结核分枝杆菌Rv1009结构域基因的克隆、表达及亲和层析纯化

目的:克隆结核分枝杆菌Rv1009结构域基因,经序列测定正确后进行融合表达和纯化。方法:采用PCR从结核分枝杆菌H37Rv基因组中扩增出Rv1009结构域基因,用限制性内切酶消化后插入pUC-19克隆载体中,经测序正确后亚克隆到融合表达载体pPro-EXHT中,转化大肠杆菌DH5α,目的基因经IPTG诱导,由T7启动子调控表达了N端带6个连续组氨酸残基的Rv1009结构域多肽,在变性条件下对目的蛋白进行纯化。结果:获得了结核分枝杆菌Rv1009结构域基因,得到融合6个组氨酸残基的Rv1009结构域多肽,纯化获得的蛋白纯度大于87%。结论:构建了结核分枝杆菌Rv1009结构域基因的重组表达载体,并获得了高纯度的融合表达蛋白,为后续深入研究奠定了基础。     

结核分枝杆菌H37Rv新基因Rv2742克隆表达及纯化

Rv2742是本课题组前期基于蛋白质基因组学策略从结核分枝杆菌Mycobacteriumtuberculosis H37Rv中发现、鉴定的遗漏注释基因。文中旨在建立结核分枝杆菌H37Rv漏注释蛋白Rv2742的可溶性诱导表达、纯化体系,为进一步探索Rv2742基因参与的生物学功能奠定基础。前期实验发现构建的pGEX-4T-2-Rv2742、pET-28a-Rv2742、pET-32a-Rv2742及pMAL-c2X-Rv2742原核表达载体均无法实现目的蛋白的诱导表达。但经密码子优化后,仅有pMAL-c2X-Rv2742载体能够实现目的蛋白的可溶性诱导表达。此外,通过比较不同宿主菌、温度及IPTG浓度对目的蛋白表达量的影响,发现目的蛋白在Rosetta (DE3)中,16℃及0.5mmol/LIPTG诱导条件下表达量最高。直链淀粉树脂(Amyloseresin)亲和层析柱纯化获得较纯的产物,经LC-MS/MS验证确认是Rv2742融合蛋白肽段序列。成功获得结核分枝杆菌H37Rv新基因Rv2742的重组蛋白,可进一步开展其潜在相互作用及免疫原性研究工作。     

结核分枝杆菌持续感染期抗原Rv1733c 的表达、纯化和鉴定

目的:克隆结核分枝杆菌持续感染期抗原Rv1733c基因,构建其原核表达载体,并在大肠杆菌中进行表达和纯化。方法:采用聚合酶链反应(PCR)方法从结核分枝杆菌H37Rv基因组中扩增出Rv1733c基因片段,克隆入pMD18-T载体,序列测定正确后将其亚克隆入原核表达载体pPro-EXHTb,并在大肠杆菌DH5α中进行表达,表达蛋白经SDS-PAGE及Western-blot分析后,以Ni-NTA亲和层析纯化蛋白。结果:成功克隆了Rv1733c基因片段并构建了其原核表达载体pPro-EXHTb-1733c,转化E.ColiDH5α后能表达大小约30 KD的蛋白,Western-blot分析表明表达产物正确。通过亲和层析获得纯化蛋白。结论:成功构建结核分枝杆菌持续感染期抗原Rv1733c原核表达载体pPro-EXHTb-1733c,并获得纯化蛋白,为研究新型结核疫苗的靶抗原奠定了基础。     

