D1蛋白酶的克隆表达、纯化、生物活性测定及多克隆抗体的制备

为了开发以D1蛋白酶作为靶标的新型除草剂,需要对先导化合物的生物活性进行检测和筛选。从菠菜中提取总RNA,逆转录合成cDNA,采用PCR扩增了CtpA的基因,连接至表达载体pET-28a中,构建了重组表达质粒,并在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中进行高效表达,通过降低IPTG和诱导温度获得了可溶性表达的重组蛋白酶。采用Ni-NTA亲和层析和凝胶过滤柱层析对重组蛋白进行了纯化,SDS-PAGE和Western blotting结果证实目的蛋白为含有His-tag的融合蛋白。以合成的D1前体蛋白羧基端24肽作为模拟底物,采用高效液相色谱法测定了其水解活性,结果表明活性可达1.10nmol/(mg·min),为文献报道数据的15倍。纯化后的CtpA蛋白免疫日本的长耳大白兔制备多克隆抗体,ELISA法测定其血清抗体的效价高达1:100000。该结果为抑制剂先导化合物的筛选和酶蛋白与化合物的作用机理研究提供了必要的基础。

Cloning, expression, purification of spinach carboxyl-terminal processing protease of D1 protein with hydrolysis activity and preparation of polyclonal antibody

Carboxyl-terminal processing protease of D1 protein (CtpA) catalyzes carboxyl terminal processing of the D1 protein of photosystem II, which is essential for the assembly of a manganese cluster and consequent light-mediated water oxidation. It is a target for the discovery of wide-spectrum herbicide. We amplified the CtpA gene from spinach cDNA with standard PCR method and constructed it into pET-28a vector to generate a recombinant expression plasmid. Recombinant CtpA fusion protein with His-tag was expressed as soluble protein in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) after induction with 0.1 mmol/L IPTG at 8°C for 72 h. We purified the CtpA protein with the Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and Superdex 75 gel filtration chromatography respectively, and verified the protein by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting with anti-his antibody. Hydrolysis activity of CtpA was assayed by HPLC method with a synthetic 24-mer oligopeptide corresponding to carboxyl terminal of precursor D1 protein, and gave a total activity of 1.10 nmol/(mg?min). We used the purified CtpA protein as antigen to immune rabbit for the production of polyclonal antibody, and prepared antibody with high specificity and sensitivity. The results obtained in this paper provided the feasibility of high-throughput screening of lead compounds for the protease as inhibitors and mechanism analysis of CtpA enzyme.