Molecular cloning of cDNA for human prostatic acid phosphatase

A human liver cDNA library in λgt11 was screened with polyclonal antiserum to human acid phosphatase isoenzyme 2a/4. About eleven positive clones have been obtained. Two clones, λ Hap21 and λ Hap22 were further characterized: clone λHap21 contained a 0.8-kb cDNA insert and clone λHap22 a 1.8–2.0-kb insert. XbaI digestion of λHap22 generated two fragments of 1.0 and 0.9 kb. BglII digestion resulted in a 1.2-kb fragment and several smaller fragments of undetermined size. Clone 1 Hap22 contained all the genes carried by λ gt11(lac 5cI857nin 5Sam 100) and the 2-kb insert. An Escherichia coli(λHap22) lysogen was generated, and its acid phosphatase activity was approximately ten-fold higher than that in the control nonlysogenic lysate. Western-blot analysis of total proteins present in this E. coli(λHap22) lysate revealed that the non-induced λHap22 prophage directed the synthesis of an approx. 175-kDa protein. This protein was recognized by antibody to the human acid phosphatase isoenzyme 2a/4 and anti-β-galactosidase and was produced only upon induction with IPTG. These results indicated that AHap22 carried a major portion of the gene coding for the human acid phosphatase isoenzyme 2a and/or 4 and this protein fragment of acid phosphatase was sufficient to manifest enzymatic activity.     

Cloning, sequencing, and expression of the meso-diaminopimelate dehydrogenase gene from Bacillus sphaericus

The gene encoding the meso-diaminopimelate dehydrogenase of Bacillus sphaericus was cloned into E. coli cells and its complete DNA sequence was determined. The meso-diaminopimelate dehydrogenase gene consisted of 978 nucleotides and encoded 326 amino acid residues corresponding to the subunit of the dimeric enzyme. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the enzyme gene of B. sphaericus showed 50% identity with those of the enzymes from Corynebacterium glutamicum and Brevibacterium flavum. The enzyme gene from B. sphaericus was highly expressed in E. coli cells. We purified the enzyme to homogeneity from a transformant with 76% recovery. The N-terminal amino acid of both the enzyme from B. sphaericus and the transformant were serine, indicating that the N-terminal methionine is removed by post-translational modification in B. sphaericus and E. coli cells.     

Isolation and characterization of the yeast aspartyl-tRNA synthetase gene

A yeast genomic library in Escherichia coli, constructed by insertion of Sau3A restriction fragments into the hybrid Saccharomyces cerevisiae-E. coli plasmid pFL1, was screened by a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for colonies expressing yeast aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (AspRS). Four clones were isolated by this technique. Data obtained by Southern and restriction analysis of the inserts showed a common 3.8-kb BamHI restriction fragment which, when inserted into the plasmid pFLl, gave a positive RIA. Several controls showed that this 3.8-kb insert codes for the entire AspRS : (i) S. cerevisiae transformed by the PFL1 plasmid carrying the 3.8-kb fragment overproduces AspRS activity by a factor of ten compared to the wild-type yeast strain; and (ii) a new protein with electrophoretic behaviour similar to AspRS and immuno-reactive toward anti-AspRS appears in crude extracts of transformed yeast and E. coli.     

Development of cloning vehicles from the Streptomyces plasmid pFJ103

A 20-kb plasmid, pFJ103, was isolated from a strain of Streptomyces granuloruber. A restriction endonuclease map of the plasmid was constructed. A Streptomyces gene that specifies resistance to the antibiotic thiostrepton was subcloned into Escherichia coli plasmid pBR322, inserted into pFJ103 and transformed into Streptomyces ambofaciens protoplasts. Two classes of transformants were obtained. One carries the pFJ104 plasmid consisting of the entire pFJ103 with the 1.8-kb thiostrepton resistance gene insert. The other carries the pFJ105 plasmid consisting of the 2.9-kb replicon segment of pFJ103 with the same thiostrepton resistance insert. A gene for neomycin resistance together with the entire E. coli pBR322 plasmid were cloned into pFJ105. The resulting E. coli-Streptomyces bifunctional vector, pFJ123, transformed both E. coli and Streptomyces. The small size of pFJ105, its ease of isolation, and efficient transformation of Streptomyces protoplasts establishes it, and its derivatives, as useful plasmid cloning vehicles for fundamental and applied studies     