复苏促进因子结合蛋白A的原核表达及对耻垢分枝杆菌的促生长作用

目的:在大肠埃希氏菌中表达结核分枝杆菌复苏促进因子结合蛋白A(resuscitation-promoting factor-interacting protein A,RipA),观察该蛋白对耻垢分枝杆菌的促生长作用.方法:采用PCR方法,从结核分枝杆菌H37Rv的DNA中扩增出编码RipA蛋白的Rv1477基因,测序正确后克隆入原核表达载体pProEx HTa,构建重组表达质粒pProEx HTa-RipA.以重组质粒转化大肠杆菌DH5a,筛选阳性重组菌株,经异丙基硫代-β-D半乳糖苷(Isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside IPTG)诱导RipA表达,在变性条件下对目的蛋白进行亲和层析纯化.将纯化的RipA蛋白加入到耻垢分枝杆菌中,分光光度法测定细菌的A600,观察RipA蛋白的促生长作用.结果:成功扩增了Rv1477基因,并克隆于表达载体pProEx HTa中,经酶切鉴定获得阳性克隆.经诱导在大肠杆菌中表达出相对分子量为52kDa的目的蛋白,Western-blot结果显示该蛋白与6x His单抗有特异性的反应条带.采用Ni+-NTA柱可获得纯化的目的蛋白.10%M的RipA蛋白可显著促进耻垢分枝杆菌休眠菌的复苏和生长.结论:Papa蛋白在大肠杆菌中成功表达,并能有效促进耻垢分枝杆菌的生长.     

结核分枝杆菌Rv1884c基因的克隆及其原核表达

目的:构建结核分枝杆菌Rv1884c基因的原核表达质粒,获得结核分枝杆菌Rv1884c基因的表达蛋白。方法:制备结核分枝杆菌基因组DNA,采用聚合酶链反应技术扩增目的基因片段;通过pGEX-4T-1构建质粒载体pGEX-4T-1-Rv1884c,经序列测定证实正确后转化大肠杆菌DH5α,再经IPTG诱导表达GST-1884融合蛋白;用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳分析重组蛋白的相对分子质量及表达形式。结果:扩增出了结核分枝杆菌Rv1884c基因,构建了具有正确基因序列的质粒载体pGEX-4T-1-Rv1884c,转化大肠杆菌DH5α后经诱导产生了高水平的表达产物。结论:构建了pGEX-4T-1-Rv1884c质粒载体,并诱导表达了GST-1884融合蛋白,为进一步研究Rv1884c蛋白的活性及其功能,探讨结核分枝杆菌快速促生长作用奠定了基础。     

定量蛋白质组学分析链霉素耐药和敏感结核分枝杆菌临床分离株

[目的]发现结核分枝杆菌(Mycobacterium tuberculosis)链霉素耐药相关的潜在菌体蛋白.[方法]以结核分枝杆菌临床分离链霉素敏感株01105和结核分枝杆菌H37Rv为对照,采用iTRAQ技术和生物信息学鉴定并相对定量结核分枝杆菌临床分离链霉素耐药株01108菌体蛋白,并通过WEGO功能注释聚类分析01108菌株差异表达蛋白的细胞组分、分子功能和生物进程.[结果]01108菌株分别与01105菌株和H37Rv菌株比较差异表达蛋白为194个和146个,01108菌株与01105菌株和H37Rv比较均差异表达蛋白121个(共同差异表达蛋白).差异表达蛋白理论相对分子量和等电点分布广泛,其生物进程主要参与中间代谢、呼吸作用和脂质代谢,分子功能主要为催化活性功能和结合功能.共同差异表达蛋白:7个核糖体蛋白(Rv2785c,Rv0056,Rv0641,Rv0652,Rv0701,Rv1630和Rv2442c)在01108菌株中表达下调;7个蛋白在01108菌株中显著差异表达(上调大于1.20倍或下调小于0.55倍),分别为巯基过氧化物酶(Rv1932)、酰基载体蛋白脱氢酶(Rv0824c)、30S核糖体蛋白S15 (Rv2785c)、丙酮酸脱氢酶E2部分(Rv2215)、双组份转录调控蛋白(Rv3133c)以及假定未知蛋白(Rv2466c和Rv2626c).[结论]iTRAQ发现了链霉素耐药结核分枝杆菌相对于链霉素敏感结核分枝杆菌和H37Rv共同差异表达蛋白,为进一步探讨结核分枝杆菌链霉素耐药机制奠定了基础.     

