyar K, Akhondzadeh S, Gąciarz A, Künnapuu J, Jeltsch M. Bioactive VEGF-C from E. coli. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18157. [PMID: 36307539 PMCID: PMC9616921 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22960-0] [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: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) stimulates lymphatic vessel growth in transgenic models, via viral gene delivery, and as a recombinant protein. Expressing eukaryotic proteins like VEGF-C in bacterial cells has limitations, as these cells lack specific posttranslational modifications and provisions for disulfide bond formation. However, given the cost and time savings associated with bacterial expression systems, there is considerable value in expressing VEGF-C using bacterial cells. We identified two approaches that result in biologically active Escherichia coli-derived VEGF-C. Expectedly, VEGF-C expressed from a truncated cDNA became bioactive after in vitro folding from inclusion bodies. Given that VEGF-C is one of the cysteine-richest growth factors in humans, it was unclear whether known methods to facilitate correct cysteine bond formation allow for the direct expression of bioactive VEGF-C in the cytoplasm. By fusing VEGF-C to maltose-binding protein and expressing these fusions in the redox-modified cytoplasm of the Origami (DE3) strain, we could recover biological activity for deletion mutants lacking the propeptides of VEGF-C. This is the first report of a bioactive VEGF growth factor obtained from E. coli cells circumventing in-vitro folding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khushbu Rauniyar
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Drug Research Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Biocenter 2, University of Helsinki, P.O.B. 56 (Viikinkaari 5E), 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Soheila Akhondzadeh
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Drug Research Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Biocenter 2, University of Helsinki, P.O.B. 56 (Viikinkaari 5E), 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna Gąciarz
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Individualized Drug Therapy Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaana Künnapuu
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Drug Research Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Biocenter 2, University of Helsinki, P.O.B. 56 (Viikinkaari 5E), 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Michael Jeltsch
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Drug Research Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Biocenter 2, University of Helsinki, P.O.B. 56 (Viikinkaari 5E), 00014 Helsinki, Finland ,grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Individualized Drug Therapy Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland ,grid.452042.50000 0004 0442 6391Wihuri Research Institute, Helsinki, Finland
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22
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Recent advances in the application of microbial diamine oxidases and other histamine-oxidizing enzymes. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 38:232. [PMID: 36208352 PMCID: PMC9547800 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-022-03421-2] [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: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The consumption of foods fraught with histamine can lead to various allergy-like symptoms if the histamine is not sufficiently degraded in the human body. The degradation occurs primarily in the small intestine, naturally catalyzed by the human diamine oxidase (DAO). An inherent or acquired deficiency in human DAO function causes the accumulation of histamine and subsequent intrusion of histamine into the bloodstream. The histamine exerts its effects acting on different histamine receptors all over the body but also directly in the intestinal lumen. The inability to degrade sufficient amounts of dietary histamine is known as the ‘histamine intolerance’. It would be preferable to solve this problem initially by the production of histamine-free or -reduced foods and by the oral supplementation of exogenous DAO supporting the human DAO in the small intestine. For the latter, DAOs from mammalian, herbal and microbial sources may be applicable. Microbial DAOs seem to be the most promising choice due to their possibility of an efficient biotechnological production in suitable microbial hosts. However, their biochemical properties, such as activity and stability under process conditions and substrate selectivity, play important roles for their successful application. This review deals with the advances and challenges of DAOs and other histamine-oxidizing enzymes for their potential application as processing aids for the production of histamine-reduced foods or as orally administered adjuvants to humans who have been eating food fraught with histamine.
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23
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Zhang ZX, Nong FT, Wang YZ, Yan CX, Gu Y, Song P, Sun XM. Strategies for efficient production of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli: alleviating the host burden and enhancing protein activity. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:191. [PMID: 36109777 PMCID: PMC9479345 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01917-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli, one of the most efficient expression hosts for recombinant proteins (RPs), is widely used in chemical, medical, food and other industries. However, conventional expression strains are unable to effectively express proteins with complex structures or toxicity. The key to solving this problem is to alleviate the host burden associated with protein overproduction and to enhance the ability to accurately fold and modify RPs at high expression levels. Here, we summarize the recently developed optimization strategies for the high-level production of RPs from the two aspects of host burden and protein activity. The aim is to maximize the ability of researchers to quickly select an appropriate optimization strategy for improving the production of RPs.
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24
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Ghasemi F, Zare H, Zomorodipour A, Shirzeyli MH, Kieliszek M. In silico and in vitro analysis of a rational mutation in gIII signal peptide and its effects on periplasmic expression of rhGH in E. coli. Arch Microbiol 2022; 204:572. [PMID: 36001178 PMCID: PMC9402515 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-022-03193-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The secretion efficiency of a heterologous protein in E. coli is mainly dictated by the N-terminal signal peptide fused to the desired protein. In this study, we aimed to select and introduce mutations into the - 1, - 2 and - 3 positions of the gIII signal peptide (originated from filamentous phage fd Gene III) fused to the N-terminus of the human growth hormone (hGH), and study its effect on the secretion efficiency of the recombinant hGH into the periplasmic space of E. coli Top10. Bioinformatics software such as SignalP-5.0 and PrediSi were employed to predict the effects of the mutations on the secretion efficiency of the recombinant hGH. Site-directed mutagenesis was applied to introduce the desired mutations into the C-terminus of the gIII signal peptide. The periplasmic expression and the secretion efficiency of the recombinant hGH using the native and mutant gIII signal peptides were compared in E. coli Top10 under the control of araBAD promoter. Our results from bioinformatics analysis indicated that the mutant gIII signal peptide was more potent than the native one for secretion of the recombinant hGH in E. coli. While our experimental results revealed that the mutation had no effect on hGH secretion. This result points to the importance of experimental validation of bioinformatics predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahimeh Ghasemi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
| | - Hamed Zare
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Cosmetic Products Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Alireza Zomorodipour
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Medical Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), P.O. Box 14965/161, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Hosseinzade Shirzeyli
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marek Kieliszek
- Department of Food Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159 C, 02-776, Warsaw, Poland.
