丙型肝炎病毒NS3蛋白酶在酵母系统中的可溶性表达

利用毕赤酵母系统表达具有催化活性的丙型肝炎病毒 (HCV)NS3蛋白酶 .将PCR直接扩增的病毒NS3丝氨酸蛋白酶基因和重组的带有辅酶的单链NS3 NS4A蛋白酶基因 ,分别插入表达载体pPICZαA的EcoRⅠ和XbaⅠ克隆位点 ,转化毕赤酵母GS115 ,可溶性表达NS3蛋白酶和单链NS3 4A蛋白酶 ;ELISA法测定表达蛋白酶的抗原性 ;原核高效表达载体pBVIL1表达酶切底物NS5A B片段 ,体外与蛋白酶共同温育 ,SDS PAGE鉴定蛋白酶催化活性 .载体测序结果表明 ,重组载体pPICZαA NS3和pPICZαA NS3 4A中的目的基因序列插入正确 ;SDS PAGE结果显示 ,培养物上清中存在分泌型目的蛋白带 ;ELISA结果证实 ,表达蛋白与HCV阳性血清有结合活性 ;蛋白酶与底物NS5A B片段不同作用时间的SDS PAGE ,看到约 2 4kD处底物条带的分解 .说明用毕赤酵母表达系统成功地表达了可溶性HCVNS3和单链NS3 4A蛋白酶 ;两种结构形式的蛋白酶在体外系统中都有催化活性 ,同时也都具有抗原性 .该研究为大量和方便地获得有催化活性的HCVNS3蛋白酶提供了有效途径 .     

丙型肝炎病毒RNA多聚酶在昆虫细胞中的表达

HCV NS5B基因片段克隆入BAC-TO-BACTM重组杆状病毒表达系统的pFASTHTc载体质粒,转化DH10BACTM感受态细菌获得重组的Bacmid质粒,将重组Bacmid质粒转染Sf9细胞,获得的重组杆状病毒可表达目的蛋白.免疫印迹和体外活性检测表明,所表达蛋白为HCV NS5B蛋白,具有多聚酶活性.     

Tet-on和Cre/loxP系统双重调控表达丙型肝炎病毒NS3/4A蛋白酶三转基因小鼠的建立

目的:建立Tet-On调控系统和Cre/loxP基因剔除系统双重调控表达丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)NS3/4A丝氨酸蛋白酶三转基因小鼠。方法:选择适龄并经鉴定的在Tet-on系统调控下肝脏特异性表达Cre重组酶的双转基因小鼠Lap/LC-1与在Tet-on系统调控下肝脏特异性表达萤光素酶(Luc)的双转基因小鼠Lap/NS3/4A交配,子代小鼠经PCR检测、筛选基因组中NS3/4A、Lap、LC-1等3个转基因片段均阳性的小鼠。三阳性的NS3/4A/Lap/LC-1小鼠经多西环素(Dox)诱导1周后,以在体生物发光成像系统(BLI)检测报告基因Luc的表达,免疫组化检测小鼠体内Cre重组酶、HCV NS3/4A丝氨酸蛋白酶的表达状况。结果:NS3/4A/Lap/LC-1小鼠经Dox诱导后,BLI结果显示仅在小鼠肝脏部位有强烈的发光信号,表明这些小鼠肝细胞内报告基因Luc特异高效表达;免疫组化结果证实Cre重组酶、NS3/4A蛋白酶仅在经诱导后的小鼠肝细胞中特异性表达。结论:建立了Tet-On调控系统和Cre/loxP基因剔除系统双重调控下表达HCV NS3/4A丝氨酸蛋白酶的三转基因小鼠模型,为进一步研究HCV NS3/4A丝氨酸蛋白酶在HCV感染后与宿主相互作用的机制,以及抗NS3/4A丝氨酸蛋白酶特异性抑制剂的筛选奠定了基础。     

具有蛋白酶及解旋酶活性的HCV-NS3重组蛋白的纯化及活性分析

为深入探讨HCV-NS3蛋白的酶动力学性质,制备了具有蛋白酶及解旋酶活性的HCV NS3重组蛋白.利用PCR扩增HCV非结构基因NS3,插入pPIC9,测序分析.携带NS3基因的重组质粒(pPIC9-NS3)转化毕氏酵母菌菌株GS115,甲醇诱导表达NS3蛋白.重组蛋白首先采用Hitrap chelating柱进行亲和分离,之后使用Mono S HR柱进一步纯化.对纯化后的NS3重组蛋白的酶活性进行分析,结果表明,获得的重组蛋白分别具有蛋白酶及解旋酶活性.本研究为深入探讨NS3编码酶的功能和开发抗病毒药物创造条件.     

