Expression and Purification of SARS Coronavirus Membrane Protein

To construct a recombinant plasmid Pet23a-M, the gene encoding severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus membrane protein was amplified by RT-PCR and cloned into the expression plasmid Pet23a. Results of restriction endonuclease analysis, PCR detection and DNA sequencing analysis revealed that the cloned DNA sequence was the same as that reported. The recombinants were transformed into Escherichia coli (E.Coli) BL21 (DE3) and induced by Isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). The expression of 27 kD (1 kD=0.9921 ku) protein was detected by SDS-PAGE and pured by metal chelated chromatography. Results of Western-blot showed that this expressed protein could react with antibodies in sera of SARS patients during convalescence. This provided the basis for the further study on SARS virus vaccine and diagnostic agents.

Purification of Moringa oleifera Leaves Protease by Three-Phase Partitioning and Investigation of Its Potential Antibacterial Activity

One of plant-based products for dental care is plant-based proteolytic enzymes which are principally proteases. In order not to damage the protein and bioactive content, an efficient method should be employed for their purifications. As such, three-phase partitioning (TPP) was used to purify protease from moringa (Moringa oleifera). TPP is an emerging, promising, non-chromatographic and economical technology which is simple, quick, efficient and often one-step process for the separation and purification of bioactive molecules from natural sources. It involves the addition of salt (ammonium sulphate) to the crude extract followed by the addition of an organic solvent (butanol). The protein appears as an interfacial precipitate between upper organic solvent and lower aqueous phases. The various conditions such as ammonium sulphate, ratio of crude extract to t-butanol and pH which are required for attaining efficient purification of the protease fractions were optimized. Under optimized conditions, it was seen that, 35% of ammonium sulphate saturation with 1:0.75 ratio of crude extract to t-butanol at pH 7 gave 4.94-fold purification with 96.20% activity yield of protease in the middle phase of the TPP system. The purified enzyme from Moringa oleifera has no antimicrobial effect on the pathogenic bacteria tested. However, this purified enzyme, can be considered as a promising agent, cheap, and safe source which is suitable for using in various industries.

Expression,Purification and Activity Detection of Structural Protein VP1 of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Serotype A

The paper was to obtain the VP1 protein of FMDV serotype A with high activity. With recombinant plasmid pMD19A-T-vp1 as the tem- plate, vpl gene fragment amplified by PCR was connected into prokaryotic expression vector pET28a to construct recombinant plasmid pET-A-vpl. The E. coli BL21 （DE3） strain containing recombinant plasmid pET-A-vpl were induced by IPTG. SDS-PAGE showed that VP1 protein was ex- pressed in the form of inclusion body, and its molecular weight was about 29 ku. Based on the optimizing IPTG concentration and expression time, the largest expression of VP1 protein was induced by 0.3 mmol/L IPTG for 6 h at 37 ℃. Western-Blot analysis indicated that the expression of VP1 protein could be specifically recognized by positive serum of FMDV serotype A. ELISA test showed that VP1 inclusion body protein had high activity after purification by washing and renaturation by urea concentration gradient dialysis.

Purification of the Drosophila melanogaster Proteins Inscuteable and Staufen Expressed in Escherichia coli

The proteins Inscuteable and Staufen are key components during asymmetric cell division of neuroblasts for the development of Drosophila melanogaster. Expression and purification of both proteins has been a difficult task for structure-function studies. Based on codon optimization for protein expression in Escherichia coli, we have been able to produce, in soluble form, the C-terminal domains of Inscuteable and Staufen as chimeras with N-terminal maltose binding protein tag that contains a rigid linker between them for feasible crystallization. In addition, using an optimized synthetic gene, corresponding to the amino acid region 250 - 623 of Inscuteable fused to glutathione-S-transferase, low-scale expression experiments showed production of soluble protein. Finally, eukaryotic expression of Inscuteable in the methylothropic yeast Pichia pastoris failed to produce the Drosophila protein at detectable amounts, reinforcing the fact that E. coli still was the microorganism of choice for high-yield protein expression.

Molecular Cloning, and Characterization of an Adenylyl Cyclase-Associated Protein from Gossypium arboreum L.