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25
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Won SJ, Yim JH, Kim HK. Functional production, characterization, and immobilization of a cold-adapted cutinase from Antarctic Rhodococcus sp. Protein Expr Purif 2022; 195-196:106077. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2022.106077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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26
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Balu R, Ramachandran SS, Mathimaran A, Jeyaraman J, Paramasivam SG. Functional significance of mouse seminal vesicle sulfhydryl oxidase on sperm capacitation in vitro. Mol Hum Reprod 2022; 29:6637520. [PMID: 35809071 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaac025] [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: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
During ejaculation, cauda epididymal spermatozoa are suspended in a protein-rich solution of seminal plasma which is composed of proteins mostly secreted from the seminal vesicle. These seminal proteins interact with the sperm cells and bring about changes in their physiology, so that they can become capacitated in order for the fertilization to take place. Sulfhydryl oxidase (SOX) is a member of the QSOX family and its expression is found to be high in the seminal vesicle secretion of mouse. Previously, it has been reported to cross-link thiol containing amino acids among major seminal vesicle secretion (SVS) proteins. However, its role in male reproduction is unclear. In this study, we determined the role of SOX on epididymal sperm maturation and also disclosed the binding effect of SOX on the sperm fertilizing ability in vitro. In order to achieve the above two objectives, we constructed a Sox clone (1.7 kb) using a pET-30a vector. His-tagged recombinant Sox was over expressed in Shuffle Escherichia coli cells and purified using His-Trap column affinity chromatography along with hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The purified SOX was confirmed by Western blot analysis and by its activity with DTT as a substrate. Results obtained from immunocytochemical staining clearly indicated that SOX possesses a binding site on the sperm acrosome. The influence of SOX on oxidation of sperm sulfhydryl to disulfides during epididymal sperm maturation was evaluated by a thiol labelling agent, mBBr. The SOX protein binds on to the sperm cells and increases their progressive motility. The effect of SOX binding on reducing the [Ca2+]i concentration in sperm head, was determined using a calcium probe, Fluo-3 AM. The inhibitory influence of SOX on sperm acrosome reaction was shown by using calcium ionophore A32187 to induce the acrosome reaction. The acrosome-reacted sperm were examined by staining with FITC-conjugated Arachis hypogaea (peanut) lectin. Furthermore, immunocytochemical analysis revealed that SOX remains bound to the sperm cells in the uterus but disappears in the oviduct during their transit in the female reproductive tract. The results from the above experiment revealed that SOX binding on to the sperm acrosome prevents sperm capacitation by affecting the [Ca2+]i concentration in the sperm head and the ionophore-induced acrosome reaction. Thus, the binding of SOX on to the sperm acrosome may possibly serve as a decapacitation factor in the uterus to prevent premature capacitation and acrosome reaction, thus preserving their fertilizing ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubhadevi Balu
- Department of Biotechnology, BIT-Campus, Anna University, Tiruchirappalli-620024, Tamil Nadu India
| | | | - Amala Mathimaran
- Department of Bioinformatics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi-630 004, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Jeyakanthan Jeyaraman
- Department of Bioinformatics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi-630 004, Tamil Nadu, India
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27
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von Reumont BM, Anderluh G, Antunes A, Ayvazyan N, Beis D, Caliskan F, Crnković A, Damm M, Dutertre S, Ellgaard L, Gajski G, German H, Halassy B, Hempel BF, Hucho T, Igci N, Ikonomopoulou MP, Karbat I, Klapa MI, Koludarov I, Kool J, Lüddecke T, Ben Mansour R, Vittoria Modica M, Moran Y, Nalbantsoy A, Ibáñez MEP, Panagiotopoulos A, Reuveny E, Céspedes JS, Sombke A, Surm JM, Undheim EAB, Verdes A, Zancolli G. Modern venomics-Current insights, novel methods, and future perspectives in biological and applied animal venom research. Gigascience 2022; 11:6588117. [PMID: 35640874 PMCID: PMC9155608 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giac048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Venoms have evolved >100 times in all major animal groups, and their components, known as toxins, have been fine-tuned over millions of years into highly effective biochemical weapons. There are many outstanding questions on the evolution of toxin arsenals, such as how venom genes originate, how venom contributes to the fitness of venomous species, and which modifications at the genomic, transcriptomic, and protein level drive their evolution. These questions have received particularly little attention outside of snakes, cone snails, spiders, and scorpions. Venom compounds have further become a source of inspiration for translational research using their diverse bioactivities for various applications. We highlight here recent advances and new strategies in modern venomics and discuss how recent technological innovations and multi-omic methods dramatically improve research on venomous animals. The study of genomes and their modifications through CRISPR and knockdown technologies will increase our understanding of how toxins evolve and which functions they have in the different ontogenetic stages during the development of venomous animals. Mass spectrometry imaging combined with spatial transcriptomics, in situ hybridization techniques, and modern computer tomography gives us further insights into the spatial distribution of toxins in the venom system and the function of the venom apparatus. All these evolutionary and biological insights contribute to more efficiently identify venom compounds, which can then be synthesized or produced in adapted expression systems to test their bioactivity. Finally, we critically discuss recent agrochemical, pharmaceutical, therapeutic, and diagnostic (so-called translational) aspects of venoms from which humans benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bjoern M von Reumont
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Department for Applied Bioinformatics, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberg Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage 25, 60235 Frankfurt, Germany.,Justus Liebig University Giessen, Institute for Insectbiotechnology, Heinrich Buff Ring 26-32, 35396 Giessen, Germany
| | - Gregor Anderluh
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Agostinho Antunes
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Naira Ayvazyan
- Orbeli Institute of Physiology of NAS RA, Orbeli ave. 22, 0028 Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Dimitris Beis
- Developmental Biology, Centre for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Figen Caliskan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Letters, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, TR-26040 Eskisehir, Turkey
| | - Ana Crnković
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maik Damm
- Technische Universität Berlin, Department of Chemistry, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Lars Ellgaard
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Goran Gajski
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Mutagenesis Unit, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Hannah German
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Beata Halassy
- University of Zagreb, Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, Trg Republike Hrvatske 14, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Benjamin-Florian Hempel
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies BCRT, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim Hucho
- Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Nasit Igci
- Nevsehir Haci Bektas Veli University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, 50300 Nevsehir, Turkey
| | - Maria P Ikonomopoulou
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food, Madrid,E28049, Spain.,The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Izhar Karbat
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Maria I Klapa
- Metabolic Engineering and Systems Biology Laboratory, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas (FORTH/ICE-HT), Patras GR-26504, Greece
| | - Ivan Koludarov
- Justus Liebig University Giessen, Institute for Insectbiotechnology, Heinrich Buff Ring 26-32, 35396 Giessen, Germany
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tim Lüddecke
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberg Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage 25, 60235 Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Riadh Ben Mansour
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Gafsa University, Campus Universitaire Siidi Ahmed Zarrouk, 2112 Gafsa, Tunisia
| | - Maria Vittoria Modica
- Dept. of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Po 25c, I-00198 Roma, Italy
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Ayse Nalbantsoy
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ege University, 35100 Bornova, Izmir, Turkey
| | - María Eugenia Pachón Ibáñez
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology, and Preventive Medicine, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, 41013 Sevilla, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alexios Panagiotopoulos
- Metabolic Engineering and Systems Biology Laboratory, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas (FORTH/ICE-HT), Patras GR-26504, Greece.,Animal Biology Division, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, GR-26500, Greece