结核分枝杆菌Rv1057基因对巨噬细胞感染早期细胞因子表达的影响分析

Rv1057是结核分枝杆菌中唯一的7-折叠片β-螺旋蛋白,其生物学功能尚不清楚。为探讨Rv1057基因在结核分枝杆菌感染初期对巨噬细胞免疫应答的影响,利用Rv1057基因缺失菌株D1057和野生型H37Rv菌株感染巨噬细胞,检测结核分枝杆菌在巨噬细胞内的增殖速度,分析巨噬细胞在感染初期的细胞因子表达量变化。研究结果表明:D1057菌株在巨噬细胞内的活菌数量和增殖速度都显著低于H37Rv,被D1057感染的巨噬细胞中IL-1β、IL-10、TNF-α和IFN-γ表达量显著降低,但IL-8大量表达且无显著差异。上述研究结果证实,缺失Rv1057会降低结核分枝杆菌刺激巨噬细胞产生某些细胞因子的能力,明确了Rv1057基因参与结核分枝杆菌与巨噬细胞之间的免疫应答,为进一步解析Rv1057基因的生物学功能、结核分枝杆菌的致病机制奠定了基础。     

结核分枝杆菌Rv2461c基因的克隆、表达、纯化及其抗原性的初步检测

目的:探索结核分枝杆菌Rv2461c基因编码的elpP蛋白作为结核检测抗原的可行性.方法:克隆结核分枝杆菌clpP蛋白的编码基因Rv2461e,构建pET30a-Rv2461c重组质粒,并将其成功的转化到大肠杆菌JF1125克隆栽体中,测序鉴定结果正确.将pET30a-Rv2461c重组质粒转化到大肠杆茵BL21中,表达纯化目的蛋白进行质谱分析.制备clpP蛋白的多克隆抗体,通过亚细胞分离及Western检测分析蛋白的亚细胞定位,纯化的clpP蛋白通过间接ELISA实验进行抗原性的初步检测.结果:结核分枝杆茵clpP蛋白大量存在于细胞质中,少量存在于细胞壁和细胞膜中.重组抗原在检测肺结核病人中的检出率为38.3%(23/60),检测敏感性为38-3%,特异性为90%.结论:为后续深入研究clpP蛋白的生物功能、clpP作为诊断靶标、药靶候选蛋白的可行性提供了基础.     

START家族Rv0164蛋白在耻垢分枝杆菌中的表达及垂钓互作蛋白

【目的】START家族蛋白的突变或者错误表达使哺乳动物产生肾上腺皮质增生、乳腺癌和结肠癌等疾病;START家族蛋白是植物发育过程中重要的调节因子;尚未阐明START家族蛋白作为细菌必需基因的作用机制。结核分枝杆菌必需基因Rv0164属于START家族,功能未知,研究Rv0164作用机制将为START家族分子机制增添新理论。【方法】生物信息学方法分析Rv0164序列特征;模式菌耻垢分枝杆菌中表达Rv0164并分析蛋白的细胞定位;Co-immunoprecipitation(Co-IP)方法垂钓Rv0164的相互作用蛋白,质谱鉴定互作蛋白,酵母双杂交和Pull down验证蛋白相互作用。【结果】Rv0164的N端17个氨基酸在分枝杆菌中不保守;Rv0164无信号肽;Rv0164定位在细胞质中,受蛋白降解机制调控,该机制在细菌生长平台期比对数期活性弱;N端缺失使Rv0164在平台期和对数期均不稳定;Rv0164结合多个胞内蛋白。【结论】Rv0164的N端肽段增加了蛋白的稳定性;Rv0164是一个胞内蛋白;Rv0164能够结合细菌生存必需蛋白。     

结核分枝杆菌4种抗原的基因克隆、表达、纯化和抗原性初步检测

目的:克隆38kD、ESAT-6、CFP10和MPT64等4种结核分枝杆菌抗原基因,利用大肠杆菌表达系统分别表达重组蛋白,纯化并初步评价其抗原性。方法:通过PCR方法从结核分枝杆菌H37Rv株基因组中扩增38kD、ESAT-6、CFP10和MPT64抗原的基因,连接入pBVIL1表达载体,在大肠杆菌HB101株中进行表达,以间接ELISA方法初步评价其抗原性。结果:获得了结核分枝杆菌抗原38kD、ESAT-6、CFP10和MPT64的基因,并在大肠杆菌中进行了高效表达,初步验证所纯化获得的抗原具有良好的抗原性。结论:pBVIL1表达载体可以高效表达多种结核分枝杆菌抗原,38kD、ESAT-6和CFP10抗原均可作为结核病血清学诊断的候选抗原。     

