剪接因子1N端1-320氨基酸片段的原核表达及纯化

目的:通过扩增剪接因子1(SF1)的N端1-320氨基酸(aa)片段对应的cDNA,构建His融合蛋白原核表达质粒pET-28a(+)/SF1(1-320aa),在大肠杆菌中诱导表达并进行亲和纯化。方法:PCR扩增SF1的1-320 aa片段对应的cDNA,扩增产物和载体pET-28a(+)经酶切回收,连接载体和目的片段,获得重组质粒,转化大肠杆菌DH5α,挑取克隆、酶切鉴定、测序,将测序正确的重组质粒转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3),IPTG诱导表达,SDS-PAGE和West-ern印迹分析蛋白表达情况,亲和纯化His-SF1(1-320aa)。结果:SF1片段以正确的读框插入pET-28a(+),IPTG可以诱导大肠杆菌表达重组蛋白,SDS-PAGE和Western印迹证实得到相对分子质量约为40×103的蛋白,亲和纯化得到高纯度蛋白质。结论:构建了His融合蛋白原核表达质粒pET-28a(+)/SF1(1-320aa),并获得His-SF1(1-320aa)融合蛋白,为进一步研究SF1和U2AF65之间的相互作用及对剪接体形成的影响提供了基础。     

幽门螺杆菌cagA克隆表达

克隆表达4株幽门螺杆菌的cagA基因,以方便地获得大鼠CagA蛋白和重组表达质粒,为临床诊断CagA阳性幽门螺杆菌感染,以及进一步研究不同类型CagA功能及其与疾病关系提供材料。PCR扩增幽门螺杆菌的cagA基因,克隆至PinPoint^TMXa-1T载体,酶切鉴定连接方向,IPTG诱导正向连接克隆表达CagA融合蛋白并进行SDS－PAGE和Western blots鉴定。结果显示PCR扩增得到3.5-3.8kb的CagA基因,PCR及酶切鉴定得到正向连接的重组克隆,SDS－PAGE及Western blots证实正向连接的重组克隆表达CagA融合蛋白。构建了4种cagA的重组表达质粒,通过转化同一宿主菌可研究不同CagA的功能和致病性差异;通过亲和层析纯化融合蛋白可获大量CagA蛋白,用于血清学诊断CagA阳性幽门螺杆菌感染,及不同抗原性CagA与疾病之间的关系。     

人FGF21原核表达载体的构建及重组蛋白表达

构建人FGF21(fibroblast growth factor,FGF)cDNA的原核表达载体并诱导其重组蛋白表达。提取人肝脏总RNA后,经RT-PCR扩增获得目的片段,构建其T载体进行保存。再构建重组原核表达载体pET-28a(+)-h FGF21,重组质粒转化至大肠杆菌菌株BL21(DE3)中,在IPTG诱导下得到可溶性表达,采用亲和层析法纯化表达产物后,进行Western blot鉴定。成功构建重组质粒pET-28(+)-hFGF21,对其进行可溶性表达后成功纯化出his-hFGF21,经Western blot鉴定该融合蛋白可与FGF21抗体特异性结合。成功构建pET-28(+)-hFGF21,并可溶性表达his-hFGF21蛋白。     

钩端螺旋体层粘连蛋白结合蛋白Lsa20的表达与功能分析

目的:表达并纯化可溶性重组钩端螺旋体层粘连蛋白结合蛋白Lsa20,并对其与层粘连蛋白(LN)相互作用的生物特性进行分析。方法:优化合成Lsa20基因,连接到表达载体p ET28a(+)上,转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3),IPTG诱导蛋白表达,然后利用Ni-NTA亲和介质纯化目标蛋白,重组蛋白经超滤浓缩后,进行相关ELISA、流式细胞术、间接免疫荧光实验。结果:构建了重组蛋白表达菌株,目标蛋白呈可溶性表达,纯化后纯度达90%以上;ELISA证实重组Lsa20与LN有较强的亲和力,测得解离常数为(27.23±2.53)nmol/L;流式细胞术及间接免疫荧光实验结果表明重组Lsa20可黏附到COS-7细胞表面。结论:重组Lsa20在体外能够与层粘连蛋白结合,具有同天然蛋白类似的生物学特性。同时,以Lsa20与LN相互作用实验为例,建立了研究LN结合蛋白生物功能的基本方案,为后续鉴定和研究新的LN结合蛋白的作用规律及黏附机制奠定了良好的实验基础。     

