Posttranslational incorporation of contractile proteins into myofibrils in a cell-free system

The incorporation of newly synthesized protein into myofibrils has been examined in a cell-free system. Myofibrils were added to a reticulocyte lysate after the in vitro translation of muscle-specific poly(A)+RNA. Only a small number of the many synthesized proteins were found to associate with the exogenously added myofibrils. These proteins were all identified as sarcomeric components and had subunit mobilities (Mr) of 200, 140, 95, 86, 43, 38, 35, 25, 23, 20, and 18 kD. The association was rapid (t1/2 less than 15 min) and, for most of the proteins, relatively temperature insensitive. Except for a 43-kD polypeptide, tentatively identified as beta-actin, none of the proteins encoded by brain poly(A)+RNA associated with the myofibrils. When filaments made from purified myosin or actin were used as the "capture" substrates, only thick or thin filament proteins, respectively, were incorporated. Incorporation was substantially reduced when cross-linked myosin filaments were used. These results are compatible with a model in which proteins of the sarcomere are in kinetic equilibrium with homologous proteins in a soluble pool.     

Selenomethionine incorporation into a protein by cell-free synthesis

Multi-wavelength anomalous diffraction phasing is especially useful for high-throughput structure determinations. Selenomethionine substituted proteins are commonly used for this purpose. However, the cytotoxicity of selenomethionine drastically reduces the efficiency of its incorporation in in vivo expression systems. In the present study, an improved E. coli cell-free protein synthesis system was used to incorporate selenomethionine into a protein, so that highly efficient incorporation could be achieved. A milligram quantity of selenomethionine-containing Ras was obtained using the cell-free system with dialysis. The mass spectrometry analysis showed that more than 95% of the methionine residues were substituted with selenomethionine. The crystal of this protein grew under the same conditions and had the same unit cell constants as those of the native Ras protein. The three-dimensional structure of this protein, determined by multi-wavelength anomalous diffraction phasing, was almost the same as that of the Ras protein prepared by in vivo expression. Therefore, the cell-free synthesis system could become a powerful protein expression method for high-throughput structure determinations by X-ray crystallography.     

Position-specific incorporation of biotinylated non-natural amino acids into a protein in a cell-free translation system

Biotinylation is useful for the detection, purification and immobilization of proteins. It is performed by chemical modification, although position-specific and quantitative biotinylation is rarely achieved. We developed a position-specific biotinylation method using biotinylated non-natural amino acids. We showed that biotinylated p-aminophenylalanine derivatives were incorporated into a protein more efficiently than biotinylated lysine derivatives in a cell-free translation system. In addition, the biotinylated p-aminophenylalanines overcame the serious position-dependency observed for biotinylated lysines. The present method will be useful for detection and purification of proteins along with comprehensive exploration of surface-exposed residues and oriented immobilization of proteins.     

Partial specificity of low-molecular weight RNA that stimulates RNA synthesis in various tissues

A nuclear RNA fraction isolated from chick or calf liver, chick or calf kidney, and Rous sarcoma contains four (5.0S, 4.5S, 4.2S, 4.0S), five (5.0S, 4.5S, 4.3S, 4.2S, 4.0S), and three (5.0S, 4.2S, 4.0S) species of RNA, respectively. All RNAs except 4.2S, 4.0S, and the sarcoma 5.0S RNA are capable of stimulating significantly RNA synthesis in vitro with chromatin from the corresponding tissue as template. 5.0S RNAs from the normal tissues of the same animal are also effective in stimulating the RNA polymerization reactions with chromatin of the heterologous tissues but to lesser extent. Available evidence will show that the stimulation may presumably be due to specific structures of RNA molecules which have a high content of uridylic acid.     

Translation of mouse interferon messenger RNA in a cell-free system

Crude mouse interferon mRNA extracted from poly (I) . poly (C)-induced L929 cells has been translated in a cell-free system from rabbit reticulocytes and in two-cell systems--L929 cells and chick embryo fibroblasts. Translational efficiency of interferon mRNA preparation was 100-fold higher in the cell-free system than in tissue culture cells. Interferon synthesized was species-specific and its antiviral activity was completely neutralized by mouse interferon antiserum.     