The aim of this study was to clone CAP （adenylyl cyclase-associated protein） gene from Gossypium arboreum L. and develop a platform for expressing and purifying CAP protein, which is a base for the construction and function researches of CAP. In this work, a CAP homolog from cotton （DPL971） ovule was identified and cloned. And the cDNA sequence consisted of an open reading frame of 1 416 nucleotides encoding a protein of 471 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular weight of 50.6 kDa. To gain insight on the CAP role in cotton fiber development, the cloned CAP cDNA was expressed. A significant higher yield pure protein was obtained with the chromatographic method. Further experiments showed that the purified protein can bind with the actin in vitro indicating that the recombinant cotton CAP is functional. The procedure described here produced high yield pure protein through one chromatographic step, suitable for further structure-function studies.

Expression and Characterization of a Recombinant Truncated Capsid Protein of Hepatitis E Virus in Pichia pastoris

Hepatitis E is an enterically transmitted viral disease caused by infection with hepatitis E virus（HEV）. HEV is a nonenveloped virus that bas been classified in the family of Caliciviridae. The virus appears to be a polya-denylated, positive-stranded RNA virus with three major open reading frames（ORFs）. The capsid protein of HEV is encoded by the open reading frame 2（ORF2）. We attempted to produce a truncated capsid protein, designed p293, in Pichia pastoris. The p293 gene encoding amino acids（aa） 382-674 of HEV ORF2 was designed based on the full length of HEV ORF2, cloned into the yeast vector pPIC9K, and expressed in P. pastoris strain GS 115. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting demonstrated that the recombinant protein p293 could well be expressed in P pastoris. Under optimized conditions （culture medium pH, 6.0-6.5; methanol concentration added daily, 3.0%; inoculum density, OD600=60; induction time point, 72-96 h）, the yield of soluble p293 was approximately 80 mg/L. We also observed p293 secretory expressed in P. pastoris to be 30 nm viral like particles by using electron microscopy. These results show that the p293 may has utility in the analysis of cell specific factors in the protein processing and assembly of HEV, and serve as a useful antigen for both diagnostic and vaccine purposes.

Carboxyl Terminus Truncated Human Papillomavirus Type 58 L1 Protein Maintains Its Bioactivity and Ability to Form Virus-like Particles

Summary: To prepare carboxyl terminus truncated human papillomavirus type 58 L1(HPV58L1) protein and evaluate its ability to form virus-like particles, the baculovirus and Sf-9 insect cells was used to express HPV58L1 protein, and pFastBac-Htb containing HPV58L1 gene sequence of carboxyl terminus truncation was generated. Then Sf-9 cells were infected with recombinant baculovirus. After being cultured, the post-infected cells expressing-HPV58L1 protein-were harvested and analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. The ProBond~TM purification system was used for protein purification. The bio-activity of purified protein was identified by mouse erythrocyte hemagglutination assay, and the VLP formation was examined with transmission electron microscope. Our results showed that the recombinant baculovirus was generated and the Sf-9 cells was infected with the recombinant baculovirus, and after collecting, total cellular proteins were extracted. Truncated HPV58L1 protein with MW 58KD was revealed by SDS-PAGE and confirmed by Western blot. The purified L1 proteins under native condition could cause mouse erythrocytes to agglutinate and form VLP. It is concluded that HPV58L1 protein with carboxyl terminus truncation could be efficiently expressed. In baculovirus Sf-9 cells expression system, the purified protein could self-assemble into virions in vitro, and induce agglutination of mouse erythrocytes, indicating that carboxyl terminus truncation does not interfere with the bioactivity of HPV58L1 protein.

SOLID MATRICES FOR EXPANDED BED ADSORPTION OF PROTEINS

Expanded bed adsorption (EBA) has been introduced as a primary recovery step for protein purification from a whole fermentation broth or unclarified cell homogenates. It can also be integrated with a fermentation or cell disruption process. Solid matrix is the principal pillar supporting the successful application of the EBA technology. This article summarizes the solid matrices employed in and developed for the EBA process to date. Further development of solid matrices for the expanded bed technique in the recovery of various biological substances from different sources has been addressed.