| | - Eitan Reuveny
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Javier Sánchez Céspedes
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology, and Preventive Medicine, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, 41013 Sevilla, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andy Sombke
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Joachim M Surm
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Eivind A B Undheim
- University of Oslo, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Postboks 1066 Blindern 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Aida Verdes
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Giulia Zancolli
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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28
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López-Cano A, Martínez-Miguel M, Guasch J, Ratera I, Arís A, Garcia-Fruitós E. Exploring the impact of the recombinant Escherichia coli strain on defensins antimicrobial activity: BL21 versus Origami strain. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:77. [PMID: 35527241 PMCID: PMC9082834 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01803-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The growing emergence of microorganisms resistant to antibiotics has prompted the development of alternative antimicrobial therapies. Among them, the antimicrobial peptides produced by innate immunity, which are also known as host defense peptides (HDPs), hold great potential. They have been shown to exert activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including those resistant to antibiotics. These HDPs are classified into three categories: defensins, cathelicidins, and histatins. Traditionally, HDPs have been chemically synthesized, but this strategy often limits their application due to the high associated production costs. Alternatively, some HDPs have been recombinantly produced, but little is known about the impact of the bacterial strain in the recombinant product. This work aimed to assess the influence of the Escherichia coli strain used as cell factory to determine the activity and stability of recombinant defensins, which have 3 disulfide bonds. For that, an α-defensin [human α-defensin 5 (HD5)] and a β-defensin [bovine lingual antimicrobial peptide (LAP)] were produced in two recombinant backgrounds. The first one was an E. coli BL21 strain, which has a reducing cytoplasm, whereas the second was an E. coli Origami B, that is a strain with a more oxidizing cytoplasm. The results showed that both HD5 and LAP, fused to Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), were successfully produced in both BL21 and Origami B strains. However, differences were observed in the HDP production yield and bactericidal activity, especially for the HD5-based protein. The HD5 protein fused to GFP was not only produced at higher yields in the E. coli BL21 strain, but it also showed a higher quality and stability than that produced in the Origami B strain. Hence, this data showed that the strain had a clear impact on both HDPs quantity and quality.
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29
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Remans K, Lebendiker M, Abreu C, Maffei M, Sellathurai S, May MM, Vaněk O, de Marco A. Protein purification strategies must consider downstream applications and individual biological characteristics. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:52. [PMID: 35392897 PMCID: PMC8991485 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01778-5] [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: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Proteins are used as reagents in a broad range of scientific fields. The reliability and reproducibility of experimental data will largely depend on the quality of the (recombinant) proteins and, consequently, these should undergo thorough structural and functional controls. Depending on the downstream application and the biochemical characteristics of the protein, different sets of specific features will need to be checked. RESULTS A number of examples, representative of recurrent issues and previously published strategies, has been reported that illustrate real cases of recombinant protein production in which careful strategy design at the start of the project combined with quality controls throughout the production process was imperative to obtain high-quality samples compatible with the planned downstream applications. Some proteins possess intrinsic properties (e.g., prone to aggregation, rich in cysteines, or a high affinity for nucleic acids) that require certain precautions during the expression and purification process. For other proteins, the downstream application might demand specific conditions, such as for proteins intended for animal use that need to be endotoxin-free. CONCLUSIONS This review has been designed to act as a practical reference list for researchers who wish to produce and evaluate recombinant proteins with certain specific requirements or that need particular care for their preparation and storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Remans
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mario Lebendiker
- Protein Purification Facility, The Wolfson Centre for Applied Structural Biology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Celeste Abreu
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030/8, 12840, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Mariano Maffei
- Evvivax Biotech, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Marina M May
- AiCuris Anti-Infective Cures AG, Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 475, 42117, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Ondřej Vaněk
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030/8, 12840, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ario de Marco
- Lab of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Nova Gorica, Vipavska Cesta 13, 5000, Rožna Dolina-Nova Gorica, Slovenia.
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30
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Goussé M, Dell'Aglio E, Curien G, Borland S, Renoud S, Ranquet C, Chandor-Proust A. E. coli chromosomal-driven expression of NADK2 from A. thaliana: A preferable alternative to plasmid-driven expression for challenging proteins. Protein Expr Purif 2022; 195-196:106090. [PMID: 35346853 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2022.106090] [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: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The expression and purification of large recombinant proteins or protein complexes is problematic for some biotechnology laboratories. Indeed, it is often difficult to obtain enough active proteins to perform biological characterization or reach commercialization, when large proteins or protein complexes are expressed in E. coli via the popular T7-based plasmid-driven expression system. There is also an industrial demand to decrease our dependence on plasmid-driven expression, because of its drawbacks, such as: i) the common use of antibiotics to maintain the plasmid, ii) the issue of plasmid copy number, and iii) the risk of overloading the expression system. Despite all these issues, alternative solutions, such as gene integration in the bacterial chromosome, are rarely employed and their advantages are still a matter of debate. Plant plastidial NAD kinases (NADK; ATP:NAD 2'-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.23) are a classic example of proteins with high molecular weight, that are difficult to express and purify with traditional T7-based technology. We therefore compared plasmid-driven and chromosomal-driven expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana NADK2 protein, using a proprietary counter-selection tool, COLIBELT®, that allows scar-free and marker-free chromosomal modifications. Here we show that chromosomal-driven expression allowed recovery of more active NADK2 protein than classic T7 expression systems, as well as better production, thus confirming that expression from one single chromosomal copy is preferable to plasmid-driven expression and might be appealing for both basic and applied research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elisa Dell'Aglio
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, INRAe, IRIG-LPCV, Grenoble, France
| | - Gilles Curien
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, INRAe, IRIG-LPCV, Grenoble, France
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31
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Structural Analysis of the Black-Legged Tick Saliva Protein Salp15. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23063134. [PMID: 35328554 PMCID: PMC8954417 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Salp15 is one of the proteins in the saliva of the tick Ixodes scapularis. Together with other biomolecules injected into the mammalian host at the biting site, it helps the tick to sustain its blood meal for days. Salp15 interferes with the cellular immune response of the mammalian host by inhibiting the activation of CD4+ T-lymphocytes. This function is co-opted by pathogens that use the tick as a vector and invade the host when the tick bites, such as Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis. Because of the immunity-suppressing role of Salp15, it has been proposed as a candidate for therapeutic applications in disorders of the immune system. The protein is produced as a 135-residue long polypeptide and secreted without its N-terminal signal 1–21 sequence. Detailed structural studies on Salp15 are lacking because of the difficulty in producing large amounts of the folded protein. We report the production of Salp15 and its structural analysis by NMR. The protein is monomeric and contains a flexible N-terminal region followed by a folded domain with mixed α + β secondary structures. Our results are consistent with a three-dimensional structural model derived from AlphaFold, which predicts the formation of three disulfide bridges and a free C-terminal cysteine.