Heliomycin suppression of RNA synthesis in a cell-free system]

Heliomycin inhibited in vitro the RNA-polymerase reaction catalyzed by the preparation of DNA-dependent RNA-polymerase from E. coli. The blocking effect increased with a rise in the antibiotic concentration. The inhibitory effect of heliomycin decreased, when the amount of RNA-polymerase in the system increased. Yet, it did not depend on the content of DNA and the nature of the DNA preparation. Preincubation of RNA-polymerase with DNA resulting in formation of the enzyme-matrix complex did not prevent blocking RNA synthesis by heliomycin. Suppression of the RNA-polymerase reaction did not depend on the time of the antibiotic addition to the polymerizing system. Heliomycin had a significant activity not only with respect to the bacterial RNA-polymerase, but also in the system containing the enzyme isolated from the cells of Crithidia oncopelti.     

Rapid incorporation of label from ribonucleoside disphosphates into DNA by a cell-free high molecular weight fraction from animal cell nuclei

A readily sedimentable nuclear fraction from Chinese hamster embryo fibroblast (CHEF/18) cells catalyzes incorporation of 14C-rCDP into DNA. Data indicated that this incorporation is made possible by the conversion of rCDP into a small and functionally compartmentalized, rather than a large and freely diffusible, pool of dCTP. This catalytically active sedimentable fraction from S phase CHEF/18 cells or actively replicating calf thymus cells contains nascent and template DNA, and numerous enzymes required for DNA biosynthesis including ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase, thymidylate synthetase, dihydrofolate reductase, DNA methylase, topoisomerase and DNA polymerase. We have named this catalytically active macromolecule the replitase. The replitase fraction contained spherical particles with a diameter of approximately 24 to 30 nm and had an estimated molecular weight on the order of 5 X 10(6).     

Tailoring a low-molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase into an efficient reporting protein

Fusion reporter methods are important tools for biology and biotechnology. An ideal reporter protein in a fusion system should have little effects on its fusion partner and provide an easy and accurate readout. Therefore, a small monomeric protein with high activity for detection assays often has advantages as a reporter protein. For this purpose, we have tailored the human B-form low-molecular-weight phosphotyrosyl phosphatase (HPTP-B) to increase its general applicability as a potent reporter protein. With the aim to eliminate interference from cysteine residues in the native HPTP-B, combined with a systematic survey of N- and C-terminal truncated variants, a series of cysteine to serine mutations were introduced, which allowed isolation of an engineered soluble protein with suitable biophysical properties. When we deleted both the first six residues and the last two residues, we still obtained a soluble mutant protein with correct folding and similar activity with wild-type protein. This mutant with two cysteine to serine mutations, HPTP-B^{N_Δ6-C_Δ2-C90S-C109S}, has good potential as an optimal reporter.     

Translational incorporation of multiple unnatural amino acids in a cell-free protein synthesis system

Nature uses 20 canonical amino acids as the standard building blocks of proteins; however, the incorporation of unnatural amino acids (Uaas) can endow polypeptide sequences with new structural and functional features. Although aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) can accept an array of Uaas in place of their natural counterparts, Uaas generally are charged to tRNAs with substantially lower efficiencies. This particularly makes it difficult to incorporate multiple Uaas into a protein sequence. In this study, we discuss the use of a cell-free protein synthesis system as a versatile platform for the efficient incorporation of multiple Uaas into proteins. Taking advantage of the open nature of cell-free protein synthesis that allows flexible manipulation of its ingredients, we explored the application of Uaas in 10 mM range of concentrations to kinetically overcome the low affinity of aaRSs towards unnatural amino acids. Supplementation of recombinant aaRSs was also investigated to further increase the Uaa-tRNA pools. As a result, under the modified reaction conditions, as many as five different Uaas could be incorporated into a single protein without compromising the yield of protein synthesis.