肠出血性大肠杆菌毒力因子Z1444的原核表达及其丝/苏氨酸激酶活性验证

目的:在大肠杆菌中表达肠出血性大肠杆菌(EHEC)毒力岛上的毒力因子Z1444并纯化,对其丝/苏氨酸激酶活性进行初步检测。方法:根据GenBank中Z1444基因序列及pET-28a(+)载体的多克隆位点设计引物,以EHECO157∶H7全菌裂解液为模板,经PCR钓取1047 bp的目的片段,与表达载体pET-28a(+)连接,构建重组表达质粒pET-28a(+)-Z1444,将其转化至大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中,IPTG诱导蛋白表达并经SDS-PAGE鉴定,利用体外反应体系鉴定重组蛋白的丝/苏氨酸激酶活性。结果:双酶切和测序鉴定表明,pET-28a(+)-Z1444原核表达质粒构建正确;诱导表达后经纯化,获得纯度在90%以上的可溶性重组Z1444,相对分子量约为38×103;体外酶活实验验证了Z1444的丝/苏氨酸激酶活性。结论:Z1444在大肠杆菌中获得高效可溶性表达,为后续功能验证奠定了基础。     

利用杆状病毒表达幽门螺杆菌cagA基因

幽门螺杆菌cagA基因克隆到杆状病毒表达系统的 pBlueBacHis2A转移载体中 ,将重组质粒 pBlueBacHis2A CagA与亲本病毒Bac N blueDNA共转染Sf9细胞 ,以空斑法纯化获得的重组杆状病毒。经PCR法鉴定后进行扩增培养 ,SDS PAGE和Westernbolt检测结果证实所表达的蛋白为CagA蛋白 ,间接ELISA分析表明 ,表达产物可与Hp感染者血清发生特异性的免疫反应     

串联亲和纯化原核表达载体的构建

【目的】构建串联亲和纯化原核表达载体,用于研究细菌中(生理状态或接近生理条件下的)蛋白-蛋白相互作用。【方法】设计并合成两条串联亲和标签序列,分别可以在靶蛋白N端和C端融合Protein G和链亲和素结合肽(Streptavidin binding peptide,SBP)标签;以pUC18载体为骨架,去除原有的阻遏蛋白基因,构建组成型表达载体pNTAP和pCTAP。【结果】成功构建N端和C端标签表达载体pNTAP和pCTAP,它们在大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)BL21(DE3)、肠出血性大肠杆菌O157:H7和痢疾杆菌福氏5型M90T菌株中都可以实现表达。【结论】本实验构建的两个串联亲和纯化表达载体可以在部分革兰氏阴性细菌中表达,为研究细菌内蛋白-蛋白相互作用及致病菌毒力蛋白的作用机制奠定了基础。     

棉铃虫钙粘蛋白N端多肽多克隆抗体制备及对Bt抗性的初步检测

用重组表达的棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera(Hübner)中肠钙粘蛋白N端多肽片段制备兔多克隆抗体,并利用其对Bt抗性进行鉴定。通过RT-PCR方法对棉铃虫中肠钙粘蛋白N端多肽的基因片段Cad285进行PCR扩增,将其克隆到pET-30a原核表达载体中,在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中经IPTG诱导表达,得到35ku的重组融和蛋白,融合表达的包涵体经过变性、Ni-NTA柱亲和纯化、复性等方法处理包涵体,获得可溶性纯化蛋白,用纯化后蛋白免疫新西兰兔制备多克隆抗体,ELISA检测其效价高于1∶16000;利用最终获得的多克隆抗体对室内纯合Bt抗/感品系的棉铃虫中肠钙粘蛋白进行Western blot分析,结果显示敏感和抗性品系之间有明显差异,表明其能够应用对Bt抗性进行初步检测。     