The structure of a resuscitation-promoting factor domain from Mycobacterium tuberculosis shows homology to lysozymes

Resuscitation-promoting factor (RPF) proteins reactivate stationary-phase cultures of (G+C)-rich Gram-positive bacteria including the causative agent of tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We report the solution structure of the RPF domain from M. tuberculosis Rv1009 (RpfB) solved by heteronuclear multidimensional NMR. Structural homology with various glycoside hydrolases suggested that RpfB cleaved oligosaccharides. Biochemical studies indicate that a conserved active site glutamate is important for resuscitation activity. These data, as well as the presence of a clear binding pocket for a large molecule, indicate that oligosaccharide cleavage is probably the signal for revival from dormancy.     

Identification of a novel peptidoglycan hydrolase CwlM in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a major global pathogen whose threat has increased with the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. The cell wall of M. tuberculosis is thick, rigid, and hydrophobic, which serves to protect the organism from the environment and makes it highly impermeable to conventional antimicrobial agents. There is little known about cell wall autolysins (also referred to as peptidoglycan hydrolases) of mycobacteria. We identified an open reading frame (Rv3915) in the M. tuberculosis genome designated cwlM that appeared consistent with a peptidoglycan hydrolase. The 1218-bp gene was amplified by PCR, cloned and expressed in E. coli strain HMS174(DE-3), and its gene product, a 47-kDa recombinant protein, was purified and partially characterized. Purified CwlM was able to lyse whole mycobacteria, release peptidoglycan from the cell wall of Micrococcus luteus and Mycobacterium smegmatis, and cleave N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine, releasing free N-acetylmuramic acid. These results indicate that CwlM is a novel autolysin and identify cwlM as the first, to our knowledge, autolysin gene identified and cloned from M. tuberculosis. CwlM offers a new target for a unique class of drugs that could alter the permeability of the mycobacterial cell wall and enhance the effectiveness of treatments for tuberculosis.     

藤黄微球菌Rpf活性蛋白的制取及其对红球菌VBNC菌体的复苏作用

【目的】克隆藤黄微球菌Micrococcus luteus IAM 14879(=NCIMB 13267)的复苏促进因子Rpf(resuscitation promoting factor)的基因,在大肠杆菌中表达获取基因重组蛋白,考察对近缘高GC革兰氏阳性菌红球菌Rhodococcus sp.DS471活的非可培养VBNC(viable but non-culturable)菌体的复苏促进生长能力。【方法】抽提制备藤黄微球菌的DNA,确定rpf基因引物进行PCR扩增,利用pET15b质粒载体并转化大肠杆菌DE3表达,以SDS-PAGE检验获取纯化重组蛋白;在培养基中添加Rpf,以MPN(most probable number)法计数、评价对VBNC状态菌体的复苏促进生长效果。【结果】基因测序证实获得藤黄微球菌的rpf基因并在大肠杆菌中表达;SDS-PAGE分析表明获得rpf基因的重组蛋白;该蛋白对处于VBNC状态的红球菌具有近100倍的复苏促进生长能力。【结论】成功克隆了藤黄微球菌的rpf基因,在大肠杆菌中获得了表达,表明了Rpf蛋白对处于VBNC状态的红球菌具有复苏促进生长效果。     