HCV丝氨酸蛋白酶小分子底物构建及GST融合表达

丝氨酸蛋白酶是丙型肝炎病毒重要的功能蛋白和药物作用靶点,其通过分子内（cis）和分子间（trans）方式催化水解前体蛋白,释放病毒功能蛋白。目的：为深入研究病毒蛋白酶活性和抑制剂鉴定需要,实验研究参照丙型肝炎病毒1a亚型菌株蛋白酶天然底物的氨基酸序列特点,设计了一段包含两个天然底物酶切位点的小分子多肽2S,并进行了原核表达。方法：利用PCR方法,合成2S小分子多肽基因,目的基因两端引入BamH I和EcoR I两个限制性酶切位点,双酶切后将基因与表达载体pGEX-4T-2重组,转化大肠杆菌DH5α,经化学诱导进行GST融合蛋白表达,通过亲和层析柱纯化目的蛋白。纯化的GST 2S融合蛋白在体外反应系统进行酶切鉴定,SDS-PAGE和ELISA鉴定酶切结果。结果：PCR合成的小分子底物多肽2S基因,经与表达载体重组后测序,证实基因序列正确。采用0.5mmol/L浓度的IPTG诱导工程菌过夜,获得表达的目的蛋白,经分离纯化得到融合蛋白GST-2S。GST-2S在体外磷酸盐缓冲系统中与丝氨酸蛋白酶反应,15%SDS-PAGE鉴定酶切产物,证实融合蛋白底物条带明显消失,ELISA结果同样说明融合蛋白的底物活性。结论：含有两个天然底物酶切位点的小分子多肽可以替代病毒天然底物,实验结果为丙型肝炎病毒丝氨酸蛋白酶活性研究和酶抑制剂研究奠定了方法学基础。     

丙型肝炎病毒丝氨酸蛋白酶特异性结合肽的筛选和鉴定

丙型肝炎病毒丝氨酸蛋白酶在病毒复制和包装中的重要作用使其成为特异性抗病毒药物研究的首选靶标。根据丝氨酸蛋白酶晶体结构特点,用柔性连接子连接NS3丝氨酸蛋白酶结构域和NS4A的核心序列,构建成单链丝氨酸蛋白酶基因并且在大肠杆菌中获得高水平的可溶性表达,纯化后的目的蛋白能够切割重组蛋白底物NS5ab。随后,以单链丝氨酸蛋白酶为靶分子对噬菌体展示的随机十二肽库进行了三轮淘筛,挑选的44个克隆中有37个克隆能够特异性地结合丝氨酸蛋白酶,并且这种结合作用为竞争性ELISA试验结果所支持。对13个克隆进行序列测定,得到6种序列,它们在氨基酸组成上存在明显偏性,富含组氨酸和色氨酸,缺乏酸性氨基酸;6种序列存在一个共有序列。     

表达丙型肝炎病毒NS3抗原的重组腺病毒构建及体外表达

为探索研制丙型肝炎疫苗的新途径,以期获得防治丙型肝炎的重组腺病毒减毒活疫苗,我们构建了表达丙型肝炎病毒(Hepatitis C virus ,HCV)非结构蛋白3(non-structural protein 3,NS3)抗原的重组腺病毒RAd-NS3,并检测其在体外表达.应用PCR从真核表达质粒pRC/NS3中扩增编码HCV NS3 蛋白(329-935aa)的基因片段,定向克隆到重组腺病毒AdEasy-1系统的穿梭质粒pAdTrack-CMV上,采用细菌内同源重组"两步转化法"构建携带HCV NS3基因的重组腺病毒基因组质粒pAd-HCV NS3,转染293细胞,成功包装出重组腺病毒RAd-NS3,利用它有效地感染人肝癌细胞株HepG2,经RT-PCR及免疫印迹等不同方法检测表明,被感染细胞能表达HCV NS3蛋白,为后续进行重组腺病毒在动物体内诱导抗HCV免疫应答能力的研究奠定了基础.     