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32
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Enespa, Chandra P, Singh DP. Sources, purification, immobilization and industrial applications of microbial lipases: An overview. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2022; 63:6653-6686. [PMID: 35179093 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2038076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Microbial lipase is looking for better attention with the fast growth of enzyme proficiency and other benefits like easy, cost-effective, and reliable manufacturing. Immobilized enzymes can be used repetitively and are incapable to catalyze the reactions in the system continuously. Hydrophobic supports are utilized to immobilize enzymes when the ionic strength is low. This approach allows for the immobilization, purification, stability, and hyperactivation of lipases in a single step. The diffusion of the substrate is more advantageous on hydrophobic supports than on hydrophilic supports in the carrier. These approaches are critical to the immobilization performance of the enzyme. For enzyme immobilization, synthesis provides a higher pH value as well as greater heat stability. Using a mixture of immobilization methods, the binding force between enzymes and the support rises, reducing enzyme leakage. Lipase adsorption produces interfacial activation when it is immobilized on hydrophobic support. As a result, in the immobilization process, this procedure is primarily used for a variety of industrial applications. Microbial sources, immobilization techniques, and industrial applications in the fields of food, flavor, detergent, paper and pulp, pharmaceuticals, biodiesel, derivatives of esters and amino groups, agrochemicals, biosensor applications, cosmetics, perfumery, and bioremediation are all discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enespa
- School for Agriculture, Sri Mahesh Prasad Post Graduate College, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Prem Chandra
- Food Microbiology & Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, School for Environmental Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central) University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Devendra Pratap Singh
- Department of Environmental Science, School for Environmental Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central) University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
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A De Novo Optimized Cell-Free System for the Expression of Soluble and Active Human Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11020157. [PMID: 35205024 PMCID: PMC8868817 DOI: 10.3390/biology11020157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary As a result of increasing demand for the pleiotropic cytokine TNF-α, recombinant human TNF-α protein with appropriate bioactivities was produced in several heterologous in vivo expression systems. While in vivo expression of this cytokine is laborious and lengthy, cell-free or in vitro expression system has the benefits of speed, simplicity, flexibility, focus of all the system energy on target protein synthesis alone, besides high soluble and functional protein yield. Therefore, we employed and optimized an E. coli-based cell-free system for the first time to express recombinant human TNF-α. Our findings revealed that cell-free expression system can be an alternative platform for producing soluble and functionally active recombinant TNF-α with a yield of 390 µg/mL in only 2 h at a temperature of 40 °C for further research and clinical trials. Abstract Cell-free (in vitro) expression is a robust alternative platform to the cell-based (in vivo) system for recombinant protein production. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is an effective pro-inflammatory cytokine with pleiotropic effects. The aim of the current study was de novo optimized expression of soluble and active human TNF-α by an in vitro method in an E. coli-based cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) system and its biological activity evaluation. The codon-optimized synthetic human TNF-α gene was constructed by a two-step PCR, cloned into pET101/D-TOPO vector and then expressed by the E. coli CFPS system. Cell-free expression of the soluble protein was optimized using a response surface methodology (RSM). The anticancer activity of purified human TNF-α was assessed against three human cancer cell lines: Caco-2, HepG-2 and MCF-7. Data from RSM revealed that the lowest value (7.2 µg/mL) of cell-free production of recombinant human TNF-α (rhTNF-α) was obtained at a certain incubation time (6 h) and incubation temperature (20 °C), while the highest value (350 µg/mL) was recorded at 4 h and 35 °C. This rhTNF-α showed a significant anticancer potency. Our findings suggest a cell-free expression system as an alternative platform for producing soluble and functionally active recombinant TNF-α for further research and clinical trials.
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Paraskevopoulou V, Alissa M, Hage N, Falcone FH. Introduction of a Hexalysine (6 K) Tag Can Protect from N-Terminal Cleavage and Increase Yield of Recombinant Proteins Expressed in the Periplasm of E. coli. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2406:155-167. [PMID: 35089556 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1859-2_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant expression of proteins in the periplasm of E. coli is frequently used for proteins containing disulfide bonds that are essential for protein folding and activity, as the cytosol of E. coli constitutes a reducing environment. The periplasm in contrast is an oxidative environment which supports proper protein folding. However, yields can be limited compared with cytoplasmic expression, and protocols must be adjusted to avoid overloading the periplasmic transportation machinery. Another less-appreciated issue with periplasmic expression is the potential generation of unwanted N-terminal cleavage products, a persistent issue which we encountered when expressing the disulfide bond containing extracellular regions of several Helicobacter pylori adhesins (BabA, BabB, BabC, and LabA) in the periplasm of E. coli XL10 GOLD, a strain traditionally not used for proteins expression. Here, we describe how introducing a C-terminal hexa-lysine (6 K) tag enhanced solubility and protected BabA from N-terminal proteolytic degradation (BabA), enabling crystallization and subsequent X-ray structural analysis. However. the same strategy had no advantageous effect for LabA, which using this protocol could be retrieved from the periplasm in relatively high yields (20-40 mg/L).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Paraskevopoulou
- Molecular Therapeutics and Formulation Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- New Modalities and Parenteral Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield, UK
| | - Mohammed Alissa
- Molecular Therapeutics and Formulation Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Naim Hage
- Molecular Therapeutics and Formulation Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Franco H Falcone
- Molecular Therapeutics and Formulation Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
- Institute for Parasitology, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Gießen, Germany.
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Ortega C, Oppezzo P, Correa A. Overcoming the Solubility Problem in E. coli: Available Approaches for Recombinant Protein Production. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2406:35-64. [PMID: 35089549 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1859-2_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite the importance of recombinant protein production in the academy and industrial fields, many issues concerning the expression of soluble and homogeneous products are still unsolved. Several strategies were developed to overcome these obstacles; however, at present, there is no magic bullet that can be applied for all cases. Indeed, several key expression parameters need to be evaluated for each protein. Among the different hosts for protein expression, Escherichia coli is by far the most widely used. In this chapter, we review many of the different tools employed to circumvent protein insolubility problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Ortega
- Recombinant Protein Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Pablo Oppezzo
- Recombinant Protein Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Agustín Correa
- Recombinant Protein Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.