Effect of recombinant Rv1009 protein on promoting the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Aims: To determine whether resuscitation-promoting factor (RPF) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis can promote mycobacterial growth and shorten culture time. Method and Results: We cloned, expressed and purified an RPF from M. tuberculosis, Rv1009 protein and subsequently studied the biological activity of the recombinant Rv1009 (rRv1009) in liquid and on solid media. Our results indicate that the molecular weight of rRv1009 protein expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 was approximately 39 kDa. At picomolar and micromolar concentrations, rRv1009 protein could increase the optical density of freeze-dried Mycobacterium bovis BCG three to fivefold in Middlebrook 7H9 medium, stimulate the growth of viable mycobacteria on solid medium, and shorten positive growth detection time of a small number of M. tuberculosis in BACTEC 960 medium. Conclusions: The rRv1009 could promote proliferation of mycobacteria. It may be useful for culture of mycobacteria presented in clinical samples. Significance and Impact of the Study: rRv1009 protein can be used as a growth-promoting reagent of mycobacteria in the medium to shorten the time of culture.     

Potential of Mycobacterium tuberculosis resuscitation-promoting factors as antigens in novel tuberculosis sub-unit vaccines

Novel vaccines are needed to control tuberculosis (TB), the bacterial infectious disease that together with malaria and HIV is worldwide responsible for high levels of morbidity and mortality. TB can result from the reactivation of an initially controlled latent infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Mtb proteins for which a possible role in this reactivation process has been hypothesized are the five homologs of the resuscitation-promoting factor of Micrococcus luteus, namely Mtb Rv0867c (rpfA), Rv1009 (rpfB), Rv1884c (rpfC), Rv2389c (rpfD) and Rv2450c (rpfE). Analysis of the immune recognition of these 5 proteins following Mtb infection or Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccination of mice showed that Rv1009 (rpfB) and Rv2389c (rpfD) are the most antigenic in the tested models. We therefore selected rpfB and rpfD for testing their vaccine potential as plasmid DNA vaccines. Elevated cellular immune responses and modest but significant protection against intra-tracheal Mtb challenge were induced by immunization with the rpfB encoding DNA vaccine. The results indicate that rpfB is the most promising candidate of the five rpf-like proteins of Mtb in terms of its immunogenicity and protective efficacy and warrants further analysis for inclusion as an antigen in novel TB vaccines.     

A family of autocrine growth factors in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its close relative, Mycobacterium bovis (BCG) contain five genes whose predicted products resemble Rpf from Micrococcus luteus. Rpf is a secreted growth factor, active at picomolar concentrations, which is required for the growth of vegetative cells in minimal media at very low inoculum densities, as well as the resuscitation of dormant cells. We show here that the five cognate proteins from M. tuberculosis have very similar characteristics and properties to those of Rpf. They too stimulate bacterial growth at picomolar (and in some cases, subpicomolar) concentrations. Several lines of evidence indicate that they exert their activity from an extra-cytoplasmic location, suggesting that they are also involved in intercellular signalling. The five M. tuberculosis proteins show cross-species activity against M. luteus, Mycobacterium smegmatis and M. bovis (BCG). Actively growing cells of M. bovis (BCG) do not respond to these proteins, whereas bacteria exposed to a prolonged stationary phase do. Affinity-purified antibodies inhibit bacterial growth in vitro, suggesting that sequestration of these proteins at the cell surface might provide a means to limit or even prevent bacterial multiplication in vivo. The Rpf family of bacterial growth factors may therefore provide novel opportunities for preventing and controlling mycobacterial infections.     

The two chorismate mutases from both Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium smegmatis: biochemical analysis and limited regulation of promoter activity by aromatic amino acids

Chorismate mutase (CM) catalyzes the rearrangement of chorismate to prephenate in the biosynthetic pathway that forms phenylalanine and tyrosine in bacteria, fungi, plants, and apicomplexan parasites. Since this enzyme is absent from mammals, it represents a promising target for the development of new antimycobacterial drugs, which are needed to combat Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis. Until recently, two putative open reading frames (ORFs), Rv0948c and Rv1885c, showing low sequence similarity to CMs have been described as "conserved hypothetical proteins" in the M. tuberculosis genome. However, we and others demonstrated that these ORFs are in fact monofunctional CMs of the AroQ structural class and that they are differentially localized in the mycobacterial cell. Since homologues to the M. tuberculosis enzymes are also present in Mycobacterium smegmatis, we cloned the coding sequences corresponding to ORFs MSMEG5513 and MSMEG2114 from the latter. The CM activities of both ORFs was determined, as well as their translational start sites. In addition, we analyzed the promoter activities of three M. tuberculosis loci related to phenylalanine and tyrosine biosynthesis under a variety of conditions using M. smegmatis as a surrogate host. Our results indicate that the aroQ (Rv0948c), *aroQ (Rv1885c), and fbpB (Rv1886c) genes from M. tuberculosis are constitutively expressed or subjected to minor regulation by aromatic amino acids levels, especially tryptophan.     

