Overexpressing human membrane proteins in stably transfected and clonal human embryonic kidney 293S cells

X-ray crystal structures of human membrane proteins, although potentially of extremely great impact, are highly underrepresented relative to those of prokaryotic membrane proteins. One key reason for this is that human membrane proteins can be difficult to express at a level, and at a quality, suitable for structural studies. This protocol describes the methods that we use to overexpress human membrane proteins from clonal human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293S) cells lacking N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I (GnTI(-)), and was recently used in our 2.1-? X-ray crystal structure determination of human RhCG. Upon identification of highly expressing cell lines, suspension cell cultures are scaled up in a facile manner either using spinner flasks or cellbag bioreactors, resulting in a final purified yield of ～0.5 mg of membrane protein per liter of medium. The protocol described here is reliable and cost effective, can be used to express proteins that would otherwise be toxic to mammalian cells and can be completed in 8-10 weeks.     

Development of a Chinese hamster ovary cell line for recombinant adenovirus-mediated gene expression

Recombinant human adenovirus (rhAd) has been used extensively for functional protein expression in mammalian cells including those of human and nonhuman origin. High-level protein production by rhAd vectors is expected in their permissive host cells, such as the human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cell line. This is attributed primarily to the permissiveness of HEK293 to rhAd infection and their ability to support viral DNA replication by providing the missing El proteins. However, the HEK293 cells tend to suffer from cytopathic effect (CPE) as a result of virus replication. Under these circumstances, the host cell function is compromised and the culture viability will be reduced. Consequently, newly synthesized polypeptides may not be processed properly at posttranslational levels. Therefore, the usefulness of HEK293 cells for the expression of complex targets such as secreted proteins could be limited. In the search for a more robust cell line as a production host for rhAd expression vectors, a series of screening experiments was performed to isolate clones from Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO-K1) cells. First, multiple rounds of infection of CHO-K1 cells were performed utilizing an rhAd expressing GFP. After each cycle of infection, a small population of CHO cells with high GFP levels was enriched by FACS. Second, individual clones more permissive to human adenovirus infection were isolated from the highly enriched subpopulation by serial dilution. A single clone, designated CHO-K1-C5, was found to be particularly permissive to rhAd infection than the parental pool and has served as a production host in the successful expression of several secreted proteins.     

Automation of large scale transient protein expression in mammalian cells

Traditional mammalian expression systems rely on the time-consuming generation of stable cell lines; this is difficult to accommodate within a modern structural biology pipeline. Transient transfections are a fast, cost-effective solution, but require skilled cell culture scientists, making man-power a limiting factor in a setting where numerous samples are processed in parallel. Here we report a strategy employing a customised CompacT SelecT cell culture robot allowing the large-scale expression of multiple protein constructs in a transient format. Successful protocols have been designed for automated transient transfection of human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293T and 293S GnTI? cells in various flask formats. Protein yields obtained by this method were similar to those produced manually, with the added benefit of reproducibility, regardless of user. Automation of cell maintenance and transient transfection allows the expression of high quality recombinant protein in a completely sterile environment with limited support from a cell culture scientist. The reduction in human input has the added benefit of enabling continuous cell maintenance and protein production, features of particular importance to structural biology laboratories, which typically use large quantities of pure recombinant proteins, and often require rapid characterisation of a series of modified constructs. This automated method for large scale transient transfection is now offered as a Europe-wide service via the P-cube initiative.     

Intracellular trafficking of a tagged and functional mammalian olfactory receptor.

