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Clifford R, Lindman S, Zhu J, Luo E, Delmar J, Tao Y, Ren K, Lara A, Cayatte C, McTamney P, O'Connor E, Öhman J. Production of native recombinant proteins using a novel split intein affinity technology. J Chromatogr A 2024; 1724:464908. [PMID: 38669943 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2024.464908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Affinity tags are frequently engineered into recombinant proteins to facilitate purification. Although this technique is powerful, removal of the tag is desired because the tag can interfere with biological activity and can potentially increase the immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins. Tag removal is complex, as it requires adding expensive protease enzymes. To overcome this limitation, split intein based affinity purification systems have been developed in which a CC-intein tag is engineered into a protein of interest for binding to a NC-intein peptide ligand fixed to a chromatographic support. Tag removal in these systems is achieved by creating an active intein-complex during protein capture, which triggers a precise self-cleavage reaction. In this work, we show applications of a new split intein system, Cytiva™ ProteinSelect™. One advantage of the new system is that the NC-intein ligand can be robustly produced and conjugated to large volumes of resin for production of gram scale proteins. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain and a Bispecific T Cell Engager in this work were successfully captured on the affinity resin and scaled 10-fold. Another advantage of this system is the ability to sanitize the resin with sodium hydroxide without loosing the 10-20 g/L binding capacity. Binding studies with IL-1b and IFNAR-1 ECD showed that the resin can be regenerated and sanitized for up to 50 cycles without loosing binding capacity. Additionally, after several cycles of sanitization, binding capacity was retained for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain and a Bispecific T Cell Engager. As with other split intein systems, optimization was needed to achieve ideal expression and recovery. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the protein of interest required engineering to enable the cleavage reaction. Additionally, ensuring the stability of the CC-intein tag was important to prevent premature cleavage or truncation. Controlling the hold time of the expression product and the prevention of protease activity prior to purification was needed. These results demonstrate the feasibility of the Cytiva™ ProteinSelect™ system to be used in academic and industrial research and development laboratories for the purification of novel proteins expressed in either bacterial or mammalian systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Clifford
- Purification Process Sciences, Process and Analytical Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | | | - Jie Zhu
- Cell Culture & Fermentation Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Ethan Luo
- Cell Culture & Fermentation Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Jared Delmar
- Physicochemical Development, Process and Analytical Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Yeqing Tao
- Physicochemical Development, Process and Analytical Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Kuishu Ren
- Virology and Targeted Therapeutics, Virology and Vaccine Discovery, Vaccines & Immune Therapies Unit, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Abigail Lara
- Immune Engagers, Early ICC Discovery, R&D Oncology, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Corinne Cayatte
- Immune Engagers, Early ICC Discovery, R&D Oncology, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Patrick McTamney
- Virology and Targeted Therapeutics, Virology and Vaccine Discovery, Vaccines & Immune Therapies Unit, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Ellen O'Connor
- Purification Process Sciences, Process and Analytical Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca LLC, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA.
| | - Johan Öhman
- Cytiva, Björkgatan 30, Uppsala, 753 23, Sweden
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Iwaï H, Beyer HM, Johansson JEM, Li M, Wlodawer A. The three-dimensional structure of the Vint domain from Tetrahymena thermophila suggests a ligand-regulated cleavage mechanism by the HINT fold. FEBS Lett 2024; 598:864-874. [PMID: 38351630 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14817] [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: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Vint proteins have been identified in unicellular metazoans as a novel hedgehog-related gene family, merging the von Willebrand factor type A domain and the Hedgehog/INTein (HINT) domains. We present the first three-dimensional structure of the Vint domain from Tetrahymena thermophila corresponding to the auto-processing domain of hedgehog proteins, shedding light on the unique features, including an adduct recognition region (ARR). Our results suggest a potential binding between the ARR and sulfated glycosaminoglycans like heparin sulfate. Moreover, we uncover a possible regulatory role of the ARR in the auto-processing by Vint domains, expanding our understanding of the HINT domain evolution and their use in biotechnological applications. Vint domains might have played a crucial role in the transition from unicellular to multicellular organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideo Iwaï
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hannes M Beyer
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Mi Li
- Center for Structural Biology, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, USA
- Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, MD, USA
| | - Alexander Wlodawer
- Center for Structural Biology, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, USA