Comparative proteome analysis of culture supernatant proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and H37Ra

To examine the virulence factors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, the proteome was used to characterize the differences in protein expression between virulent M. tuberculosis H37Rv and attenuated M. tuberculosis H37Ra. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was performed to separate culture supernatant proteins extracted from M. tuberculosis H37Rv and M. tuberculosis H37Ra. The protein spots of interest were identified by mass spectrometry, and then the genes encoding the identified proteins were cloned and sequenced. Comparison of silver-stained gels showed that three well-resolved protein spots were present in M. tuberculosis H37Rv but absent from M. tuberculosis H37Ra. Protein spot no. 1 was identified as Rv2346c. Protein spot no. 2 was identified as Rv2347c, Rv1197, Rv1038c, and Rv3620c, which shared significant homology and had the same peptide fingerprinting using tryptic digestion. No M. tuberculosis protein matched protein spot no. 3. Rv2346c, Rv2347c, Rv1038c, and Rv3620c of M. tuberculosis H37Rv were located on the M. tuberculosis H37Ra chromosome, and multiple mutations were observed in the corresponding areas of M. tuberculosis H37Ra. Codon 59 (CAG, Gln) of Rv2347c and Rv3620c was replaced by termination codon (TAG) in M. tuberculosis H37Ra, which probably terminated the polypeptide elongation. These results demonstrate the importance of studying the gene products of M. tuberculosis and show that subtle differences in isogenic mutant strains might play an important role in identifying the attenuating mutations.     

Mycobacterial RNase E-associated proteins

RNase E and its complex with other proteins ('degradosome') play an important role in RNA processing and decay in Escherichia coli and in many other bacteria. To identify the proteins which can potentially interact with this enzyme in mycobacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv RNase E was cloned and expressed as a 6HisFLAG-tagged fusion protein. Analysis of the mycobacterial RNase E overexpressed and purified from M. bovis BCG revealed the presence of GroEL and two other copurified proteins, products of the Mb1721 (inorganic polyphosphate/ATP-NAD kinase) and Mb0825c (acetyltransferase) genes. Identical copies of these two genes can be found in M. tuberculosis H37Rv.     

Culturability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis cells isolated from murine macrophages: a bacterial growth factor promotes recovery

Very little is known about the culturability and viability of mycobacteria following their phagocytosis by macrophages. We therefore studied populations of the avirulent 'Academia' strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from murine peritoneal macrophage lysates several days post-infection in vivo. The resulting bacterial suspensions contained a range of morphological types including rods, ovoid forms and coccoid forms. Bacterial viability measured using the MPN method (dilution to extinction in liquid medium) was often much higher than that measured by CFU (plating on solid medium). Viability in the MPN assay was further enhanced when the Micrococcus luteus protein, Rpf, was incorporated into the liquid culture medium at picomolar concentrations. Rpf is an example of a family of autocrine growth factors found throughout the high G+C cohort of Gram-positive bacteria including M. tuberculosis. M. tuberculosis cells obtained from macrophages had altered surface properties, as compared with bacteria grown in vitro. This was indicated by loss of the ability to adsorb bacteriophage DS6A, a reduced tendency to form clumps, acquisition of ethidium bromide stainability following heat treatment, and loss of Rpf-mediated resuscitation following freezing and thawing. These results indicate that a proportion of 'unculturable' M. tuberculosis cells obtained from macrophages is either injured or dormant and that these cells may be recovered or resuscitated using Rpf in liquid medium.