Exploring the modulatory role of bovine lactoferrin on the microbiome and the immune response in healthy and Shiga toxin‑producing E.coli challenged weaned piglets

Background Post-weaned piglets suffer from F18+Escherichia coli(E.coli)infections resulting in post-weaning diar-rhoea or oedema disease.Frequently used management strategies,including colistin and zinc oxide,have contrib-uted to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance.Novel antimicrobials capable of directly interacting with pathogens and modulating the host immune responses are being investigated.Lactoferrin has shown promising results against porcine enterotoxigenic E.coli strains,both in vitro and in vivo.Results We investigated the influence of bovine lactoferrin(bLF)on the microbiome of healthy and infected weaned piglets.Additionally,we assessed whether bLF influenced the immune responses upon Shiga toxin-producing E.coli(STEC)infection.Therefore,2 in vivo trials were conducted:a microbiome trial and a challenge infection trial,using an F18+STEC strain.BLF did not affect theα-andβ-diversity.However,bLF groups showed a higher relative abundance(RA)for the Actinobacteria phylum and the Bifidobacterium genus in the ileal mucosa.When analysing the immune response upon infection,the STEC group exhibited a significant increase in F18-specific IgG serum levels,whereas this response was absent in the bLF group.Conclusion Taken together,the oral administration of bLF did not have a notable impact on theα-andβ-diversity of the gut microbiome in weaned piglets.Nevertheless,it did increase the RA of the Actinobacteria phylum and Bifi-dobacterium genus,which have previously been shown to play an important role in maintaining gut homeostasis.Furthermore,bLF administration during STEC infection resulted in the absence of F18-specific serum IgG responses.

Impact of an oligosaccharide-based polymer on the metabolic profiles and microbial ecology of weanling pigs experimentally infected with a pathogenic E.coli

Background Our previous study has reported that supplementation of oligosaccharide-based polymer enhances gut health and disease resistance of pigs infected with enterotoxigenic E.coli(ETEC)F18 in a manner similar to carbadox.The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of oligosaccharide-based polymer or antibiotic on the host metabolic profiles and colon microbiota of weaned pigs experimentally infected with ETEC F18.Results Multivariate analysis highlighted the differences in the metabolic profiles of serum and colon digesta which were predominantly found between pigs supplemented with oligosaccharide-based polymer and antibiotic.The relative abundance of metabolic markers of immune responses and nutrient metabolisms,such as amino acids and carbohydrates,were significantly differentiated between the oligosaccharide-based polymer and antibiotic groups(q<0.2 and fold change>2.0).In addition,pigs in antibiotic had a reduced(P<0.05)relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae and Lactobacillaceae,whereas had greater(P<0.05)Clostridiaceae and Streptococcaceae in the colon digesta on d 11 post-inoculation(PI)compared with d 5 PI.Conclusions The impact of oligosaccharide-based polymer on the metabolic and microbial profiles of pigs is not fully understood,and further exploration is needed.However,current research suggest that various mechanisms are involved in the enhanced disease resistance and performance in ETEC-challenged pigs by supplementing this polymer.

Characteristics of β-Lactamase Synthesis in E. coli and K. pneumanie Strains in Nosocomial Infections

Background: Recently micro-organisms that synthesize extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBLs) were increased. The peculiarities of ESBL synthesis of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains that cause nosocomial urinary tract infections, surgical site infections and pneumonia in surgical clinic were studied. ESBL synthesis were observed 38.9% of E. coli strains obtained from urine, 92.3% of strains obtained from surgical site infections, and 50% of strains obtained from sputum. ESBL synthesis were observed 37.5% of K. pneumoniae strains obtained from urine, 85.7% of strains obtained from surgical site infections, and 60% of strains obtained from sputum. Different levels of ESBL synthesize of E. coli and K. pneumoniae strains isolated from different pattern is discussed. Conclusion. ESBL synthesis is common in E. coli and K. pneumoniae strains, which cause nosocomial infections. The frequency of occurrence of ESBL s synthesis among of these strains depends on clinical forms of nosocomial infections.