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Markova SV, Larionova MD, Vysotski ES. Production of Metridia Luciferase in Native Form by Oxidative Refolding from E. coli Inclusion Bodies. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2524:59-73. [PMID: 35821463 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2453-1_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The small coelenterazine-dependent luciferase from Metridia longa (MLuc), in view of its high activity, simplicity of bioluminescent (BL) reaction, and stability, has found successful analytical applications as a genetically encoded reporter for in vivo assessment of cellular processes. However, the study on the biochemical and BL properties and the development of in vitro analytical applications of MLuc are hampered by the difficulties of obtaining a sufficient amount of the highly active recombinant protein due to the presence of multiple (up to five) disulfide bonds per molecule. Here, we present a protocol to obtain the recombinant disulfide-rich MLuc using a cheap and simple Escherichia coli expression system without any affinity tags in its native form by refolding from inclusion bodies. The method includes (i) purification of MLuc inclusion bodies, solubilization of the aggregated form with full reduction of disulfide bonds, and refolding to the native state using a glutathione redox system in the presence of arginine and Cu2+ ions and (ii) chromatographic purification of MLuc and its functional assessment in terms of activity. We introduce the empirical, optimal conditions for oxidative refolding and subsequent purification of MLuc, with its basic properties taken into account. We believe that this protocol is adaptable for a large-scale harvest of other natively folded copepod luciferases as well as other disulfide-rich recombinant proteins from E. coli inclusion bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana V Markova
- Photobiology Laboratory, Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Science Center SB RAS", Krasnoyarsk, Russia
- School of Fundamental Biology and Biotechnology, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Marina D Larionova
- Photobiology Laboratory, Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Science Center SB RAS", Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Eugene S Vysotski
- Photobiology Laboratory, Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Science Center SB RAS", Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
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Borrego J, Feher A, Jost N, Panyi G, Varga Z, Papp F. Peptide Inhibitors of Kv1.5: An Option for the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:1303. [PMID: 34959701 PMCID: PMC8704205 DOI: 10.3390/ph14121303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The human voltage gated potassium channel Kv1.5 that conducts the IKur current is a key determinant of the atrial action potential. Its mutations have been linked to hereditary forms of atrial fibrillation (AF), and the channel is an attractive target for the management of AF. The development of IKur blockers to treat AF resulted in small molecule Kv1.5 inhibitors. The selectivity of the blocker for the target channel plays an important role in the potential therapeutic application of the drug candidate: the higher the selectivity, the lower the risk of side effects. In this respect, small molecule inhibitors of Kv1.5 are compromised due to their limited selectivity. A wide range of peptide toxins from venomous animals are targeting ion channels, including mammalian channels. These peptides usually have a much larger interacting surface with the ion channel compared to small molecule inhibitors and thus, generally confer higher selectivity to the peptide blockers. We found two peptides in the literature, which inhibited IKur: Ts6 and Osu1. Their affinity and selectivity for Kv1.5 can be improved by rational drug design in which their amino acid sequences could be modified in a targeted way guided by in silico docking experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Borrego
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Egyetem ter 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (J.B.); (A.F.); (G.P.); (Z.V.)
| | - Adam Feher
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Egyetem ter 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (J.B.); (A.F.); (G.P.); (Z.V.)
| | - Norbert Jost
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary;
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Interdisciplinary Excellence Centre, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
- ELKH-SZTE Research Group for Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gyorgy Panyi
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Egyetem ter 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (J.B.); (A.F.); (G.P.); (Z.V.)
| | - Zoltan Varga
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Egyetem ter 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (J.B.); (A.F.); (G.P.); (Z.V.)
| | - Ferenc Papp
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Egyetem ter 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (J.B.); (A.F.); (G.P.); (Z.V.)
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A combination strategy of solubility enhancers for effective production of soluble and bioactive human enterokinase. J Biotechnol 2021; 340:57-63. [PMID: 34506803 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2021.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Enterokinase is one of the hydrolases that catalyze hydrolysis to regulate biological processes in intestinal visceral mucosa. Enterokinase plays an essential role in accelerating the process of protein digestion as it converts trypsinogen into active trypsin by accurately recognizing and cleaving a specific peptide sequence, (Asp)4-Lys. Due to its exceptional substrate specificity, enterokinase is widely used as a versatile molecular tool in various bioprocessing, especially in removing fusion tags from recombinant proteins. Despite its biotechnological importance, mass production of soluble enterokinase in bacteria still remains an unsolved challenge. Here, we present an effective production strategy of human enterokinase using tandemly linked solubility enhancers consisting of thioredoxin, phosphoglycerate kinase or maltose-binding protein. The resulting enterokinases exhibited significantly enhanced solubility and bacterial expression level while retaining enzymatic activity, which demonstrates that combinatorial design of fusion proteins has the potential to provide an efficient way to produce recombinant proteins in bacteria.