沙门菌外膜蛋白D的原核表达及多克隆抗体制备

目的:在大肠杆菌中表达沙门菌外膜蛋白(OMP)D,纯化后制备兔抗OMPD抗体。方法:用PCR方法从鼠伤寒沙门菌中扩增出ompD基因,并插入融合表达载体pET-28a(+)的多克隆位点,构建重组表达质粒pET28a(+)-ompD;以重组质粒转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3),筛选阳性重组菌株,经IPTG诱导目的蛋白表达,在变性条件下对目的蛋白进行亲和层析纯化;以表达的OMPD蛋白免疫家兔,制备抗OMPD的多克隆抗体并进行鉴定。结果:扩增了ompD基因,测序证实正确后亚克隆于表达载体pET-28a(+)中,经PCR筛选和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质量为40×103的目的蛋白并进行纯化;纯化的OMPD免疫家兔后,能有效地刺激特异性抗体的产生,抗血清的效价达到1∶10000以上,且具有良好的特异性。结论:构建ompD基因的原核表达载体,并在大肠杆菌中获得高效表达;制备出兔抗OMPD抗体,效价及特异性均良好,为进一步制备肠黏膜高亲和力疫苗奠定了基础。     

幽门螺杆菌HP0762蛋白的原核表达纯化及多克隆抗体制备

目的:表达和纯化幽门螺杆菌HP0762蛋白,并制备该蛋白的多克隆抗体。方法:从幽门螺杆菌SS1中经PCR扩增得到了hp0762基因,将其克隆至含有6×His编码序列的原核表达载体pET-28a(+)中,再将重组质粒转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3),在IPTG诱导下进行蛋白表达;用HiTrap Chelating HP亲和柱纯化重组蛋白,Western印迹进一步鉴定;以纯化后的蛋白为抗原免疫新西兰大耳白兔,制备该蛋白的多克隆抗体;用ELISA和Western印迹检测抗血清。结果:目的蛋白在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中获得了可溶性表达,纯化后纯度可达90%以上;制备了针对HP0762重组蛋白的抗血清,抗体ELISA效价为1:256000,Western印迹分析表明该抗体能特异性识别内源性HP0762。结论:完成了HP0762蛋白的原核高效表达与纯化,并制备了其高效价的多克隆抗体,为进一步对其进行疫苗研制与基因功能研究奠定了基础。     

Helicobacter pylori infection and CagA protein translocation in human primary gastric epithelial cell culture

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence has shown that Helicobacter pylori CagA protein translocation into gastric epithelial cells plays an important role in the development of gastric inflammation and malignancy. Translocated CagA undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation in gastric adenocarcinoma cell line cells, and CagA involves disruption of cellular apical-junction complex in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. METHODS: To elucidate whether these events take place in normal human gastric epithelium, we infected human primary gastric epithelial cells with H. pylori. RESULTS: Our results demonstrate that CagA protein was translocated into primary gastric epithelial cells and tyrosine phosphorylated. The translocated CagA induces cytoskeletal rearrangement and the disruption of tight junctions in primary gastric epithelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides direct evidence of the modulation of gastric epithelial cells by CagA protein translocation, and advances our understanding of the pathogenesis of H. pylori infection.     

Attenuation of Helicobacter pylori CagA x SHP-2 signaling by interaction between CagA and C-terminal Src kinase

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a causative agent of gastric diseases ranging from gastritis to cancer. The CagA protein is the product of the cagA gene carried among virulent H. pylori strains and is associated with severe disease outcomes, most notably gastric carcinoma. CagA is injected from the attached H. pylori into gastric epithelial cells and undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation. The phosphorylated CagA binds and activates SHP-2 phosphatase and thereby induces a growth factor-like morphological change termed the "hummingbird phenotype." In this work, we demonstrate that CagA is also capable of interacting with C-terminal Src kinase (Csk). As is the case with SHP-2, Csk selectively binds tyrosine-phosphorylated CagA via its SH2 domain. Upon complex formation, CagA stimulates Csk, which in turn inactivates the Src family of protein-tyrosine kinases. Because Src family kinases are responsible for CagA phosphorylation, an essential prerequisite of CagA.SHP-2 complex formation and subsequent induction of the hummingbird phenotype, our results indicate that CagA-Csk interaction down-regulates CagA.SHP-2 signaling by both competitively inhibiting CagA.SHP-2 complex formation and reducing levels of CagA phosphorylation. We further demonstrate that CagA.SHP-2 signaling eventually induces apoptosis in AGS cells. Our results thus indicate that CagA-Csk interaction prevents excess cell damage caused by deregulated activation of SHP-2. Attenuation of CagA activity by Csk may enable cagA-positive H. pylori to persistently infect the human stomach for decades while avoiding excess CagA toxicity to the host.     