The Transport and Persistence of Escherichia coli in Leachate from Poultry Litter Amended Soils

Fecal coliform bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) are one of the main sources of groundwater pollution. An assessment of the transport and Persistence of E. coli in poultry litter amended Decatur silty Clay soil and Hartsells Sandy soil was conducted using soil columns and simulated groundwater leaching. Enumeration of initial E. coli was determined to range from 2.851 × 103 to 3.044 × 103 CFU per gram of soil. These results have been used in a batch study to determine the persistence rate of E. coli in Decatur silty Clay soil and Hartsells Sandy soil. Results prove that E. coli survival growth rate increases for clay soil later than and at a higher rate than sandy soil. The column study has determined that E. coli was transported at a rate of 3.7 × 106 CFU for Decatur silty loam and 6.3 × 106 CFU for Hartsells sandy per gram of soil. Further, linear regression analysis predictions show higher porosity and soil moisture content affect transport, and Hartsells sandy soil has higher transport of E. coli due to its higher porosity and lower volumetric water content.

Expression of Outer Capsid Protein VP5 of Grass Carp Reovirus in E.coli and Analysis of its Immunogenicity

Grass carp reovirus (GCRV) is a tentative member of the Aquareovirus genus in the family Reoviridae. The mature virion comprises 11 dsRNA genomes enclosed by two concentric icosahedral proteins shells that is comprised of five core proteins and two outer capsid proteins. The genome sequence and 3D structure demonstrate there is a higher level of sequence homology in structural proteins between GCRV and mammalian orthoreoviruses (MRV) compared to other members of the family. To understand the pathogenesis of GCRV infection, the outer capsid protein VP5, a homology of the μ1 protein of MRV, was expressed in E.coli. It was found that the recombinant VP5 was highly expressed, and the expressed His-tag fusion protein was involved in the formation of the inclusion body. Additionally, specific anti-VP5 serum was prepared from purified protein and western blot demonstrated that the expressed protein was able to bind immunologically to rabbit anti GCRV particle serum and the immunogenicity was determined by ELISA assay. Additional experiments in investigating the functional properties of VP5 will further elucidate the role of the GCRV outer capsid protein VP5 during entry into host cells, and its interaction among viral proteins and host cells during the infection process.

Expression Pattern, Interaction Network, and Functional Analysis of the Arabidopsis Botrytis Susceptible1 Interactor

E3 ubiquitin ligases are participated in numerous processes, regulating the response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Botrytis susceptible1 interactor (BOI) is a RING (Really Interesting New Gene)-type E3 ligase that mediates the ubiquitination of BOS1 (Botrytis susceptible1), a transcription factor involved in stress and pathogen responses. Although BOI is an E3 ligase, there are reports to show that BOI interacts with target proteins such as DELLAs or CONSTANS to repress gibberellin responses and flowering without the degradation of the target proteins. In this article, we utilize diversified methods to comprehensively analyze the expression pattern, interaction network and function of BOI gene. Firstly, 1800 bp upstream region of BOI gene from Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) genome was isolated, and fused GUS reporter gene. The resulting expression cassette was introduced into wild-type Arabidopsis through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The result demonstrated that BOI gene was expressed predominantly in leaves, siliques, young roots, and flowering tissues, indicating that BOI gene may be involved in multiple processes in plant growth and development in Arabidopsis. Besides, eight candidate interacting proteins were obtained from the Arabidopsis cDNA library via yeast two-hybrid technology, including EXO70E2 (AT5G61010), WRKY7 (AT4G24240), WRKY11 (AT4G31550), WRKY17 (AT2G24570), UBP20 (AT4G17895), L5 (AT1G12290), SAUR9 (AT4G36110) and TCP21 (AT5G08330). Functional analysis of these candidate interacting proteins manifested that they related to multiple pathways, including biological and abiotic stress, programmed cell death, protein degradation, material metabolism and transcriptional regulation. In addition, the results of the transient assay proclaimed that BOI protein affects the protein stability of EXO70E2 and L5 through its E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. Our results provide novel clues for a better understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying BOI-mediated regulations.

Growth Inhibition of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis from Various Types of Honey

Honey has long been considered a wound treatment used to keep cuts and other epidermal injuries clean. This study tested that claim by comparing manuka honey used in medicine today, local unprocessed honey taken straight from a hive, and pasteurized honey found at a store, on strains of E. coli and S. epidermidis. The study evaluated the effects these honeys had on bacterial growth to determine which had the greatest inhibition of bacterial growth. To determine this, plates streaked with strains of E. coli or S. epidermidis bacteria and agar wells filled with one of the honeys were incubated and subsequently the diameter of the zone of inhibition was measured. After 20 trials using each honey and bacteria type, manuka and unprocessed were shown to have a statistically significant advantage over the pasteurized honey at inhibiting the growth of E. coli and S. epidermidis, though it was variable whether manuka had an advantage over the unprocessed honey.