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Schwalen C, Babu C, Phulera S, Hao Q, Wall D, Nettleton DO, Pathak TP, Siuti P. Scalable Biosynthetic Production of Knotted Peptides Enables ADME and Thermodynamic Folding Studies. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:29555-29566. [PMID: 34778627 PMCID: PMC8582066 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c03707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Knotted peptides present a wealth of structurally diverse, biologically active molecules, with the inhibitor cystine knot/knottin class among the most ecologically common ones. Many of these natural products interact with extracellular targets such as voltage-gated ion channels with exquisite selectivity and potency, making them intriguing therapeutic modalities. Such compounds are often produced in low concentrations by intractable organisms, making structural and biological characterization challenging, which is frequently overcome by various expression strategies. Here, we sought to test a biosynthetic route for the expression and study of knotted peptides. We screened expression constructs for a biosynthesized knotted peptide to determine the most influential parameters for successful disulfide folding and used NMR spectroscopic fingerprinting to validate topological structures. We performed pharmacokinetic characterization, which indicated that the interlocking disulfide structure minimizes liabilities of linear peptide sequences, and propose a mechanism by which knotted peptides are cleared. We then developed an assay to monitor solution folding in real time, providing a strategy for studying the folding process during maturation, which provided direct evidence for the importance of backbone organization as the driving force for topology formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher
J. Schwalen
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes
for Biomedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Charles Babu
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes
for Biomedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Swastik Phulera
- Chemical
Biology and Therapeutics, Novartis Institutes
for Biomedical Research, Cambridge Massachusetts, 02139, United States
| | - Qin Hao
- Pharmacokinetic
Sciences, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical
Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Daniel Wall
- Pharmacokinetic
Sciences, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical
Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - David O. Nettleton
- Pharmacokinetic
Sciences, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical
Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Tejas P. Pathak
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes
for Biomedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Piro Siuti
- Global
Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes
for Biomedical Research, 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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Ma W, Lu Y, Zuo Y, Wang C, Liu J. Effects of removing a highly conserved disulfide bond in ubiquitin-associated domain of human HOIP on biochemical characteristics. Protein Expr Purif 2021; 190:106005. [PMID: 34695570 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2021.106005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Disulfide bond formed between the cysteine pairs plays a key role in maintaining the integrity of the protein structure and function. The ubiquitin-associated (UBA) domain of human HOIP contains three cysteine residues, Cys504, Cys551, and Cys572. Disulfide bonds formed by Cys504 and Cys551 residues are highly conserved, but the effect of disulfide bonds on the biochemical characteristics of UBA has not been elucidated. In addition, due to the presence of isolated Cys572, inactive inclusion bodies may be formed during protein expression or trigger protein aggregation during protein purification. In this study, the co-expression of SUMO fusion protein combined with SUMO protease (ULP enzyme) in Escherichia coli was successfully applied to improve the soluble expression of UBA domain. Introduced three mutants (UBAC551A, UBAC572A and UBAC551,572A) determined the effects of disulfide bonds on the biochemical characteristics of UBA. Circular dichroism and analytical size exclusion chromatography results showed that the target proteins obtained by co-expression could be folded correctly and had biological activity. Both thermal-induced and urea-induced results demonstrated that the elimination of disulfide bonds would significantly reduce the stability of UBA. Fluorescence spectroscopy result showed that the elimination of disulfide bonds slightly increases the binding affinity of UBA to ligands. In summary, soluble, stable and active UBA domain and its mutants were prepared by co-expression system, which will further contribute to the structural and functional research of UBA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlei Ma
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Ying Lu
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Yongmei Zuo
- Heilongjiang Institute of Animal Health Inspection, Harbin, 150006, China
| | - Chenchen Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Jiafu Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China; Harbin Medical University-Daqing, No 39, Xin Yang Road, Daqing, Heilongjiang, 163319, China.
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41
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He Y, Qu J, Wei L, Liao S, Zheng N, Liu Y, Wang X, Jing Y, Shen CKF, Ji C, Luo G, Zhang Y, Xiang Q, Fu Y, Li S, Fan Y, Fang S, Wang P, Li L. Generation and Effect Testing of a SARS-CoV-2 RBD-Targeted Polyclonal Therapeutic Antibody Based on a 2-D Airway Organoid Screening System. Front Immunol 2021; 12:689065. [PMID: 34733269 PMCID: PMC8559598 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.689065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The US FDA has approved several therapeutics and vaccines worldwide through the emergency use authorization in response to the rapid spread of COVID-19. Nevertheless, the efficacies of these treatments are being challenged by viral escape mutations. There is an urgent need to develop effective treatments protecting against SARS-CoV-2 infection and to establish a stable effect-screening model to test potential drugs. Polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) have an intrinsic advantage in such developments because they can target rapidly mutating viral strains as a result of the complexity of their binding epitopes. In this study, we generated anti-receptor-binding domain (anti-RBD) pAbs from rabbit serum and tested their safety and efficacy in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection both in vivo and ex vivo. Primary human bronchial epithelial two-dimensional (2-D) organoids were cultured and differentiated to a mature morphology and subsequently employed for SARS-CoV-2 infection and drug screening. The pAbs protected the airway organoids from viral infection and tissue damage. Potential side effects were tested in mouse models for both inhalation and vein injection. The pAbs displayed effective viral neutralization effects without significant side effects. Thus, the use of animal immune serum-derived pAbs might be a potential therapy for protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection, with the strategy developed to produce these pAbs providing new insight into the treatment of respiratory tract infections, especially for infections with viruses undergoing rapid mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunjiao He
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jing Qu
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lan Wei
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- School of Biomedical Science and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
| | - Shumin Liao
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Otolaryngology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Nianzhen Zheng
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingzi Liu
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xingyun Wang
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yue Jing
- Department of Research & Development Department, Jiangxi Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., Jiangxi, China
- Department of Research & Development Department, Jiangxi Institute of Biological Products Shenzhen R&D Center Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, China
| | - Clifton Kwang-Fu Shen
- Department of Research & Development Department, Jiangxi Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., Jiangxi, China
- Department of Research & Development Department, Jiangxi Institute of Biological Products Shenzhen R&D Center Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, China
| | - Chong Ji
- Department of Research & Development Department, Jiangxi Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., Jiangxi, China
| | - Guxun Luo
- Department of Research & Development Department, Jiangxi Institute of Biological Products Shenzhen R&D Center Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, China
| | - Yiyun Zhang
- Department of Research & Development Department, Hainan Institute of Pharmaceutical Research Co. Ltd., Hainan, China
| | - Qi Xiang
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yang Fu
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuo Li
- Department of Otolaryngology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Otolaryngology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yunping Fan
- Department of Otolaryngology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shisong Fang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Peng Wang
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Liang Li
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