SagA of CagA in Helicobacter pylori pathogenesis

Much attention has recently been given to the role of the Helicobacter pylori CagA protein, the only as yet identified H. pylori protein that is delivered into the host gastric epithelial cells by a type IV secretion system, in the development of H. pylori-associated diseases, including gastric carcinoma. This review summarizes the latest advances in our understanding of pathogenic actions of H. pylori CagA, particularly focusing on the molecular mechanisms underlying CagA entry into the host cells as well as CagA-mediated perturbation of host cell signaling involved in proliferation, motility, differentiation, and polarity, which contributes malignant transformation of mammalian cells.     

Helicobacter pylori CagA tertiary structure reveals functional insights

CagA is a major disease-associated factor injected by the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori. In this issue, Hayashi et al. (2012) report the crystallographic structure of the CagA N terminus (residues 24-876) at 3.19 ? resolution. This study revealed three distinct domains, giving novel insights into intramolecular and intermolecular protein and phosphatidylserine interactions.     

CagA and VacA are immunoblot markers of past Helicobacter pylori infection in atrophic body gastritis

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Atrophic body gastritis (ABG) may be induced by H. pylori infection. It is difficult to diagnose H. pylori infection in this condition, since during progression of body atrophy the bacterium disappears. In 30% of patients with ABG no sign of H. pylori infection is detectable. We aimed to investigate whether patients with ABG, classified as H. pylori-negative by conventional methods (ELISA serology and Giemsa stain histology), have been previously exposed to the infection. METHODS: Case series consisted of 138 outpatients with ABG, of whom 31 are H. pylori negative (histology and ELISA serology), and 107 are H. pylori related (histology and ELISA serology positive: active infection, n = 29; only serology positive: past infection, n = 78). Thirty control subjects who were H. pylori negative at histology and ELISA serology were investigated. Immunoblotting of sera against H. pylori whole-cell protein lysate was performed. RESULTS: None of the control sera recognized CagA, VacA, heat-shock protein B, and urease B, yielding a specificity of 100%. All H. pylori-negative patients with ABG showed immunoblotting seroreactivity, including in each case either CagA or VacA. The concomitant seroreactivity against CagA and VacA was highly prevalent in the H. pylori-negative patients with ABG, comparable to those with active infection (77.4% vs. 86.2%) and with past infection (vs. 61.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Immunoblotting against CagA and VacA is able to prove past exposure to H. pylori infection in all patients with ABG defined as H. pylori-negative by conventional methods, suggesting a hidden role of H. pylori infection in gastric atrophy also in these patients.     

Helicobacter pylori CagA protein targets the c-Met receptor and enhances the motogenic response

Infection with the human microbial pathogen Helicobacter pylori is assumed to lead to invasive gastric cancer. We find that H. pylori activates the hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor receptor c-Met, which is involved in invasive growth of tumor cells. The H. pylori effector protein CagA intracellularly targets the c-Met receptor and promotes cellular processes leading to a forceful motogenic response. CagA could represent a bacterial adaptor protein that associates with phospholipase Cgamma but not Grb2-associated binder 1 or growth factor receptor-bound protein 2. The H. pylori-induced motogenic response is suppressed and blocked by the inhibition of PLCgamma and of MAPK, respectively. Thus, upon translocation, CagA modulates cellular functions by deregulating c-Met receptor signaling. The activation of the motogenic response in H. pylori-infected epithelial cells suggests that CagA could be involved in tumor progression.     