Expression and Purification of Zinc Finger Domain and Central Domain of MDMD2

[ Objective] This study aimed to construct the His-tagged prokaryotic expression vectors harboring zinc finger domain （ZF） and central domain （ acidic domain ＆ zinc finger domain, CT） of MDM2, respectively, and preliminarily identified biologic activity of the purified fusion proteins. [ Method ] ZF and CT cod- ing regions were amplified from MDM2 cDNA library by PCR and separately inserted into prokaryotie expression vector pET28b to construct the recombinant plas- mids. After verification by enzyme digestion, the recombinant plasmids were separately transformed into E. coli DH5c~ competent cells. The expressed recombinant plasmids were purified using Ni-NTA magnetic beads and identified by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. [ Result] The molecular weight of His-ZF and His-CT fu- sion proteins was 21 and 31 kD, respectively. E Conclusion] Recombinant fusion proteins containing ZF and CT of MDM2 were obtained successfully, which laid the foundation for subsequent protein crystallization and three-dimensional structure analysis.

Expression and Purification of Serine/Arginine-Rich Splicing Factor 1 from Escherichia coli Expression System

Serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 1(SRSF1), as a prototype member of the highly conserved serine/arginine family of RNA binding proteins, plays an important role in mRNA alternative splicing, stabilization, nuclear export, and translation. Here, the expression system was established to purify full-length human SRSF1 from Escherichia coli(E. coli). The SRSF1 coding sequence was amplified by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and inserted into the pET-28 a-ppSUMO vector with His-tag to construct a recombinant plasmid His-SUMO-SRSF1. Then the plasmid was transformed into BL21(DE3) competent cells for expression. After purification by affinity chromatography and cleavage of His-SUMO moiety, a highly purified SRSF1 with a molecular weight of around 28 kg/mol was obtained. The protein was analyzed by sizing chromatography and it was found that SRSF1 would form a polymer structure in the solution. According to Expasy bioinformatics analysis, SRSF1 is extremely unstable. Purification of full-length SRSF1 protein provides an opportunity to study mRNA splicing in vitro.

Inteins--A Focus on the Biotechnological Applications of Splicing-Promoting Proteins

The main aim of this mini-review is to illustrate strategies and industrial applications based on inteins (INTErnal proteINS), which belong to a class of autocatalytic enzymes that are able to perform a catalytic reaction on a single substrate. However, since practical applications of inteins are strongly guided by a detailed understanding of their biological mechanisms and functions, the first part of this review will thus briefly discuss the physiological roles of inteins, describing what is currently known about their mechanisms of action. In the second part, specific biotechnological applications of inteins will be outlined (i.e. their use for (i) the purification of recombinant proteins, (ii) the cyclization of proteins and (iii) the production of seleno-proteins), paying attention to both potential strengths and weaknesses of this technology.

Purification and Biochemical Characterization of a Protease Inhibitor Ⅱ Family from Jalapeno Pepper(Capsicum annuum L.)

Capsicum annuum L. was initially domesticated in Mexico and northern Central America, and represented an ancient Neotropical plant food complex. The purpose of this paper is to report the isolation and purification of a novo-member of a protease inhibitor from jalape&ntildeo pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) (PIJP). The molecular weight of PIJP inhibitor is 5.95 kDa with 56 amino acids and 6 Cys residues with high inhibitory activity to trypsin with a Ki value of 95 nM. This inhibitor according to the alignment with homologous from NCBI and Pfam databases is a member of proteinase inhibitors II. It is worthwhile to mention a major compositional difference between the proteinase inhibitor II families which have 8 Cys residues. PIJP is the first purified proteinase inhibitor, member of this family with only 6 Cys residues.

Expression,Purification and Identification of Recombinant Mouse Interleukin 21 Protein in E.coli

Interleukin 21 （IL-21） is a novel type I cytokine that is significantly homologous to IL-2, IL-4 and IL-15. Its receptor complex contains γc chain which is also a component of receptors for IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9 and IL-15, so there may be overlapping or relevancies in their biological functions. IL-21 is capable of co-stimulating mature T cells, B cells, NK cells, and of stimulating CD16 expression on the surface of NK cells to induce ADCC in innate immune response. It can also strengthen the anti-tumor effect of the cellular immunity, especially v/a enhancing the activities of NK and antigen specific CTL cells. Thus, IL-21 is a potential useful therapeutic molecule for immunotherapy of malignancies, by eliciting innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune responses in tumor-bearing hosts. In order to study the biological functions of IL-21, we constructed a mIL-21 prokaryotic expression plasmid and expressed the recombinant mIL-21 protein in E. coli in present study. The recombinant plasmid pET28a/mIL-21 with a carboxyl terminal His-tag was subcloned from the pcDNA3.1/mIL-21 and expressed in E. coli. The induced protein was detected by SDS-PAGE, and identified by Western-blot assay with anti-mIL-21 antibody. The recombinant protein was purified v/a Ni^＋ affinity chromatography, and renatured with GSH/GSSG system. Our mouse T cell proliferation experiment showed that the recombinant mIL-21 protein could enhance the mouse T cell proliferation either by itself alone or in the presence of Con A.