Tagged G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been used to facilitate intracellular visualization of these receptors. We have used a combination of adenoviral vector gene transfer and tagged olfactory receptors to help visualize mammalian olfactory receptor proteins in the normal olfactory epithelium of rats, and in cell culture. Three recombinant adenoviral vectors were generated carrying variously tagged versions of rat olfactory receptor I7. The constructs include an N-terminal Flag epitope tag (Flag:I7), enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) fusion protein (EGFP:I7), and a C-terminal EGFP fusion (I7:EGFP). These receptor constructs were assayed in rat olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and in a heterologous system (HEK 293 cell line) for protein localization and functional expression. Functional expression of the tagged receptor proteins was tested by electroolfactogram (EOG) recordings in the infected rat olfactory epithelium, and by calcium imaging in single cells. Our results demonstrate that the I7:EGFP fusion protein and Flag:I7 are functionally expressed in OSNs while the EGFP:I7 fusion is not, probably due to inappropriate processing of the protein in the cells. These data suggest that a small epitope tag (Flag) at the N-terminus, or EGFP located at the C-terminus of the receptor, does not affect ligand binding or downstream signaling. In addition, both functional fusion proteins (Flag:I7 and I7:EGFP) are properly targeted to the plasma membrane of HEK 293 cells.     

Impact of Cell Type and Epitope Tagging on Heterologous Expression of G Protein-Coupled Receptor: A Systematic Study on Angiotensin Type II Receptor

Despite heterologous expression of epitope-tagged GPCR is widely adopted for functional characterization, there is lacking of systematic analysis of the impact of expression host and epitope tag on GPCR expression. Angiotensin type II (AT2) receptor displays agonist-dependent and -independent activities, coupling to a spectrum of signaling molecules. However, consensus has not been reached on the subcellular distributions, signaling cascades and receptor-mediated actions. To examine the contributions of host cell and epitope tag on receptor expression and activity, epitope-tagged AT2 receptor variants were transiently or stably expressed in HEK293, CHO-K1 and PC12 cells. The epitope-tagged AT2 receptor variants were detected both on the cell membrane and in the perinuclear region. In transiently transfected HEK293 cells, Myc-AT2 existed predominantly as monomer. Additionally, a ladder of ubiquitinated AT2 receptor proteins was detected. By contrast, stably expressed epitope-tagged AT2 receptor variants existed as both monomer and high molecular weight complexes, and the latter was enriched in cell surface. Glycosylation promoted cell surface expression of Myc-AT2 but had no effect on AT2-GFP in HEK293 cells. In cells that stably expressed Myc-AT2, serum starvation induced apoptosis in CHO-K1 cells but not in HEK293 or PC12 cells. Instead, HEK293 and PC12 cells stably expressing Myc-AT2 exhibited partial cell cycle arrest with cells accumulating at G1 and S phases, respectively. Taken together, these results suggest that expression levels, subcellular distributions and ligand-independent constitutive activities of AT2 receptor were cell type-dependent while posttranslational processing of nascent AT2 receptor protein was modulated by epitope tag and mode of expression.     

High-level expression, single-step immunoaffinity purification and characterization of human tetraspanin membrane protein CD81

The study of membrane protein structure and function requires their high-level expression and purification in fully functional form. We previously used a tetracycline-inducible stable mammalian cell line, HEK293S-TetR, for regulated high-level expression of G-protein coupled receptors. We here report successfully using this method for high-level expression of de novo oligo-DNA assembled human CD81 gene. CD81 is a member of the vital tetraspanin membrane protein family. It has recently been identified as the putative receptor for the Hepatitis C Virus envelope E2 glycoprotein (HCV-E2). In this study we used a single-step rho-1D4-affinity purification method to obtain >95% purity from HEK293S-TetR-inducible stable cell lines. Using ELISA assay we determined that the affinity of the purified CD81 receptor for HCV-E2 protein is 3.8+/-1.2 nM. Using fluorescent confocal microscopy we showed that the inducibly overexpressed CD81 receptor in HEK293S-TetR cells is correctly located on the plasma membrane. We demonstrated that the combination of high-level expression of CD81 with efficient single-step immunoaffinity purification is a useful method for obtaining large quantities of CD81 membrane receptor suitable for detailed structural analyses of this elusive tetraspanin protein. Furthermore, this simple single-step immunoaffinity purification to high purity of membrane protein could be useful broadly for other membrane protein purifications, thus accelerating the determination of structures for large numbers of difficult-to-obtain membrane proteins.     