Catalytic domain of Salmonella typhimurium 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase is localized in N-terminal region

2-Oxoglutarate dehydrogenase (lipoamide) [OGDH or E1o: 2-oxoglutarate: lipoamide 2-oxidoreductase (decarboxylating and acceptor-succinating); EC 1.2.4.2] is a component enzyme of the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex. Salmonella typhimurium gene encoding OGDH (ogdh) has been cloned in Escherichia coli. The libraries were screened for the expression of OGDH by complementing the gene in E. coli E1o-deficient mutant. Three positive clones (named Odh-3, Odh-5 and Odh-7) contained the identical 2.9 kb Sau3AI fragment as determined by restriction mapping and Southern hybridization, and expressed OGDH efficiently and constitutively using its own promoter in the heterologous host. This gene spans 2878 bases and contains an open reading frame of 2802 nucleotides encoding a mature protein of 927 amino acid residues (M_r=110,000). The comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of the cloned OGDH with E. coli OGDH shows 91% sequence identity. To localize the catalytic domain responsible for E. coli E1o-complementation, several deletion mutants lacking each portion of the ogdh gene were constructed using restriction enzymes. From the sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis, a polypeptide which showed a complementation activity with an M_r of 30,000 was detected. The catalytic domain was localized in N-terminal region of the gene. Therefore, this is a first identification of the catalytic domain in bacterial ogdh gene.     

Nucleotide sequence of the Rickettsia prowazekii ATP/ADP translocase-encoding gene

The Rickettsia prowazekii ATP/ADP translocase (Tlc) gene (tlc), previously cloned in Escherichia coli was localized to a 1.6-kb chromosomal fragment. Nucleotide sequence analysis of this fragment revealed an open reading frame of 1494 bp that could encode a hydrophobic protein of 497 amino acids (aa) with an M_r of 56 668. Analysis of the deduced aa sequence revealed that it contained twelve potential membrane-spanning regions. Comparisons between the deduced aa sequence of the R. prowazekii ATP/ADP Tlc and the sequences of mitochondrial (mt) Tic revealed no detectable homologies between the rickettsial and mt sequences. The major protein synthesized in E. coli minicells containing the rickettsial gene exhibited an M_r of approx. 34000.     

Molecular cloning and expression of a Schistosoma japonicum tegumental membrane-associated antigen from Japanese strain

Diagnosis and vaccine development form the major focus in creating strategies for the control of schistosomiasis. In this study, we established an IgG1 mouse monoclonal antibody (MoAb), SJA111, which strongly reacted with 23–25-kDa Schistosoma japonicum tegumental-associated membrane proteins, but not with eight other parasitic antigens. A λgt 11 cDNA library from the Japanese strain of the Schistosoma japonicum adult worm was screened with SJA111 as a probe. A single positive clone was isolated and the nucleotide sequence of the isolated cDNA was determined. The cDNA clone consisted of 844 bp, and the coding region contained 576 bp which was translated to a 22.6-kDa protein. This region showed 99.0% and 99.3% significant homology with those of the Chinese and Philippine strains of Schistosoma japonicum, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence of the protein was identical to that of the Philippine strain and only one residue differed from that of the Chinese strain. The recombinant form of the tegumental protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by a combination of ion exchange and affinity chromatography, and the purified protein was found to react with the sera of patients infected with Schistosoma japonicum. This result suggests that this antigen may be useful in the immunodiagnosis of schistosomiasis as well as in the development of an effective vaccine.     

High-level expression of an altered cDNA encoding human isovaleryl-CoA dehydrogenase in Escherichia coli

Isovaleryl-CoA dehydrogenase (IVD) catalyzes the conversion of isovaleryl-CoA to 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA in the leucine catabolism pathway. The cDNA encoding the mature human IVD polypeptide was cloned in a prokaryotic expression vector, but the level of expression in Escherichia coli was extremely low and attempts to purify the enzyme to homogeneity were unsuccessful. To enhance expression, the nucleotide sequence of 22 codons within the 111-bp region at the 5′-end of the cDNA was altered to accommodate E. coli codon usage without altering the amino-acid coding sequence. The altered IVD cDNA was synthesized by PCR, using a primer containing the desired modifications. Following overnight induction of the E. coli transformed with this cDNA, the enzyme was purified to homogeneity using diethylaminoethyl agarose and high-pressure ceramic hydroxyapatite resins. IVD activity was increased 165-fold in the crude extract of cells containing the modified cDNA, as compared to that containing the wild-type cDNA.     