Evaluating the Potential of Nitrofurantoin and Fosfomycin for E.coli UTIs: A Susceptibility Study

This study was designed to find the susceptibility of Nitrofurantoin and Fosfomycin among urinary isolates of Escherichia.coli.Four hundred(400)urine samples were collected for susceptibility of nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin among urinary isolates of E.coli.All indoor and outdoor patients'urinary samples yielded growth of E.coli.Mid-stream urine specimens were inoculated on blood agar and CLED agar and incubated at 35±2°C.Growth was observed,and Escherichia coli was identified by Gram staining,Catalase,Motility test and API 20E(Bio murex)as per standard procedure.Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of isolates for nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin was carried out by the modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method according to CLSI guidelines ATCC 25922.E.coli was used as a quality control strain.A total of 400 samples were tested susceptibility of nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin among urinary isolates of E.coli during this period.A total of 400 samples yielded the growth of E.coli,out of which 178(44.5%)were male and 222(55.5%)were female samples.Among males,18(10%)were tolerant to nitrofurantoin,and 2(1.1%)were tolerant to fosfomycin.Among females,9(4.09%)were susceptible to nitrofurantoin while 6(2.72%)were susceptible to fosfomycin.Among age groups below 45 years old,6(4.76%)were tolerant to nitrofurantoin,and 2(1.58%)were sensitive to fosfomycin.Between 46-66 years old,4(2.81%)were sensitive to nitrofurantoin,and 3(2.11%)were sensitive to fosfomycin.Between 67-90 years old,17(12.87%)were sensitive to nitrofurantoin,and 4(3.03%)were tolerant to fosfomycin.Fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin showed good susceptibility in urinary isolates of E.coli and can be used empirically in our setup.

Cloning and expression of NS3 cDNA fragment of HCV genome of Hebei isolate in E.coli

AIM To obtain greater antigenicity of HCV NS3 protein. METHODS The HCV NS3 cDNA fragment was amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction from the sera of the HCV infected patients. The DNA sequence was determined by dideoxy mediated chain termination method using T7 polymerase. HCV NS3 protein was expressed in E. coli . RESULTS Sequence analysis indicated that the HCV isolate of this study belongs to HCV Ⅱ; SDS PAGE demonstrated an M r 23800 and an M r 22000 recombinant protein band which amount to 14% and 11% of the total bacterial proteins separately. Western blotting and ELISA showed NS3 protein possessed greater antigenicity. CONCLUSION Recombinant HCV NS3 protein was expressed successfully, which provided the basis for developing HCV diagnostic reagents.

Probiotic bacteria change Escherichia coli-induced gene expression in cultured colonocytes:Implications in intestinal pathophysiology

AIM: To investigate the change in eukaryotic gene expression profile in Caco-2 cells after infection with strains of Escherichia coli and commensal probiotic bacteria. METHODS: A 19 200 gene/expressed sequence tag gene chip was used to examine expression of genes after infection of Caco-2 cells with strains of normal flora E. coli,Lactobacillus plantarum,and a combination of the two. RESULTS: The cDNA microarray revealed up-regulation of 155 and down-regulation of 177 genes by E. coli . L. plantarum up-regulated 45 and down-regulated 36 genes. During mixed infection,27 genes were up-regulated and 59 were down-regulated,with nullification of stimulatory/inhibitory effects on most of the genes. Expression of several new genes was noted in this group. CONCLUSION: The commensal bacterial strains used in this study induced the expression of a large number of genes in colonocyte-like cultured cells and changed the expression of several genes involved in important cellular processes such as regulation of transcription,protein biosynthesis,metabolism,cell adhesion,ubiquitination,and apoptosis. Such changes induced by the presence of probiotic bacteria may shape the physiologic and pathologic responses they trigger in the host.