苜蓿夜蛾丝氨酸蛋白酶基因cDNA序列的克隆与原核表达研究

【目的】丝氨酸蛋白酶(Serine protease,SP)是以丝氨酸为活性中心的重要的蛋白水解酶。在昆虫中,丝氨酸蛋白酶参与消化、发育、先天免疫反应和组织重建等重要的生理过程。本试验以苜蓿夜蛾Heliothis viriplaca为材料,克隆其丝氨酸蛋白酶基因的cDNA序列,再对该基因进行原核表达并对表达产物进行活性测定研究。【方法】从苜蓿夜蛾中肠中提取总RNA,通过RT-PCR和RACE技术,扩增获得丝氨酸蛋白酶基因cDNA全长序列,用大肠杆菌E.coli表达系统进行表达;再对表达的重组蛋白进行变性、纯化与复性,并以BTEE为底物进行活性测定。【结果】克隆得到的苜蓿夜蛾中肠丝氨酸蛋白酶基因命名为Hv SP,该基因已登录Gen Bank,登录号为KT907053。该基因全长1 017 bp,开放阅读框为886 bp,编码295个氨基酸,分子量约为30.8 ku,等电点为8.27,推导的氨基酸序列与其他昆虫丝氨酸蛋白酶氨基酸序列相似性在46%~92%之间。在Tris-HCl缓冲液中,p H为8.5时,复性的重组蛋白活性最高,为28.7 U/m L。荧光定量PCR结果表明,Hv SP基因的m RNA在苜蓿夜蛾的多个组织中特异性表达,且在中肠中表达量最高,但在唾腺中未检测到Hv SP的m RNA表达。【结论】该研究克隆了一个新的苜蓿夜蛾丝氨酸蛋白酶基因的cDNA序列,且原核表达后的重组蛋白经过变性、纯化及复性后具有活性,为进一步探索丝氨酸蛋白酶在昆虫体内的生理生化功能奠定了基础。     

角蛋白酶基因gm2886在密旋链霉菌ACT12中的表达及鉴定

通过生物信息学分析,在本实验室分离得到的1株羽毛高效降解菌微白黄链霉菌Fea-10基因组中发现基因gm2886(GenBank Accession Number:KY368946)可能编码一新的角蛋白酶,通过在该基因5'端和3'端分别连接红霉素抗性基因启动子(PermE)和组氨酸标签编码序列并构建在大肠杆菌-链霉菌穿梭质粒pSET152上,接合转入密旋链霉菌Streptomyces pactum ACT12,从而实现了异源表达,蛋白纯化后对其酶学性质进行了研究。实验结果表明,带有组氨酸标签编码序列的gm2886在密旋链霉菌ACT12中可以表达分泌得到1个大小约为36 kDa的蛋白。多种底物检测表明异源表达得到的重组蛋白GM2886-His6具有蛋白酶活性,可以降解水不溶性的天青角蛋白和羽毛粉;其最适温度和pH分别为50℃和pH 10.0。PMSF可抑制GM2886-His6的酶活,而EDTA不能,说明该酶为丝氨酸蛋白酶。本研究为从分子水平上解析羽毛高效降解菌Fea-10的活性机理,从而进一步开发其应用潜力提供了基础,同时可为该类蛋白酶的研究提供借鉴。     

具有蛋白酶及解旋酶活性的HCV-NS3重组蛋白的纯化及活性分析

为深入探讨HCV-NS3蛋白的酶动力学性质,制备了具有蛋白酶及解旋酶活性的HCVNS3重组蛋白。利用PCR扩增HCV非结构基因NS3,插入pPIC9,测序分析。携带NS3基因的重组质粒(pPIC9-NS3)转化毕氏酵母菌菌株GS115,甲醇诱导表达NS3蛋白。重组蛋白首先采用Hitrap chelating柱进行亲和分离,之后使用Mono S HR柱进一步纯化。对纯化后的NS3重组蛋白的酶活性进行分析,结果表明,获得的重组蛋白分别具有蛋白酶及解旋酶活性。本研究为深入探讨NS3编码酶的功能和开发抗病毒药物创造条件。     

HCV NS3 serine protease-neutralizing single-chain antibodies isolated by a novel genetic screen