A fragment of the yeast DNA repair protein Rad4 confers toxicity to E. coli and is required for its interaction with Rad7 protein

The RAD4 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is required for the incision of damaged DNA during nucleotide excision repair. Plasmids carrying the wild-type RAD4 gene cannot be propagated in Escherichia coli. In this study, a rad4 mutant that can be grown in E. coli was isolated. This rad4 allele is deleted of a large positively charged segment of the RAD4 coding region which is toxic to E. coli when expressed alone. The deletion mutant retains its ability to interact with Rad23 protein but not with Rad7 protein and is defective in nucleotide excision repair. The smallest Rad4 fragment that is toxic to E. coli consists of 336 amino acids with a calculated pI = 9.99.     

Killing of target cells by redirected granzyme B in the absence of perforin

We have previously reported that nucleoside diphosphate kinase (HsNDK) from extremely halophilic archaeon Halobacterium salinarum was expressed in Escherichia coli as a soluble, but inactive form and required high salt concentrations for in vitro folding and activation. Here, we found that fusion of extra sequence containing hexa-His-tag at amino-terminus of HsNDK (His-HsNDK) facilitated folding and activation of HsNDK in E. coli. This is a first observation of active folding of halophilic enzyme from extremely halophilic archaeon in E. coli. The in vitro refolding rate of His-HsNDK after heat denaturation was greatly increased over the native HsNDK. Folded His-HsNDK isolated from E. coli formed a hexamer in both 0.2 M and 3.8 M NaCl at 30 °C, while the native HsNDK purified from H. salinarum dissociated to dimer in 0.2 M NaCl. The observed hexameric structure in 0.2 M NaCl indicates that amino-terminal extension also enhances dimer to hexamer assembly and stabilizes the structure in low salt. These results suggest that positive charges in fused amino-terminal extension are effective in suppressing the negative charge repulsion of halophilic enzyme and thus, facilitate folding and assembly of HsNDK.     

Deletion or alteration of hydrophobic amino acids at the first and the third transmembrane domains of hepatitis B surface antigen enhances its production in Escherichia coli

To investigate the failure of high-level production of hepatitis B viral (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg), including three authentic forms, large (L), middle (M) and major/small (S) HBsAg, in Escherichia coli, we employed the high-expression vector pGEX containing the glutathione S-transferase-encoding gene (GST) to study HBsAg production. Different fragments of HBV DNA containing the entire pre-S1/pre-S2/S region (for L protein), or partial pre-S1, pre-S2, pre-S1/pre-S2 and pre-S2/S region (for M protein), were fused downstream from the GST gene, in order to obtain five plasmids which encode GST-HBsAg fusion proteins. SDS-PAGE analyses revealed that cells containing plasmids with a full-length S region (pGLS and pGMS) produced undetectable GST-HBsAg fusion proteins, in contrast to those cells harboring plasmids without the S region (pGS1, pGS2 and pGS1S2), which synthesized fusion proteins in 3–10% of the total cellular protein. Using an immunoblot method to screen HBsAg production in cells which harbored plasmids derived from exonuclease BAL 31-digested pGLS, we obtained eight positive clones. Nucleotide sequence analyses of plasmids from the positive clones revealed that termination, deletion or frameshift occurred at the regions encoding either the first or the third transmembrane domain of the major HBsAg. Correlation between the production level of GST-HBsAg fusion proteins and their constituent and arrangement of amino acids (aa) at the last 20 as among 15 clones suggested that the fusion protein ended with a longer stretch of or a higher ratio of hydrophobic as had a lower production in E. coli.     

Cloning, expression and sequence analysis of the SphI restriction-modification system

SphI, a type II restriction-modification (R-M) system from the bacterium Streptomyces phaeochromogenes, recognizes the sequence 5′-GCATGC. The SphI methyltransferase (MTase)-encoding gene, sphIM, was cloned into Escherichia coli using MTase selection to isolate the clone. However, none of these clones contained the restriction endonuclease (ENase) gene. Repeated attempts to clone the complete ENase gene along with sphIM in one step failed, presumably due to expression of SphI ENase gene, sphIR, in the presence of inadequate expression of sphIM. The complete sphIR was finally cloned using a two-step process. PCR was used to isolate the 3′ end of sphIR from a library. The intact sphIR, reconstructed under control of an inducible promoter, was introduced into an E. coli strain containing a plasmid with the NlaIII MTase-encoding gene (nlaIIIM). The nucleotide sequence of the SphI system was determined, analyzed and compared to previously sequenced R-M systems. The sequence was also examined for features which would help explain why sphIR unlike other actinomycete ENase genes seemed to be expressed in E. coli.     