Prokaryotic Expression of Antimicrobial Peptide CATH PR1–2 from the Skin of Paa robertingeri in Escherichia coli

The aim of this study was to investigate the prokaryotic expression of antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin （CATH） PR1 and PR2 from the skin of Paa robertingeri in Escherichia coli. Two active peptides, CATH PR1 and CATH PR2, belong to the CATH family in the skin of P. robertingeri. CATH PR1 has a relatively high antimicrobial activity, especially for the drug-resistant strains found in clinical practice; however, no antimicrobial activity has been found in CATH PR2. The molecular weights of both CATH PR1 and CATH PR2 are relatively low （3195.88 and 2838.34 Da, respectively）. Thus, the genetic processes, as well as the expression and purification of these proteins, are difficult to perform. Therefore, in this study, CATH PR1 and CATH PR2 genes were tandem ligated and then connected to the plasmid pET-32a. This reconstructed plasmid was then transfected into the expression vector E. coli BL21 to construct the recombinant expression system. The fusion expression of peptide PR was stable in E. coli after induction with 1.0 mol/L isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside at 37℃ for 4 h. The antimicrobial activity assay using Staphylococcus aureus （Song） and Candida albicans 08030102 showed that the antimicrobial activity of PR was similar to the antimicrobial activity of CATH PR1. This study showed that artificial modification of the amino acid sequences of PR1 and PR2 could result in better protein expression in prokaryotes, and the fusion protein expressed had relatively high antimicrobial and other biological activities. In conclusion, the findings suggest future prospects of the commercialization of this method.

High-level expression of human calmodulin in E.coli and its effects on cell proliferation

Calmodulin (CaM), widely distributed in almost all eukaryotic cells, is a major intracellular calcium receptor responsible for mediating the Ca2 + signal to a multitude of different enzyme systems and is thought to play a vital role in the regulation of cell proliferative cycle[1，2]. Recently, many studies showed that CaM is also present in extracellular fluid such as cell culture media and normal body fluid and has been reported to stimulate proliferation in a range of normal and neoplastic cells, apparently acting as an autocrine growth factor[3-11]. In 1988, Crocker et al reported for the first time that addition of extracellular pure pig brain CaM could promote DNA synthesis and cell [7]proliferation in K562 human leukaemic lymphocytes[7].After that, more and more research was done on extracellular CaM and evidences demonstrated that extracellular CaM could also stimulate cell proliferation in normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells[5], keratinocytes[4], suspension-cultured cells of Angelica Dahurica, etc[6]. CaM is a monomeric protein of 148 amino acids that contains four homologous Ca2 + -binding domains. CaM has been highly conserved throughout the evolution. Only 1 out of 148 amino acids of human CaM is different from that of fish CaM. Complementary DNAs encoding rat, eel, chicken, human, and trypanosome CaM have been cloned.

MOLECULAR CLONING OF hTRT CATALYTIC DOMAIN FROM HeLa CELLS AND ITS EXPRESSION IN E Coli AND PURIFICATION

To investigate the expression of telomerase gene hTRT mRNA in HeLa cells and to obtain hTRT protein for futher study Methods. The gene for encoding hTRT catalytic domain was cloned based on RT PCR amplification from HeLa cells and sequenced The cloned hTRTcDNA was in frame inserted into His tag fusion expression vector pEK318 The His tag hTRT fusion proteins were purified by Ni NTA chromatography and stained by western blotting Results. An approximately 620bp fragment was generated and cloned into pBluescript SK+between SalI and BamHI sites DNA sequencing showed the isolated fragment was consistent to those reported SDS PAGE present that a 17kDa protein was expressed stably in E coli JM109 harboring pEKTRT344 containing 6×His tag and hTRT 150aa, and the expression level of the protein was about 26% of the total bacterial proteins, while the expression of pEKTRT containing 6×His tag and hTRT 243aa was only detectable as 27 kDa band in western blotting Both of fusion proteins were purified by Ni NTA chromatography and showed single band(>95% purifity) in Coomassie Brilliant staining Western blotting confirmed that two proteins could be recognized by the Ni NTA AP conjugate Conclusions. The hTRT catalytic domain was highly conserved The expressed hTRT protein contained recognizable His tag, telomerase specific and strong antigenic epitops, which may be convenient for further investigation

An Improved Strategy for Efficient Expression and Purification of Soluble HIV-1 Tat Protein in E.coli

