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Aslan ES, N White K, A Syed B, S Srai K, W Evans R. Expression of soluble, active, fluorescently tagged hephaestin in COS and CHO cell lines. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 44:393-405. [PMID: 33402866 PMCID: PMC7759196 DOI: 10.3906/biy-2005-39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Hephaestin (Hp) is a trans-membrane protein, which plays a critical role in intestinal iron absorption. Hp was originally identified as the gene responsible for the phenotype of sex-linked anaemia in the
sla
mouse. The mutation in the
sla
protein causes accumulation of dietary iron in duodenal cells, causing severe microcytic hypochromic anaemia. Although mucosal uptake of dietary iron is normal, export from the duodenum is inhibited. Hp is homologous to ceruloplasmin (Cp), a member of the family of multi copper ferroxidases (MCFs) and possesses ferroxidase activity that facilitates iron release from the duodenum and load onto the serum iron transport protein transferrin. In the present study, attempts were made to produce biologically active recombinant mouse hephaestin as a secretory form tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP), Hpsec-GFP. Plasmid expressing Hpsec-GFP was constructed and transfected into COS and CHO cells. The GFP aided the monitoring expression in real time to select the best conditions to maximise expression and provided a tag for purifying and analysing Hpsec-GFP. The protein had detectable oxidase activity as shown by in-gel and solution-based assays. The methods described here can provide the basis for further work to probe the interaction of hephaestin with other proteins using complementary fluorescent tags on target proteins that would facilitate the fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements, for example with transferrin or colocalisation studies, and help to discover more about hephaestin works at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Sibel Aslan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Engineer and Natural Science, Biruni University, İstanbul Turkey
| | - Kenneth N White
- School of Human Sciences, London Metropolitan University, London UK
| | | | - Kaila S Srai
- Division of Biosciences, University College London, London UK
| | - Robert W Evans
- Metalloprotein Research Group, Division of Biosciences, School of Health Sciences and Social Care, Brunel University, Uxbridge UK
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Ramirez MLG, Poreba M, Snipas SJ, Groborz K, Drag M, Salvesen GS. Extensive peptide and natural protein substrate screens reveal that mouse caspase-11 has much narrower substrate specificity than caspase-1. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:7058-7067. [PMID: 29414788 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.001329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory cell death, or pyroptosis, is triggered by pathogenic infections or events. It is executed by caspase-1 (in the canonical pyroptosis pathway) or caspase-11 (noncanonical pathway), each via production of a cell-lytic domain from the pyroptosis effector protein gasdermin D through specific and limited proteolysis. Pyroptosis is accompanied by the release of inflammatory mediators, including the proteolytically processed forms of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18. Given the similar inflammatory outcomes of the canonical and noncanonical pyroptosis pathways, we hypothesized that caspase-1 and -11 should have very similar activities and substrate specificities. To test this hypothesis, we purified recombinant murine caspases and analyzed their primary specificities by massive hybrid combinatorial substrate library (HyCoSuL) screens. We correlated the substrate preferences of each caspase with their activities on the recombinant natural substrates IL-1β, IL-18, and gasdermin D. Although we identified highly selective and robust peptidyl substrates for caspase-1, we were unable to do so for caspase-11, because caspase-1 cleaved even the best caspase-11 substrates equally well. Caspase-1 rapidly processed pro-IL-1β and -18, but caspase-11 processed these two pro-ILs extremely poorly. However, both caspase-1 and -11 efficiently produced the cell-lytic domain from the gasdermin D precursor. We hypothesize that caspase-11 may have evolved a specific exosite to selectively engage pyroptosis without directly activating pro-IL-1β or -18. In summary, comparing the activities of caspase-1 and -11 in HyCoSuL screens and with three endogenous protein substrates, we conclude that caspase-11 has highly restricted substrate specificity, preferring gasdermin D over all other substrates examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica L Gonzalez Ramirez
- From the NCI-Designated Cancer Center and.,Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California 92037 and
| | - Marcin Poreba
- From the NCI-Designated Cancer Center and.,the Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
| | | | - Katarzyna Groborz
- the Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Marcin Drag
- the Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
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An Y, Meresse P, Mas PJ, Hart DJ. CoESPRIT: a library-based construct screening method for identification and expression of soluble protein complexes. PLoS One 2011; 6:e16261. [PMID: 21364980 PMCID: PMC3043051 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2010] [Accepted: 12/13/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural and biophysical studies of protein complexes require multi-milligram quantities of soluble material. Subunits are often unstable when expressed separately so co-expression strategies are commonly employed since in vivo complex formation can provide stabilising effects. Defining constructs for subunit co-expression experiments is difficult if the proteins are poorly understood. Even more problematic is when subunit polypeptide chains co-fold since individually they do not have predictable domains. We have developed CoESPRIT, a modified version of the ESPRIT random library construct screen used previously on single proteins, to express soluble protein complexes. A random library of target constructs is screened against a fixed bait protein to identify stable complexes. In a proof-of-principle study, C-terminal fragments of the influenza polymerase PB2 subunit containing folded domains were isolated using importin alpha as bait. Separately, a C-terminal fragment of the PB1 subunit was used as bait to trap N-terminal fragments of PB2 resulting in co-folded complexes. Subsequent expression of the target protein without the bait indicates whether the target is independently stable, or co-folds with its partner. This highly automated method provides an efficient strategy for obtaining recombinant protein complexes at yields compatible with structural, biophysical and functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingfeng An
- Grenoble Outstation, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, BP181, Grenoble, France
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, UJF-EMBL-CNRS, UMI3265, Grenoble, France
| | - Patrick Meresse