Streamlining homogeneous glycoprotein production for biophysical and structural applications by targeted cell line development

Studying the biophysical characteristics of glycosylated proteins and solving their three-dimensional structures requires homogeneous recombinant protein of high quality.We introduce here a new approach to produce glycoproteins in homogenous form with the well-established, glycosylation mutant CHO Lec3.2.8.1 cells. Using preparative cell sorting, stable, high-expressing GFP 'master' cell lines were generated that can be converted fast and reliably by targeted integration via Flp recombinase-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) to produce any glycoprotein. Small-scale transient transfection of HEK293 cells was used to identify genetically engineered constructs suitable for constructing stable cell lines. Stable cell lines expressing 10 different proteins were established. The system was validated by expression, purification, deglycosylation and crystallization of the heavily glycosylated luminal domains of lysosome-associated membrane proteins (LAMP).     

人P2X7真核表达载体的构建及稳定转染细胞株的建立

目的：构建人P2X7基因的真核表达载体,并通过转染获得稳定表达P2X7分子的HEK293细胞株。方法：以人脑组织P2X7cDNA为模板扩增出P2X7基因,插入到真核表达载体pEGFP-N1中,构建重组质粒pEGFP-N1/P2X7。用X-fect试剂盒将重组质粒转染HEK293细胞,通过G418辅助荧光筛选建立稳定表达P2X7-EGFP细胞株。经流式细胞仪、Western blot和激光共聚焦显微镜检测,了解人P2X7在HEK293细胞中的表达水平及细胞内定位。结果：重组质粒pEGFP-N1/P2X7构建正确,建立了稳定表达人P2X7的HEK293细胞系。Western blot和流式细胞仪检测证实,P2X7在HEK293细胞系中成功表达,激光共聚焦显微镜检测显示P2X7-EGFP定位在细胞膜上。结论：重组载体pEGFP-N1/P2X7构建成功并建立了稳定表达人P2X7的HEK293细胞系,为进一步研究P2X7离子通道结构和功能奠定基础。     

Intracellular trafficking of a tagged and functional mammalian olfactory receptor

Tagged G‐protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been used to facilitate intracellular visualization of these receptors. We have used a combination of adenoviral vector gene transfer and tagged olfactory receptors to help visualize mammalian olfactory receptor proteins in the normal olfactory epithelium of rats, and in cell culture. Three recombinant adenoviral vectors were generated carrying variously tagged versions of rat olfactory receptor I7. The constructs include an N‐terminal Flag epitope tag (Flag:I7), enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) fusion protein (EGFP:I7), and a C‐terminal EGFP fusion (I7:EGFP). These receptor constructs were assayed in rat olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and in a heterologous system (HEK 293 cell line) for protein localization and functional expression. Functional expression of the tagged receptor proteins was tested by electroolfactogram (EOG) recordings in the infected rat olfactory epithelium, and by calcium imaging in single cells. Our results demonstrate that the I7:EGFP fusion protein and Flag:I7 are functionally expressed in OSNs while the EGFP:I7 fusion is not, probably due to inappropriate processing of the protein in the cells. These data suggest that a small epitope tag (Flag) at the N‐terminus, or EGFP located at the C‐terminus of the receptor, does not affect ligand binding or downstream signaling. In addition, both functional fusion proteins (Flag:I7 and I7:EGFP) are properly targeted to the plasma membrane of HEK 293 cells. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol 50: 56–68, 2002     

Predominant nuclear localization of mammalian target of rapamycin in normal and malignant cells in culture