Although the endogenous function of Tat has been elucidated in the past twenty years, the study of its exogenous activity has been hampered due to the difficulty of large scale preparation of the active Tat protein. To express the full-length Tat protein in E.coli, the tat gene was cloned from an HIV infected patient by overlapping PCR. Rare codon usage analysis showed that rare E.coli codons, especially consecutive rare codons for Arg, account for 14% (14 of 101) rare E.coli codons in the tat gene. The expression of the HIV-1 tat gene was verified to be very poor in strain BL21 (DE3) due to the abundance of rare codons; however, tat gene expression was found to be very efficient in the host strain of Rosetta-gami B (DE3), which was supplemented with six rare tRNAs for Arg, Leu, Ile and Pro. Subsequent purification revealed that the proteins are soluble and unusually, the tagged Tat can form dimers independent of cystine disulfide bonds. The purity, integrity and molecular weight of the Tat protein were demonstrated by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Reporter gene activating assay was further confirmed by investigating the transactivation activity of the recombinant Tat protein. Our improved strategy for efficient high level expression and purification of soluble Tat protein has paved the way to fully investigate its exogenous function.

Receptor-binding domain of SARS-Cov spike protein: Soluble expression in E.coli, purification and functional characterization

AIM： To find a soluble and functional recombinant receptor-binding domain of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus （SARS-Cov）, and to analyze its receptor binding ability. METHODS： Three fusion tags （glutathione S-transferase, GST; thioredoxin, Trx; maltose-binding protein, MBP）, which preferably contributes to increasing solubility and to facilitating the proper folding of heteroprotein, were used to acquire the soluble and functional expression of RBD protein in Escherichia coli （BL21（DE3） and Rosetta-gamiB （DE3） strains）. The receptor binding ability of the purified soluble RBD protein was then detected by ELISA and flow cytometry assay. RESULTS： RBD of SARS-Cov spike protein was expressed as inclusion body when fused as TrxA tag form in both BL21 （DE3） and Rosetta-gamiB （DE3） under many different cultures and induction conditions. And there was no visible expression band on SDS-PAGE when RBD was expressed as MBP tagged form. Only GST tagged RBD was soluble expressed in BL21（DE3）, and the protein was purified by AKTA Prime Chromatography system. The ELISA data showed that GST.RBD antigen had positive reaction with anti-RBD mouse monoclonal antibody 1A5. Further flow cytometry assay demonstrated the high efficiency of RBD＇s binding ability to ACE2 （angiotensin-converting enzyme 2） positive Vero E6 cell. And ACE2 was proved as a cellular receptor that meditated an initial-affinity interaction with SARS-Cov spike protein. The geometrical mean of GST and GST.RBD binding to Vero E6 cells were 77.08 and 352.73 respectively. CONCLUSION： In this paper, we get sufficient soluble N terminal GST tagged RBD protein expressed in EcoliBL21 （DE3）; data from ELISA and flow cytometry assay demonstrate that the recombinant protein is functional and binding to ACE2 positive Vero E6 cell efficiently. And the recombinant RBD derived from E.coli can be used to developing subunit vaccine to block S protein binding with receptor and to neutralizing SARS-Cov infection.

Fusion expression of Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein in E.coli

AIM: To produce a recombinant protein rMBP-NAP, which was fusionally expressed by Helicobacter pylori(H pylori)neutrophil-activating protein (NAP) and E. coli maltosebinding protein (MBP) and to evaluate its immunoreactivity and immunogenicity.METHODS: Neutrophil-activating protein gene of H pylori (HP-napA) was subcloned from the recombinant plasmid pNEB-napA, and fused to MalE gene of expressing vector pMAL-c2x. The recombinant plasmid pMAL-c2x-napA was confirmed by restriction enzyme digestion, and then transformed into E. coli TB1. Fusion protein rMBP-NAP was induced by IPTG and identified by SDS-PAGE analysis.Soluble rMBP-NAP was purified by amylose affinity chromatography. Immunoreactivity and immunogenicity of the fusion protein were evaluated by animal experiment,Western blotting with human H pylori anti-sera.RESULTS: E.coli TB1 carrying recombinant plasmid pMAL-c2x-napA was constructed and led to a high efficiency cytosol expression of fusion protein rBMP -NAP when induced by IPTG.The molecular weight of rBMP-NAP was about 57 kD,accounting for 37.55% of the total protein in the sonicated supematant of E. coli TB1 (pMAL-c2x-napA). The purity of the fusion protein after one-step affinity chromatography was 94% and the yield was 100 mg per liter of bacterial culture.The purified fusion protein could be specifically recognized by both human anti-sera from clinical patients with H pylori infection and rabbit sera immunized by rMBP-NAP itself.CONCLUSION: Recombinant protein rMBP-NAP might be a novel antigen for vaccine development against H pylori.