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, UJF-EMBL-CNRS, UMI3265, Grenoble, France
| | - Philippe J. Mas
- Grenoble Outstation, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, BP181, Grenoble, France
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, UJF-EMBL-CNRS, UMI3265, Grenoble, France
| | - Darren J. Hart
- Grenoble Outstation, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, BP181, Grenoble, France
- Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, UJF-EMBL-CNRS, UMI3265, Grenoble, France
- * E-mail:
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Kerrigan JJ, Xie Q, Ames RS, Lu Q. Production of protein complexes via co-expression. Protein Expr Purif 2010; 75:1-14. [PMID: 20692346 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2010.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2010] [Revised: 07/22/2010] [Accepted: 07/31/2010] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Multi-protein complexes are involved in essentially all cellular processes. A protein's function is defined by a combination of its own properties, its interacting partners, and the stoichiometry of each. Depending on binding partners, a transcription factor can function as an activator in one instance and a repressor in another. The study of protein function or malfunction is best performed in the relevant context. While many protein complexes can be reconstituted from individual component proteins after being produced individually, many others require co-expression of their native partners in the host cells for proper folding, stability, and activity. Protein co-expression has led to the production of a variety of biological active complexes in sufficient quantities for biochemical, biophysical, structural studies, and high throughput screens. This article summarizes examples of such cases and discusses critical considerations in selecting co-expression partners, and strategies to achieve successful production of protein complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Kerrigan
- Biological Reagents & Assay Development, Platform Technology & Science, GlaxoSmithKline R&D, 1250 South Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
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Zweers JC, Barák I, Becher D, Driessen AJ, Hecker M, Kontinen VP, Saller MJ, Vavrová L, van Dijl JM. Towards the development of Bacillus subtilis as a cell factory for membrane proteins and protein complexes. Microb Cell Fact 2008; 7:10. [PMID: 18394159 PMCID: PMC2323362 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2859-7-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2007] [Accepted: 04/04/2008] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis is an important producer of high quality industrial enzymes and a few eukaryotic proteins. Most of these proteins are secreted into the growth medium, but successful examples of cytoplasmic protein production are also known. Therefore, one may anticipate that the high protein production potential of B. subtilis can be exploited for protein complexes and membrane proteins to facilitate their functional and structural analysis. The high quality of proteins produced with B. subtilis results from the action of cellular quality control systems that efficiently remove misfolded or incompletely synthesized proteins. Paradoxically, cellular quality control systems also represent bottlenecks for the production of various heterologous proteins at significant concentrations. Conclusion While inactivation of quality control systems has the potential to improve protein production yields, this could be achieved at the expense of product quality. Mechanisms underlying degradation of secretory proteins are nowadays well understood and often controllable. It will therefore be a major challenge for future research to identify and modulate quality control systems of B. subtilis that limit the production of high quality protein complexes and membrane proteins, and to enhance those systems that facilitate assembly of these proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C Zweers
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, P,O, Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Kim SM, Bowers PM, Pal D, Strong M, Terwilliger TC, Kaufmann M, Eisenberg D. Functional linkages can reveal protein complexes for structure determination. Structure 2007; 15:1079-89. [PMID: 17850747 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2007.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2005] [Revised: 05/25/2007] [Accepted: 06/01/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In the study of protein complexes, is there a computational method for inferring which combinations of proteins in an organism are likely to form a crystallizable complex? Here we attempt to answer this question, using the Protein Data Bank (PDB) to assess the usefulness of inferred functional protein linkages from the Prolinks database. We find that of the 242 nonredundant prokaryotic protein complexes shared between the current PDB and Prolinks, 44% (107/242) contain proteins linked at high confidence by one or more methods of computed functional linkages. Similarly, high-confidence linkages detect 47% of known Escherichia coli protein complexes, with 45% accuracy. Together these findings suggest that functional linkages will be useful in defining protein complexes for structural studies, including for structural genomics. We offer a database of inferred linkages corresponding to likely protein complexes for some 629,952 pairs of proteins in 154 prokaryotes and archaea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sul-Min Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Bravo J, Aloy P. Target selection for complex structural genomics. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2006; 16:385-92. [PMID: 16713251 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2006.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2006] [Revised: 04/25/2006] [Accepted: 05/04/2006] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Most cellular processes are carried out by macromolecular assemblies and regulated through a complex network of transient protein-protein interactions. Genome-wide interaction discovery experiments are already delivering the first drafts of whole organism interactomes and, thus, depicting the limits of the interaction space. However, a complete understanding of molecular interactions can only come from high-resolution three-dimensional structures, as they provide key atomic details about the binding interfaces. The launch of structural genomics initiatives focused on protein interactions and complexes could quickly fill up the interaction space with structural details, offering a new perspective on how cell networks operate at atomic level. Clear target selection strategies that rationally identify the key interactions and complexes that should be first tackled are fundamental to maximize the return, minimize the costs and prevent experimental difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerónimo Bravo
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas, C/Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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