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major world-wide health problem causing chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and primary liver cancer. The high frequency of treatment failure points to the need for more specific, less toxic and more active antiviral therapies for HCV. The HCV NS3 is currently regarded as a prime target for anti-viral drugs, thus specific inhibitors of its activity are of utmost importance. Here, we report the development of a novel bacterial genetic screen for inhibitors of NS3 catalysis and its application for the isolation of single-chain antibody-inhibitors. Our screen is based on the concerted co-expression of a reporter gene, of recombinant NS3 protease and of fusion-stabilized single-chain antibodies (scFvs) in Escherichia coli. The reporter system had been constructed by inserting a short peptide corresponding to the NS5A/B cleavage site of NS3 into a permissive site of the enzyme beta-galactosidase. The resulting engineered lacZ gene, coding for an NS3-cleavable beta-galactosidase, is carried on a low copy plasmid that also carried the NS3 protease-coding sequence. The resultant beta-galactosidase enzyme is active, conferring a Lac+ phenotype (blue colonies on indicator 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl beta-D-galactoside (X-gal) plates), while induction of NS3 expression results in loss of beta-galactosidase activity (transparent colonies on X-gal plates). The identification of inhibitors, as shown here by isolating NS3-inhibiting single-chain antibodies, expressed from a compatible high copy number plasmid, is based on the appearance of blue colonies (NS3 inhibited) on the background of colorless colonies (NS3 active). Our source of inhibitory scFvs was an scFv library that we prepared from spleens of NS3-immunized mice and subjected to limited affinity selection. Once isolated, the inhibitors were validated as genuine and specific NS3 binders by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and as bone fide NS3 serine protease inhibitors by an in vitro catalysis assay. We further show that upon expression as cytoplasmic intracellular antibodies (intrabodies) in NS3-expressing mammalian cells, three of the scFvs inhibit NS3-mediated cell proliferation. Although applied here for the isolation of antibody-based inhibitors, our genetic screen should be applicable for the identification of candidate inhibitors from other sources.     

Synthesis, purification, and characterization of an Arg152----Glu site-directed mutant of recombinant human blood clotting factor VII

Coagulation factor VII circulates in blood as a single-chain zymogen of a serine protease and is converted to its activated two-chain form, factor VIIa, by cleavage of an internal peptide bond located at Arg152-Ile153. Previous studies using serine protease active-site inhibitors suggest that zymogen factor VII may possess sufficient proteolytic activity to initiate the extrinsic pathway of blood coagulation. In order to assess the putative intrinsic proteolytic activity of single-chain factor VII, we have constructed a site-specific mutant of recombinant human factor VII in which arginine-152 has been replaced with a glutamic acid residue. Mutant factor VII was purified in a single step from culture supernatants of baby hamster kidney cells transfected with a plasmid containing the sequence for Arg152----Glu factor VII using a calcium-dependent, murine anti-factor VII monoclonal antibody column. Purified mutant factor VII was indistinguishable from plasma-derived or recombinant wild-type factor VII by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and migrated as a single band with an apparent molecular weight of 50,000. The average specific activity of several mutant factor VII preparations was 0.00025 unit/micrograms, or 0.01% of that observed for recombinant wild-type factor VII preparations. The clotting activity of mutant factor VII was, however, completely inhibited following incubation with dansyl-Glu-Gly-Arg chloromethyl ketone, suggesting that the apparent clotting activity of mutant factor VII was due to a contaminating serine protease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Construction, expression, and characterization of a novel fully activated recombinant single-chain hepatitis C virus protease.

Efficient proteolytic processing of essential junctions of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) polyprotein requires a heterodimeric complex of the NS3 bifunctional protease/helicase and the NS4A accessory protein. A single-chain recombinant form of the protease has been constructed in which NS4A residues 21-32 (GSVVIVGRIILS) were fused in frame to the amino terminus of the NS3 protease domain (residues 3-181) through a tetrapeptide linker. The single-chain recombinant protease has been overexpressed as a soluble protein in E. coli and purified to homogeneity by a combination of metal chelate and size-exclusion chromatography. The single-chain recombinant protease domain shows full proteolytic activity cleaving the NS5A-5B synthetic peptide substrate, DTEDVVCCSMSYTWTGK with a Km and k(cat) of 20.0 +/- 2.0 microM and 9.6 +/- 2.0 min(-1), respectively; parameters identical to those of the authentic NS3(1-631)/NS4A(1-54) protein complex generated in eukaryotic cells (Sali DL et al., 1998, Biochemistry 37:3392-3401).     