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Humer D, Spadiut O. Enzyme prodrug therapy: cytotoxic potential of paracetamol turnover with recombinant horseradish peroxidase. MONATSHEFTE FUR CHEMIE 2021; 152:1389-1397. [PMID: 34759433 PMCID: PMC8542555 DOI: 10.1007/s00706-021-02848-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Targeted cancer treatment is a promising, less invasive alternative to chemotherapy as it is precisely directed against tumor cells whilst leaving healthy tissue unaffected. The plant-derived enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) can be used for enzyme prodrug cancer therapy with indole-3-acetic acid or the analgesic paracetamol (acetaminophen). Oxidation of paracetamol by HRP in the presence of hydrogen peroxide leads to N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine and polymer formation via a radical reaction mechanism. N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine binds to DNA and proteins, resulting in severe cytotoxicity. However, plant HRP is not suitable for this application since the foreign glycosylation pattern is recognized by the human immune system, causing rapid clearance from the body. Furthermore, plant-derived HRP is a mixture of isoenzymes with a heterogeneous composition. Here, we investigated the reaction of paracetamol with defined recombinant HRP variants produced in E. coli, as well as plant HRP, and found that they are equally effective in paracetamol oxidation at a concentration ≥ 400 µM. At low paracetamol concentrations, however, recombinant HRP seems to be more efficient in paracetamol oxidation. Yet upon treatment of HCT-116 colon carcinoma and FaDu squamous carcinoma cells with HRP-paracetamol no cytotoxic effect was observed, neither in the presence nor absence of hydrogen peroxide. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00706-021-02848-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Humer
- TU Wien, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Gumpendorfer Straße 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Oliver Spadiut
- TU Wien, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Gumpendorfer Straße 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria
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43
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Wicke N, Bedford MR, Howarth M. Gastrobodies are engineered antibody mimetics resilient to pepsin and hydrochloric acid. Commun Biol 2021; 4:960. [PMID: 34381153 PMCID: PMC8358037 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02487-2] [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: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein-based targeting reagents, such as antibodies and non-antibody scaffold proteins, are rapidly inactivated in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Hydrochloric acid in gastric juice denatures proteins and activates pepsin, concentrations of which reach 1 mg/mL in the mammalian stomach. Two stable scaffold proteins (nanobody and nanofitin), previously developed to be protease-resistant, were completely digested in less than 10 min at 100-fold lower concentration of pepsin than found in the stomach. Here we present gastrobodies, a protein scaffold derived from Kunitz soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI). SBTI is highly resistant to the challenges of the upper GI tract, including digestive proteases, pH 2 and bile acids. Computational prediction of SBTI's evolvability identified two nearby loops for randomization, to create a potential recognition surface which was experimentally validated by alanine scanning. We established display of SBTI on full-length pIII of M13 phage. Phage selection of gastrobody libraries against the glucosyltransferase domain of Clostridium difficile toxin B (GTD) identified hits with nanomolar affinity and enzyme inhibitory activity. Anti-GTD binders retained high stability to acid, digestive proteases and heat. Gastrobodies show resilience to exceptionally harsh conditions, which should provide a foundation for targeting and modulating function within the GI tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels Wicke
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Mark Howarth
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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Kavousipour S, Mohammadi S, Eftekhar E, Barazesh M, Morowvat MH. In Silico Investigation of Signal Peptide Sequences to Enhance Secretion of CD44 Nanobodies Expressed in Escherichia coli. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2021; 22:1192-1205. [PMID: 33045964 DOI: 10.2174/1389201021666201012162904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The selection of a suitable signal peptide that can direct recombinant proteins from the cytoplasm to the extracellular space is an important criterion affecting the production of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli, a widely used host. Nanobodies are currently attracting the attention of scientists as antibody alternatives due to their specific properties and feasibility of production in E. coli. OBJECTIVE CD44 nanobodies constitute a potent therapeutic agent that can block CD44/HA interaction in cancer and inflammatory diseases. This molecule may also function as a drug against cancer cells and has been produced previously in E. coli without a signal peptide sequence. The goal of this project was to find a suitable signal peptide to direct CD44 nanobody extracellular secretion in E. coli that will potentially lead to optimization of experimental methods and facilitate downstream steps such as purification. METHODS We analyzed 40 E. coli derived signal peptides retrieved from the Signal Peptide database and selected the best candidate signal peptides according to relevant criteria including signal peptide probability, stability, and physicochemical features, which were evaluated using signalP software version 4.1 and the ProtParam tool, respectively. RESULTS In this in silico study, suitable candidate signal peptide(s) for CD44 nanobody secretory expression were identified. CSGA, TRBC, YTFQ, NIKA, and DGAL were selected as appropriate signal peptides with acceptable D-scores, and appropriate physicochemical and structural properties. Following further analysis, TRBC was selected as the best signal peptide to direct CD44 nanobody expression to the extracellular space of E. coli. CONCLUSION The selected signal peptide, TRBC is the most suitable to promote high-level secretory production of CD44 nanobodies in E. coli and potentially will be useful for scaling up CD44 nanobody production in experimental research as well as in other CD44 nanobody applications. However, experimental work is needed to confirm the data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soudabeh Kavousipour
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Shiva Mohammadi
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Science and Technologies, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Ebrahim Eftekhar
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Mahdi Barazesh
- School of Paramedical, Gerash University of Medical Sciences, Gerash, Iran
| | - Mohammad H Morowvat
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran P.O. Box 71468-64685, Shiraz, Iran
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Evolution of KIPPIS as a versatile platform for evaluating intracellularly functional peptide aptamers. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11758. [PMID: 34083659 PMCID: PMC8175380 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91287-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric proteins have been widely used to evaluate intracellular protein–protein interactions (PPIs) in living cells with various readouts. By combining an interleukin-3-dependent murine cells and chimeric proteins containing a receptor tyrosine kinase c-kit, we previously established a c-kit-based PPI screening (KIPPIS) system to evaluate and select protein binders. In the KIPPIS components, proteins of interest are connected with a chemically inducible helper module and the intracellular domain of the growth-signaling receptor c-kit, which detects PPIs based on cell proliferation as a readout. In this system, proteins of interest can be incorporated into chimeric proteins without any scaffold proteins, which would be advantageous for evaluating interaction between small peptides/domains. To prove this superiority, we apply KIPPIS to 6 peptide aptamer–polypeptide pairs, which are derived from endogenous, synthetic, and viral proteins. Consequently, all of the 6 peptide aptamer–polypeptide interactions are successfully detected by cell proliferation. The detection sensitivity can be modulated in a helper ligand-dependent manner. The assay results of KIPPIS correlate with the activation levels of Src, which is located downstream of c-kit-mediated signal transduction. Control experiments reveal that KIPPIS clearly discriminates interacting aptamers from non-interacting ones. Thus, KIPPIS proves to be a versatile platform for evaluating the binding properties of peptide aptamers.
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Brindha S, Kibria MG, Saotome T, Unzai S, Kuroda Y. EGFR extracellular domain III expressed in Escherichia coli with SEP tag shows improved biophysical and functional properties and generate anti-sera inhibiting cancer cell growth. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 555:121-127. [PMID: 33813270 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.03.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The epidermal growth factor receptor extracellular domain III (EGFR-ECDIII) protein is a promising target of anti-cancer research, and its production in Escherichia coli would thus represent significant benefits. However, despite its moderate size (19 kDa), the expression of EGFR-ECDIII in E.coli is hampered by the presence of multiple cysteines producing misfolded proteins with incorrect S-S bonds. In our study, we show that a short 12-residue solubility enhancing peptide (SEP) tag containing nine arginines (C9R) attached at the C-terminus of EGFR-ECDIII reduces the inclusion body formation and increases the final yield by six times (20 mg/L). EGFR-ECDIII-C9R purified from the soluble fraction eluted as a sharp single RP-HPLC peak, suggesting a single S-S bond pairing. Biophysical characterization using circular dichroism, fluorescence, and light scattering confirmed its native-like properties together with reversible thermal denaturation. The binding activity of EGFR-ECDIII-C9R to anti-EGFR-VHH7D12, a single-domain antibody with specific binding to the ECDIII, was assessed by sandwich ELISA. Further, we produced anti-EGFR-ECDIII-C9R antisera in mouse models and anti-sera inhibited A431 cancer cells' growth. These results demonstrate that the SEP tag enables the rapid production of the multiple disulfide-bonded EGFR-ECDIII in E. coli having native-like biophysical properties and producing neutralizing antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subbaian Brindha
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan
| | - Md Golam Kibria
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan
| | - Tomonori Saotome
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan; Department of Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Niigata, 940-2188, Japan
| | - Satoru Unzai
- Department of Frontier Bioscience, Faculty of Bioscience and Applied Chemistry, Hosei University, 3-7-2 Kajino-Cho, Koganei-shi, Tokyo, 184-8584, Japan
| | - Yutaka Kuroda
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan.