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) controls initiation of translation through regulation of ribosomal p70S6 kinase (S6K1) and eukaryotic translation initiation factor-4E (eIF4E) binding protein (4E-BP). mTOR is considered to be located predominantly in cytosolic or membrane fractions and may shuttle between the cytoplasm and nucleus. In most previous studies a single cell line, E1A-immortalized human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293), has been used. Here we show that in human malignant cell lines, human fibroblasts, and murine myoblasts mTOR is predominantly nuclear. In contrast, mTOR is largely excluded from the nucleus in HEK293 cells. Hybrids between HEK293 and Rh30 rhabdomyosarcoma cells generated cells co-expressing markers unique to HEK293 (E1A) and Rh30 (MyoD). mTOR distribution was mainly nuclear with detectable levels in the cytoplasm. mTOR isolated from Rh30 nuclei phosphorylated recombinant GST-4E-BP1 (Thr-46) in vitro and thus has kinase activity. We next investigated the cellular distribution of mTOR substrates 4E-BP, S6K1, and eIF4E. 4E-BP was exclusively detected in cytoplasmic fractions in all cell lines. S6K1 was localized in the cytoplasm in colon carcinoma, HEK293 cells, and IMR90 fibroblasts. S6K1 was readily detected in all cellular fractions derived from rhabdomyosarcoma cells. eIF4E was detected in all fractions derived from rhabdomyosarcoma cells but was not detectable in nuclear fractions from colon carcinoma HEK293 or IMR90 cells.     

Optimisation and evaluation of a high-throughput mammalian protein expression system

Transient transfection of mammalian cells with episomal vectors is a very useful method for producing high levels of recombinant proteins. Transient systems remove the need for the laborious and time-consuming process of creating stable cell lines. Here, we describe the optimisation and evaluation of a high-throughput transient expression system in HEK293-EBNA cells. The process was developed for the expression of 10 constructs simultaneously in deep-well plates and subsequent purification using 96-well plate affinity chromatography. This enabled multiple combinations of different constructs, vectors, and expression conditions to be studied in parallel.     

Heparan sulfate proteoglycan synthesis in CHO DG44 and HEK293 cells

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells are the most popular host cells for transient gene expression (TGE) of therapeutic proteins. These host cells require high transfection efficiency in order to enhance TGE. Heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) at the cell surface is known to regulate endocytosis for gene delivery. The HSPG expression in CHO DG44 and HEK293E cells was investigated in an effort to enhance the TGE. Immunostaining of HSPGs followed by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry analyses revealed that CHO DG44 cells possessed a higher amount of cell-surface and intracellular HSPGs than HEK293E cells. The mRNA levels of the representative enzymes involved in the HSPG biosynthesis in CHO DG44, which were determined by quantitative real time PCR, were quite different from those in HEK293E cells. Taken together, the results obtained here would be useful in improving TGE in CHO DG44 and HEK293E cells through genetic engineering of HSPG synthesis.     

Generation of a Genome Scale Lentiviral Vector Library for EF1α Promoter-Driven Expression of Human ORFs and Identification of Human Genes Affecting Viral Titer

The bottleneck in elucidating gene function through high-throughput gain-of-function genome screening is the limited availability of comprehensive libraries for gene overexpression. Lentiviral vectors are the most versatile and widely used vehicles for gene expression in mammalian cells. Lentiviral supernatant libraries for genome screening are commonly generated in the HEK293T cell line, yet very little is known about the effect of introduced sequences on the produced viral titer, which we have shown to be gene dependent. We have generated an arrayed lentiviral vector library for the expression of 17,030 human proteins by using the GATEWAY® cloning system to transfer ORFs from the Mammalian Gene Collection into an EF1alpha promoter-dependent lentiviral expression vector. This promoter was chosen instead of the more potent and widely used CMV promoter, because it is less prone to silencing and provides more stable long term expression. The arrayed lentiviral clones were used to generate viral supernatant by packaging in the HEK293T cell line. The efficiency of transfection and virus production was estimated by measuring the fluorescence of IRES driven GFP, co-expressed with the ORFs. More than 90% of cloned ORFs produced sufficient virus for downstream screening applications. We identified genes which consistently produced very high or very low viral titer. Supernatants from select clones that were either high or low virus producers were tested on a range of cell lines. Some of the low virus producers, including two previously uncharacterized proteins were cytotoxic to HEK293T cells. The library we have constructed presents a powerful resource for high-throughput gain-of-function screening of the human genome and drug-target discovery. Identification of human genes that affect lentivirus production may lead to improved technology for gene expression using lentiviral vectors.     