Production of human mutant biologically active hepatocyte growth factor in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a potent multifunctional cytokine that affects proliferation, migration, and morphogenesis of various cells. HGF is secreted as an inactive single-chain precursor protein and activated by the cleavage of serine proteases to form heterodimers. In our current study, the cleavage site of HGF was blocked by replaced Arg 494 of Glu (R494E) that resulted in the single-chain HGF (R494E) unable to be cleaved by serine proteases. We established Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells overexpressing HGF (R494E), the expression of HGF (R494E) achieved 12?mg/L and was similar to a previously reported study. The recombinant protein was then purified from culture medium using a two-step chromatographic procedure that resulted in about a 40% recovery rate. The purified HGF (R494E) was obtained as a single-chain active protein. It concluded that HGF (R494E) exhibited a biologically active protein and the overexpressing CHO cell line supplied sufficient material for future studies. The R494E replacement of the cleavage site would be beneficial to the utility of other similar therapeutic proteins.     

Characterization of a recombinant granzyme B derivative as a "restriction" protease

Blood coagulation factor Xa (FXa) and Thrombin are well-known serine proteases often used for processing of recombinant fusion proteins, but because they are purified from bovine blood or other animal sources, there is a risk of pathogenic contaminants in the preparation of the proteases. We report here the characterization of a recombinant serine protease produced in Escherichia coli, which can be used as a specific and efficient alternative to FXa and Thrombin as processing protease. This recombinant protease is derived from human granzyme B (GrB). The protease is found to be very stable in general, and it performs very well in the cleavage of several different fusion proteins tested and was even found superior to processing by FXa in two cases.     

Functional characterization of cis and trans activity of the Flavivirus NS2B-NS3 protease

Flaviviruses are serious human pathogens for which treatments are generally lacking. The proteolytic maturation of the 375-kDa viral polyprotein is one target for antiviral development. The flavivirus serine protease consists of the N-terminal domain of the multifunctional nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) and an essential 40-residue cofactor (NS2B(40)) within viral protein NS2B. The NS2B-NS3 protease is responsible for all cytoplasmic cleavage events in viral polyprotein maturation. This study describes the first biochemical characterization of flavivirus protease activity using full-length NS3. Recombinant proteases were created by fusion of West Nile virus (WNV) NS2B(40) to full-length WNV NS3. The protease catalyzed two autolytic cleavages. The NS2B/NS3 junction was cleaved before protein purification. A second site at Arg(459) decreasing Gly(460) within the C-terminal helicase region of NS3 was cleaved more slowly. Autolytic cleavage reactions also occurred in NS2B-NS3 recombinant proteins from yellow fever virus, dengue virus types 2 and 4, and Japanese encephalitis virus. Cis and trans cleavages were distinguished using a noncleavable WNV protease variant and two types of substrates as follows: an inactive variant of recombinant WNV NS2B-NS3, and cyan and yellow fluorescent proteins fused by a dodecamer peptide encompassing a natural cleavage site. With these materials, the autolytic cleavages were found to be intramolecular only. Autolytic cleavage of the helicase site was insensitive to protein dilution, confirming that autolysis is intramolecular. Formation of an active protease was found to require neither cleavage of NS2B from NS3 nor a free NS3 N terminus. Evidence was also obtained for product inhibition of the protease by the cleaved C terminus of NS2B.     

A novel recombinant single-chain hepatitis C virus NS3-NS4A protein with improved helicase activity.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) has been shown to possess protease and helicase activities and has also been demonstrated to spontaneously associate with nonstructural protein NS4A (NS4A) to form a stable complex. Previous attempts to produce the NS3/NS4A complex in recombinant baculovirus resulted in a protein complex that aggregated and precipitated in the absence of nonionic detergent and high salt. A single-chain form of the NS3/NS4A complex (His-NS4A21-32-GSGS-NS3-631) was constructed in which the NS4A core peptide is fused to the N-terminus of the NS3 protease domain as previously described (Taremi et al., 1998). This protein contains a histidine tagged NS4A peptide (a.a. 21-32) fused to the full-length NS3 (a.a. 3-631) through a flexible tetra amino acid linker. The recombinant protein was expressed to high levels in Escherichia coli, purified to homogeneity, and examined for NTPase, nucleic acid unwinding, and proteolytic activities. The single-chain recombinant NS3-NS4A protein possesses physiological properties equivalent to those of the NS3/NS4A complex except that this novel construct is stable, soluble and sixfold to sevenfold more active in unwinding duplex RNA. Comparison of the helicase activity of the single-chain recombinant NS3-NS4A with that of the full-length NS3 (without NS4A) and that of the helicase domain alone suggested that the presence of the protease domain and at least the NS4A core peptide are required for optimal unwinding activity.