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Soluble Expression and Catalytic Properties of Codon-Optimized Recombinant Bromelain from MD2 Pineapple in Escherichia coli. Protein J 2021; 40:406-418. [PMID: 33713245 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-021-09974-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Bromelain, a member of cysteine proteases, is found abundantly in pineapple (Ananas comosus), and it has a myriad of versatile applications. However, attempts to produce recombinant bromelain for commercialization purposes are challenging due to its expressibility and solubility. This study aims to express recombinant fruit bromelain from MD2 pineapple (MD2Bro; accession no: OAY85858.1) in soluble and active forms using Escherichia coli host cell. The gene encoding MD2Bro was codon-optimized, synthesized, and subsequently ligated into pET-32b( +) for further transformation into Escherichia coli BL21-CodonPlus(DE3). Under this strategy, the expressed MD2Bro was in a fusion form with thioredoxin (Trx) tag at its N-terminal (Trx-MD2Bro). The result showed that Trx-MD2Bro was successfully expressed in fully soluble form. The protein was successfully purified using single-step Ni2+-NTA chromatography and confirmed to be in proper folds based on the circular dichroism spectroscopy analysis. The purified Trx-MD2Bro was confirmed to be catalytically active against N-carbobenzoxyglycine p-nitrophenyl ester (N-CBZ-Gly-pNP) with a specific activity of 6.13 ± 0.01 U mg-1 and inhibited by a cysteine protease inhibitor, E-64 (IC50 of 74.38 ± 1.65 nM). Furthermore, the catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM) Trx-MD2Bro was calculated to be at 5.64 ± 0.02 × 10-2 µM-1 s-1 while the optimum temperature and pH were at 50 °C and pH 6.0, respectively. Furthermore, the catalytic activity of Trx-MD2Bro was also affected by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or metal ions. Altogether it is proposed that the combination of codon optimization and the use of an appropriate vector are important in the production of a soluble and actively stable recombinant bromelain.
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Mirzadeh A, Jafarihaghighi F, Kazemirad E, Sabzevar SS, Tanipour MH, Ardjmand M. Recent Developments in Recombinant Proteins for Diagnosis of Human Fascioliasis. Acta Parasitol 2021; 66:13-25. [PMID: 32974849 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-020-00280-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Fascioliasis is an important neglected tropical disease that causes severe injury to the bile ducts and liver. Therefore, a rapid and accurate method for detection of Fasciola hepatica infection plays a vital role in early treatment. Currently, the diagnosis of fascioliasis is mainly conducted via serological tests using the excretory/secretory (E/S) products, which might cross-react with antigens from other helminth parasitic diseases. Hence, the development of serodiagnosis test using recombinant antigens may contribute to differentiate fascioliasis from other helminth infections. In the past 20 years, many attempts have been made to exert different F. hepatica recombinant antigens to obtain a well-established standard assay with high accuracy. In this review, we address recent studies that refer to the development of serodiagnosis tests for diagnosis of human fascioliasis based on the candidate recombinant antigens produced by different approaches. Meanwhile, in the present review, some main factors have been highlighted to improve the accuracy of diagnostic tests such as the effect of refolding methods to recover antigens' tertiary structure as well as applying a mixture of recombinant antigens with the highest sensitivity and specificity to improve the accuracy of diagnostic tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abolfazl Mirzadeh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Farid Jafarihaghighi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, 1584743311, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Kazemirad
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shokouh Shahrokhi Sabzevar
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Tanipour
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Mehdi Ardjmand
- Department of Chemical Engineering, South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, 1584743311, Tehran, Iran
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Jalali A, Bandehpour M, Chegeni R, Ghanbarian H, Mardani-Dashti Y, Zarkesh-Esfahani SH, Kazemi B. Expression, Purification, and Evaluation of Anti-IL-2Rα Antibody Secreted by Leishmania tarentolae. Int J Pept Res Ther 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-020-10088-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Kastenhofer J, Rettenbacher L, Feuchtenhofer L, Mairhofer J, Spadiut O. Inhibition of E. coli Host RNA Polymerase Allows Efficient Extracellular Recombinant Protein Production by Enhancing Outer Membrane Leakiness. Biotechnol J 2020; 16:e2000274. [PMID: 32915502 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202000274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
With the growing interest in continuous cultivation of Escherichia coli, secretion of product to the medium is not only a benefit, but a necessity in future bioprocessing. In this study, it is shown that induced decoupling of growth and heterologous gene expression in the E. coli X-press strain (derived from BL21(DE3)) facilitates extracellular recombinant protein production. The effect of the process parameters temperature and specific glucose consumption rate (qS ) on growth, productivity, lysis and leakiness, is investigated, to find the parameter space allowing extracellular protein production. Two model proteins are used, Protein A (SpA) and a heavy-chain single-domain antibody (VHH), and performance is compared to the industrial standard strain BL21(DE3). It is shown that inducible growth repression in the X-press strain greatly mitigates the effect of metabolic burden under different process conditions. Furthermore, temperature and qS are used to control productivity and leakiness. In the X-press strain, extracellular SpA and VHH titer reach up to 349 and 19.6 mg g-1 , respectively, comprising up to 90% of the total soluble product, while keeping cell lysis at a minimum. The findings demonstrate that the X-press strain constitutes a valuable host for extracellular production of recombinant protein with E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Kastenhofer
- TU Wien, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Division Biochemical Engineering, Research Group Integrated Bioprocess Development, Institute of Chemical, Gumpendorfer Strasse 1a, Vienna, 1060, Austria
| | - Lukas Rettenbacher
- TU Wien, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Division Biochemical Engineering, Research Group Integrated Bioprocess Development, Institute of Chemical, Gumpendorfer Strasse 1a, Vienna, 1060, Austria
| | | | | | - Oliver Spadiut
- TU Wien, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Division Biochemical Engineering, Research Group Integrated Bioprocess Development, Institute of Chemical, Gumpendorfer Strasse 1a, Vienna, 1060, Austria
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