Calcium-activated K+ channels increase cell proliferation independent of K+ conductance

The intermediate-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel (IK1) promotes cell proliferation of numerous cell types including endothelial cells, T lymphocytes, and several cancer cell lines. The mechanism underlying IK1-mediated cell proliferation was examined in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells expressing recombinant human IK1 (hIK1) channels. Inhibition of hIK1 with TRAM-34 reduced cell proliferation, while expression of hIK1 in HEK293 cells increased proliferation. When HEK293 cells were transfected with a mutant (GYG/AAA) hIK1 channel, which neither conducts K(+) ions nor promotes Ca(2+) entry, proliferation was increased relative to mock-transfected cells. Furthermore, when HEK293 cells were transfected with a trafficking mutant (L18A/L25A) hIK1 channel, proliferation was also increased relative to control cells. The lack of functional activity of hIK1 mutants at the cell membrane was confirmed by a combination of whole cell patch-clamp electrophysiology and fura-2 imaging to assess store-operated Ca(2+) entry and cell surface immunoprecipitation assays. Moreover, in cells expressing hIK1, inhibition of ERK1/2 and JNK kinases, but not of p38 MAP kinase, reduced cell proliferation. We conclude that functional K(+) efflux at the plasma membrane and the consequent hyperpolarization and enhanced Ca(2+) entry are not necessary for hIK1-induced HEK293 cell proliferation. Rather, our data suggest that hIK1-induced proliferation occurs by a direct interaction with ERK1/2 and JNK signaling pathways.     

Analysis of the suitability of calreticulin inducible HEK cells for adhesion studies: microscopical and biochemical comparisons

Calreticulin is a Ca²⁺-buffering ER chaperone that also modulates cell adhesiveness. In order to study the effect of calreticulin on the expression of adhesion-related genes, we created a calreticulin inducible Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK) 293 cell line. We found that fibronectin mRNA and both intra- and extra-cellular fibronectin protein levels increased following calreticulin induction. However, despite this increase in fibronectin, HEK293 cells did not assemble an extracellular fibrillar fibronectin matrix regardless of the level of calreticulin expression. Furthermore, HEK293 cells exhibited a poorly organized actin cytoskeleton, did not have clustered fibronectin receptors at the cell surface, and did not form focal contacts. This likely accounts for the lack of fibronectin matrix deposition by these cells regardless of calreticulin expression level. Vinculin abundance did not appreciably increase upon calreticulin induction and the level of active c-Src, a regulatory kinase of focal contacts, was found to be abundant and unregulated by calreticulin induction in these cells. The inability to form stable focal contacts and to commence fibronectin fibrillogenesis due to high c-Src activity may be responsible for the poor adhesive phenotype of HEK 293 cells. Thus, we show here that HEK293 cells are not suitable for microscopical studies of cell-substratum adhesions, but are best suited for biochemical studies. S. Papp and M. P. Fadel have contributed equally to this work.     

Correct identification of the chloroplastic protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase N-terminus places the biochemical data in frame

CTLA-4 gene constructs were designed to express CTLA-4 exclusively in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Four different CTLA-4 gene constructs were transfected into HEK 293 (human embryonic kidney) and A20 (Balb/c mouse B lymphoma) cells. All constructs contained an ER retention signal and coded for CTLA-4 expression in the ER. One of the constructs, which contained the membrane part of CTLA-4, coded for an expression both on the cell surface and in the ER. Three of the expressed CTLA-4 types (including the ER-membrane-expressed form) caused a reduced surface expression of B7 in the A20 cells. Only constructs which allow dimerization of CTLA-4 showed this effect. It is assumed that intracellular CTLA-4 bound B7 and inhibited therefore the transport of B7 to the surface. The binding obviously caused also an enhanced degradation of the complexes because both proteins showed a low concentration in the transfected cell lines. CTLA-4-transfected and B7-reduced A20 cells showed a diminished costimulating activity upon T cells. This was demonstrated by a reduced proliferation of T cells from ovalbumin-immunized Balb/c mice, incubated with ovalbumin peptide-primed CTLA-4-transfected A20 cells.