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Shafiee-Ardestani Z, Shafiee F. Production of recombinant DNA fragmentation factor 40 in fusion to an antimicrobial peptide from spider venom and evaluation of its cytotoxic effects. Res Pharm Sci 2024; 19:93-104. [PMID: 39006972 PMCID: PMC11244711 DOI: 10.4103/1735-5362.394824] [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: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and purpose DNA fragmentation factor 40 (DFF40) as an apoptotic molecule can represent a novel approach to cancer treatment. Lycosin-I (LYC-I), a peptide derived from spider venom, was considered for the targeted delivery of DFF40 to cancer cells. This study attempted to produce soluble DFF40-LYC-I and evaluate its selective lethal effects on HeLa cells. Experimental approach pTWINl vector was used to produce LYC-I and DFF40-LYC-I in E. coli BL21 (DE3) fused to inteins 1 and 2. IPTG concentration and incubation temperature were optimized to achieve the highest level of soluble product. To remove inteins 1 and 2 from the recombinant peptide or protein, pH shift and dithiothreitol were used for a 24-h incubation period at room temperature, respectively. MTT assay was performed to assess the biological effects of these bio-molecules on HeLa and HUVEC cell lines. Findings/Results LYC-I and DFF40-LYC-I were detected in SDS-PAGE with bands of approximately 57 and 97 kDa, respectively. Furthermore, the 3 and 43 kDa bands showed the purified molecules. The IC50 value of DFF40-LYC-I and DFF40 was determined as 6.6 and 17.03 μg/mL for HeLa, respectively. LYC-I had no cytotoxic effects on both cell lines, even at high concentrations. Conclusion and implications A new fusion protein with targeted cancer treatment potential was produced for the first time by LYC-I with a safe profile on normal cells. This fusion protein exhibited higher cytotoxic effects in cancer cells compared to normal cells. However, additional investigations are required to determine the apoptosis induction and evaluate selective toxicity against other cancer and normal cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Shafiee-Ardestani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, I.R. Iran
| | - Fatemeh Shafiee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, I.R. Iran
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Fages-Lartaud M, Mueller Y, Elie F, Courtade G, Hohmann-Marriott MF. Standard Intein Gene Expression Ramps (SIGER) for Protein-Independent Expression Control. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1058-1071. [PMID: 36920366 PMCID: PMC10127266 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Coordination of multigene expression is one of the key challenges of metabolic engineering for the development of cell factories. Constraints on translation initiation and early ribosome kinetics of mRNA are imposed by features of the 5'UTR in combination with the start of the gene, referred to as the "gene ramp", such as rare codons and mRNA secondary structures. These features strongly influence the translation yield and protein quality by regulating the ribosome distribution on mRNA strands. The utilization of genetic expression sequences, such as promoters and 5'UTRs in combination with different target genes, leads to a wide variety of gene ramp compositions with irregular translation rates, leading to unpredictable levels of protein yield and quality. Here, we present the Standard Intein Gene Expression Ramp (SIGER) system for controlling protein expression. The SIGER system makes use of inteins to decouple the translation initiation features from the gene of a target protein. We generated sequence-specific gene expression sequences for two inteins (DnaB and DnaX) that display defined levels of protein expression. Additionally, we used inteins that possess the ability to release the C-terminal fusion protein in vivo to avoid the impairment of protein functionality by the fused intein. Overall, our results show that SIGER systems are unique tools to mitigate the undesirable effects of gene ramp variation and to control the relative ratios of enzymes involved in molecular pathways. As a proof of concept of the potential of the system, we also used a SIGER system to express two difficult-to-produce proteins, GumM and CBM73.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Fages-Lartaud
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Yasmin Mueller
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Florence Elie
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Gaston Courtade
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Martin Frank Hohmann-Marriott
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway.,United Scientists CORE (Limited), Dunedin 9016, Aotearoa, New Zealand
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Heikkinen HA, Aranko AS, Iwaï H. The NMR structure of the engineered halophilic DnaE intein for segmental isotopic labeling using conditional protein splicing. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2022; 338:107195. [PMID: 35398651 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2022.107195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Protein trans-splicing catalyzed by split inteins has been used for segmental isotopic labeling of proteins for alleviating the complexity of NMR signals. Whereas inteins spontaneously trigger protein splicing upon protein folding, inteins from extremely halophilic organisms require a high salinity condition to induce protein splicing. We designed and created a salt-inducible intein from the widely used DnaE intein from Nostoc punctiforme by introducing 29 mutations, which required a lower salt concentration than naturally occurring halo-obligate inteins. We determined the NMR solution structure of the engineered salt-inducible DnaE intein in 2 M NaCl, showing the essentially identical three-dimensional structure to the original one, albeit it unfolds without salts. The NMR structure of a halo-obligate intein under high salinity suggests that the stabilization of the active folded conformation is not a mere result of various intramolecular interactions but the subtle energy balance from the complex interactions, including the solvation energy, which involve waters, ions, co-solutes, and protein polypeptide chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harri A Heikkinen
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Helsinki, FIN-00014, Finland
| | - A Sesilja Aranko
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Helsinki, FIN-00014, Finland.
| | - Hideo Iwaï
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Helsinki, FIN-00014, Finland.
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