Ca^(2+)-亚氨二醋酸金属离子亲和色谱法吸附内毒素(英文)

Endotoxins(also known as lipopolysaccharides(LPS)) are undesirable by-products of recombinant proteins,purified from Escherichia coli.LPS can be considered stable under a wide range of temperature and pH,making their removal one of the most difficult tasks in downstream processes during protein purification.The inherent toxicity of LPS makes their removal an important step for the application of these proteins in several biological assays and for a safe parenteral administration.Immobilized metal affinity chromatography(IMAC) enables the affinity interactions between the metal ions(immobilized on the support through the chelating compound) and the target molecules,thus enabling high-efficiency separation of the target molecules from other components present in a mixture.Affinity chromatography is applied with Ca2+-iminodiacetic acid(IDA) to remove most of the LPS contaminants from the end product(more than90%).In this study,the adsorption of LPS on an IDA-Ca2+ was investigated.The adsorption Freundlich isotherm of LPS-IDA-Ca2+ provides a theoretical basis for LPS removal.It was found that LPS is bound mainly by interactions between the phosphate group in LPS and Ca2+ ligands on the beads.The factors such as pH(4.0 or 5.5) and ionic strength(1.0 mol/L) are essential to obtain effective removal of LPS for contaminant levels between endotoxin' concentration values less than100 EU/mL and 100 000 EU/mL.This new protocol represents a substantial advantage in time,effort,and production costs.

High-level expression, purification and characterization of codon-optimized recombinant hemagglutinin 5 proteins in mammalian cells

Background Numerous Asian cases of avian influenza virus infection, especially the highly pathogenic strain H5N1, in humans have raised the concern that another influenza pandemic is close. However, there are no effective therapeutic drugs or preventative vaccines available. Hemagglutinin is the membrane glycoprotein of avian influenza virus responsible for receptor binding to human cells and the main immunogenic protein that elicits a strong immune response. Although this protein is of great importance to the study of pathogenesis and vaccine development, its expression and purification are difficult due to high levels of glycosylation. Methods In this study, we expressed codon-optimized, full-length hemagglutinin 5 （H5） protein fused with a human IgG Fc tag （H5-Fc） in HEK293 cells. To enhance secretion of this protein, we also deleted the transmembrane domain and the intracellular domain of the H5 protein （H5ATM-Fc）. Purified proteins were obtained using a protein A column. Results ELISA revealed that the yield of soluble H5ATM-Fc protein in the supernatant was about 20 mg/L. Western blotting and fluorescence activated cell sorter （FACS） indicated that the purified H5 protein was correctly folded and biologically active. Conclusion Purification of H5 proteins from mammalian cells could be used for large-scale production of recombinant H5 protein for basic scientific research or the development of vaccines.

EXPRESSION OF NITROREDUCTASE GENE NOR_1 IN E.Coli AND THE PREPARATION OF ANTISERUM

Objective: To express nitroreductase gene NOR1 in Escherichia coli and to purify the expressed protein in order to get the polyclonal antibody of NOR1. Methods: The full length of NOR1 gene was amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and digested with BamHI and XhoI restriction endonucleases. The plasmid pGEX-4T-2 was also digested with BamHI and XhoI, then the NOR1 gene was inserted into vector pGEX-4T-2. The recombinant expression vector pGEX-4T-2/NOR1 was identified by sequencing and restriction enzymes digestion. E.coli Jm105 transformed with the recombinant plasmid was induced by IPTG to express the GST fusion protein. The purified targeted protein obtained by affinity chromatography was used to immunize New Zealand rabbits to acquire antiserum. Antiserum was analyzed with immunoblot. Results: The 1.25 kb NOR1 gene was successfully isolated. After induction, a new anticipated protein of 74 kDa appeared on sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide (SDS-PAGE). The result was confirmed by Western blot analysis, and the purified targeted protein was obtained by affinity chromatography. The titer of antiserum was 1:8. Conclusion: A high level of expression of GST-NOR1 is obtained in JM 105, and its antiserum can be prepared successfully.