Activation of Helicobacter pylori CagA by tyrosine phosphorylation is essential for dephosphorylation of host cell proteins in gastric epithelial cells

Helicobacter pylori type I strains harbour the cag pathogenicity island (cag-PAI), a 37 kb sequence,which encodes the components of a type IV secretion system. CagA, the first identified effector protein of the cag-PAI, is translocated into eukaryotic cells and tyrosine phosphorylated (CagAP-tyr) by a host cell tyrosine kinase. Translocation of CagA induces the dephosphorylation of a set of phosphorylated host cell proteins of unknown identity. CagA proteins of independent H. pylori strains vary in sequence and thus in the number and composition of putative tyrosine phosphorylation motifs (TPMs). The CagA protein of H. pylori strain J99 (CagAJ99) does not carry any of three putative tyrosine phosphorylation motifs (TPM-A, TPM-B or TPM-C) predicted by the MOTIF algorithm in CagA proteins. CagA,n is not tyrosine phosphorylated and is inactive in the dephosphorylation of host cell proteins. By site-specific mutagenesis,we introduced a TPM-C into CagA,. by replacing a single lysine with a tyrosine. This slight modification resulted in tyrosine phosphorylation of CagAJ99 and host cell protein dephosphorylation. In contrast, the removal of the indigenous TPM-C from CagAP12 did not abolish its tyrosine phosphorylation, suggesting that further phosphorylated sites are present in CagAP12. By generation of hybrid CagA proteins, a phosphorylation of the most N-terminal TPM-A could be excluded. Our data suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation at TPM-C is sufficient, but not exclusive,to activate translocated CagA. Activated CagAPtr might either convert into a phosphatase itself or activate a cellular phosphatase to dephosphorylate cellular phosphoproteins and modulate cellular signalling cascades of the host.     

Helicobacter pylori CagA induces Ras-independent morphogenetic response through SHP-2 recruitment and activation

The CagA protein of Helicobacter pylori, which is injected from the bacteria into bacteria-attached gastric epithelial cells, is associated with gastric carcinoma. CagA is tyrosine-phosphorylated by Src family kinases, binds the SH2 domain-containing SHP-2 phosphatase in a tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent manner, and deregulates its enzymatic activity. We established AGS human gastric epithelial cells that inducibly express wild-type or a phosphorylation-resistant CagA, in which tyrosine residues constituting the EPIYA motifs were substituted with alanines. Upon induction, wild-type CagA, but not the mutant CagA, elicited strong elongation of cell shape, termed the "hummingbird" phenotype. Time-lapse video microscopic analysis revealed that the CagA-expressing cells exhibited a marked increase in cell motility with successive rounds of elongation-contraction processes. Inhibition of CagA phosphorylation by an Src kinase inhibitor, PP2, or knockdown of SHP-2 expression by small interference RNA (siRNA) abolished the CagA-mediated hummingbird phenotype. The morphogenetic activity of CagA also required Erk MAPK but was independent of Ras or Grb2. In AGS cells, CagA prolonged duration of Erk activation in response to serum stimulation. Conversely, inhibition of SHP-2 expression by siRNA abolished the sustained Erk activation. Thus, SHP-2 acts as a positive regulator of Erk activity in AGS cells. These results indicate that SHP-2 is involved in the Ras-independent modification of Erk signals that is necessary for the morphogenetic activity of CagA. Our work therefore suggests a key role of SHP-2 in the pathological activity of H. pylori virulence factor CagA.     

The Helicobacter pylori CagA protein induces tyrosine dephosphorylation of ezrin

Helicobacter pylori is one of the most wide-spread bacterial pathogens and infects the human stomach to cause diseases, such as gastritis, gastric ulceration, and gastric cancer. A major virulence determinant is the H. pylori CagA protein (encoded by the cytotoxin-associated gene A) which is translocated from the bacteria into the cytoplasm of host cells by a type IV secretion system. In the host cell, CagA is phosphorylated on tyrosine residues and induces rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton. We have previously shown that tyrosine-phosphorylated CagA inhibits the catalytic activity of Src family kinases and induces tyrosine dephosphorylation of several host cell proteins. Here, we identified one of these proteins as ezrin by a combination of preparative gel electrophoresis, two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Specific pharmacological inhibition of Src family kinases also induces ezrin dephosphorylation. Therefore, ezrin dephosphorylation appears to be induced by CagA-mediated Src inactivation. Ezrin is the founding member of the ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) family of proteins which are signalling integrators at the cell cortex. Since ezrin is a component of microvilli and a linker protein between actin filaments and membrane proteins, this observation has important implications for H. pylori pathogenesis and might also help to explain the development of gastric cancer.