Expression of Pseudorabies Virus gE Core Epitopes in Escherichia coli Strain BL21 and Utilization of Indirect PRV gE-ELISA

Pseudorabies virus glycoprotein E （PRV gE） has been recognized as a suitable diagnostic antigen for pseudorabies. In order to produce gE antigen in large quantities and at low cost, a gene fragment encoding PRV gE core epitopes was expressed in E. coli BL21 expression system. SDS-PAGE and Western Blotting revealed that the expression product in culture supematant of E. coli BL21 was a recombinant protein, approximately 51.8 Kd. At 5 h post-induction, protein concentration assay showed that the expression product amounted to 1.65 mg/ml, accounting for 24. 17% of total proteins in the culture supematant. An indirect PRV gE-ELISA was established by using the recombinant expression product as a coating antigen. Cross-reactivity assay showed that this antigen was PRV specific. In addition, the assay was consistently reproducible. Comparison of detection results of 240 serum samples between PRV gE-ELISA and a commercially available PRV diagnostic kit showed that there was no significant difference between these two methods （P 〉 0.05 ）.

Expression and Purification of Multimeric Natto Peptide in Escherichia coli and Initial Characterization of Its Antimicrobial Activity and Stability

Increasing amounts of antibiotic resistant bacteria have been an emergency problem. Antimicrobial peptides are promising antibiotic alternatives for broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and nearly no drug resistance. Natto peptide was a new antimicrobial peptide which consisted of 45 amino acids. In this study, to improve the antimicrobial activity of Natto peptide, three repeats of encoding sequences were synthesized and cloned into a pET28 a(+) expression vector, and expressed in Escherichia coli as a soluble protein. Unexpectedly, the purified 3×Natto peptide exhibited antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes(50 μg/ml) and Salmonella enteriditis(30 μg/ml). Furthermore, the antibacterial spectrum of 3×Natto peptide was not affected by temperature, pH value and proteinase digestion. Taken together, this was the first study proving that 3×Natto peptide could be produced in E. coli as a kind of water dissolve protein, and has great potential for commercial application in the future.

High yield expression of proteins in <i>E. coli</i>for NMR studies

In recent years, high yield expression of proteins in E. coli has witnessed rapid progress with developments of new methodologies and technologies. An important advancement has been the development of novel recombinant cloning approaches and protocols to express heterologous proteins for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) studies and for isotopic enrichment. Isotope labeling in NMR is necessary for rapid acquisition of high dimensional spectra for structural studies. In addition, higher yield of proteins using various solubility and affinity tags has made protein over-expression cost-effective. Taken together, these methods have opened new avenues for structural studies of proteins and their interactions. This article deals with the different techniques that are employed for over-expression of proteins in E. coli and different methods used for isotope labeling of proteins vis-à-vis NMR spectroscopy.

Expression of E1 Gene of A Hepatitis C Virus in E． coli and Protein Purification

The cDNA containing full encoding region or E1 antigen or HCV was cloned into an expression plasmid pRSETHisB. The recombinant plasmid PRSETE1 was introduced into the BL21 (DE3) strain or E. coli. The engineering bacteria harhouring the pRSETEI was cultivated in 2YT medium at 37℃.When the Expression of E1 protein was induced by 1 mmol IPTG, the bacteria was killed and the number of living cell was droned down from 107 to 103 cell/mL one hour post induction. suggest that E1 protein is poisoned to E. coli. However, the 26kD polypeptide or E1 fussion still synthesized in appropriate condition. The expression level was about 10% or total protein 4 h after Inducing. Th. E1 protin was purfied by Ni2+-NTAAgarose column chromatography to homogeneous. The purified E1 protein was sensitive and specific in reaction with anti-HCV antibody in sera.