Recombinant Pyriform Spider Silk Expression and Wet-Spinning

Spider silk is capturing the attention of scientists for its mechanical properties,biocompatibility,and biodegradability.Spiders can produce six types of silks,as well as special glue,which are used for survival and reproduction.During the last years of research,scientists deciphered gene sequences and expressed the most common types of spider silks.However,matching the mechanical properties of recombinant spider silks to native ones is still a big challenge.Moreover,in-depth studies are mostly focused on natural and recombinant ampullate silks,and only a few studies showed achievements on pyriform spidroin(PySp).In this study,repeatable parts of PySp were expressed,purified,and spun into fibers.Recombinase cloning strategy allowed to create highly-repetitive region parts clones efficiently in comparison to the traditional restriction enzyme cloning technique.A cost-effective high-yield purification strategy was used.This study provides strategies that can help to design recombinant spider silks with the same mechanical properties as native spider silks.

PROTEIN SEPARATION USING ULTRAFILTRATION-AN EXAMPLE OF MULTI-SCALE COMPLEX SYSTEMS

In this mini-review, the complexity of protein fractionation using ultrafiltration is discussed. The coupling of the system hydrodynamics, boundary Layer transport, membrane permeation, electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions and its effects on protein transmission and membrane selectivity are analysed. Although ultrafiltration is promising for larger scale protein purification and also with outstanding advantages both technically and economically, much needs to be done to derive the general guidance for membrane selection, process design and system operation. With fine tuning of operational and physiochemical conditions, the process can be greatly improved in terms of process productivity and protein purity. A coupled multi-scale approach might provide a way forward to analyse this complex system and improve the confidence in applying such a promising technology and predictability of the outcome.

Verticase:a Fibrinolytic Enzyme Produced by Verticillium sp,Tj33,an Endophyte of Trachelospermum jasminoides

Plant endophytes are among the most important resources of biologically active metabolites. Twenty-three endophyte strains residing in Trachelospermum jasminoides were cultivated in vitro with the cultures assayed for the fibrinolytic substance production. As a result, the culture of VerticUlium sp. Tj33 was shown to be the most active. A fibrinolytic enzyme designated as verticase was subsequently purified from the supernatant of Verticillium sp. culture broth by a combination of DEAE-52, Sephadex G-75 and hydrophobic column chromatographies. Verticase, with its molecular mass of 31 kDa and pl of 8.5, was demonstrated to be homogeneous by sodium dodecyl suIfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing electrophoresis. Verticase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes fibrin directly without activation of plaminogen. It was stable in a broad pH range from 4 through to 11 with the optimal reaction pH value and temperature shown to be around 9-10 and 50-60℃, respectively. The fibrinolytic activity of verticase was severely inhibited by phenylmethylsulfony fluoride, indicating that verticase was a serine protease.

Cloning of Chinese obese cDNA and its expression in E coli

Objective To obtain the sequence of Chinese obese (OB) cDNA and establish a method of leptin production in China Methods Han Chinese OB cDNA fragment was obtained by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) with total RNA extracted from human adipocytes and was inserted into the expressing vector pBV220 Then the constructed recombinant plasmid pBV220 OB was transformed to E coli DH5α for leptin expression The recombinant expressing system was confirmed by restriction endonuclease digestion, DNA sequencing and protein expression E coli cells were lysed by high pressure homogenization After cell membrane was extracted, the inclusion bodies were mainly renatured and purified primarily by precipitation with ammonium sulfate and gel chromatography through a Sephadex G75 column The activity of recombinant leptin was determined by its influence on the satiety and weight gain of mice Results Analysis of DNA sequence showed that Han Chinese OB cDNA included the glutamine codon at 49 The amount of recombinant leptin expressed in E coli accounted for 31%-47% of total cellular proteins From 1?L of fermentative bacteria about 40?mg of pure recombinant human leptin was isolated with a purity of being above 95% The recombinant human leptin could reduce food intake and inhibit weight gains in mice Conclusion The glutamine codon at 49 is not missing in Chinese OB gene The biologically active human leptin can be obtained by a relatively simple method of recombinant DNA technology