枯草芽孢杆菌Mn-SOD基因的克隆及原核表达

为了实现Mn-SOD基因在大肠杆菌(E.coli)中的可溶性表达,根据枯草芽孢杆菌(Bacillus subtilis)168sodA核酸序列设计引物,以枯草芽孢杆菌ATCC 9372基因组为模板,PCR扩增获得了Mn-SOD基因.将此基因重组至原核表达载体pET-28a,构建含Mn-SOD基因的重组表达质粒,并转化至大肠杆菌BL21(DE3).异丙基-β-D-硫代半乳糖苷(IPTG)诱导表达获得Mn-SOD,蛋白分子量约为26kD,占全菌蛋白的5.6%.改良的连苯三酚自氧化法测定SOD活力,菌体可溶性总蛋白SOD比活为51.09U·mg^-1,是对照组的.8倍.枯草芽孢杆菌ATCC 9372 Mn-SOD基因在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中首次成功表达,产物具有较高的可溶性和活性,为大量制备Mn-SOD奠定了基础.     

Cloning, expression and characterization of thymidylate synthase from Crypto coccus neoformans

The thymidylate synthase (TS)-encoding gene from Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn) has been isolated from cDNA and genomic libraries. The 1127-bp gene contains three introns and a 951-bp open reading frame encoding a 35844-Da protein. The cDNA clones lack 324 bp of the 5' coding region of the gene. The complete coding sequence was assembled as an expression cassette in pUC19 using parts of the coding sequence from the cDNA and genomic DNA and completing the sequence using synthetic DNA. Production of active TS from Cn (CnTS) was first demonstrated by complementation of a thymine(Thy)-requiring Escherichia coli strain. The expression cassette was subsequently subcloned into the T7 polymerase vector pET15-b. In this construct, CnTS is produced as approximately 10% of the total soluble protein in E. coli. Homogeneous enzyme was obtained at a 36% yield after consecutive chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, Q-Sepharose, phenyl-Sepharose and Affi-Gel Blue. Steady-state kinetic analysis showed that the K_m values for dUMP and CH₂H₄-folate were 2.7 ± 0.5 μM and 38.2 ± 2.5 μM, respectively, and the K_cat was 5.1 s⁻¹. The enzyme was stable upon storage at −80°C in Tris-HCl pH 7.4 and thiol.     

Isolation of a cDNA fragment coding for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ferredoxin and expression of the recombinant protein in Escherichia coli.

A cDNA clone coding for mature C. reinhardtii ferredoxin has been isolated from a cDNA library using PCR and two oligonucleotide primers based on the N- and C-termini of the protein's amino acid sequence. The nucleotidic sequence of the PCR fragment (299 bp) agreed well with the amino acid sequence since a single conservative substitution (Thr-7 to Ser) could be deduced. The PCR fragment was inserted into the expression vector pTrc 99A, using the incorporated NcoI and BamHI restriction sites and the construction used to transform E. coli (DH5 F′). After subsequent large scale expression and purification of the recombinant protein, biochemical and biophysical analysis have indicated that the product isolated from E. coli is homologous to native ferredoxin isolated from green algae.     

Isolation of restriction enzyme EcoVIII, an isoschizomer of HindIII, produced by Escherichia coli E1585-68

A restriction endonuclease designated EcoVIII, an isoschizomer of HindIII, was isolated from Escherichia coli E1585-68 and purified by dextran-polyethylene glycol (DPG) phase partition, ammonium sulfate precipitation, phospho- and DEAE-cellulose chromatography, and hydroxylapatite chromatography. The purified EcoVIII was stable during the purification procedure and its high specific activity required 10 mM Mg²⁺. Unlike HindIII, Eco VIII exhibited a high specific activity even at low pH (pH 6.3) and showed the highest activity at 48° C. Transformation of purified plasmid DNA from E. coli E1585-68 into K-12 indicated that the EcoVIII gene was carried on a multicopy 4.4-kb miniplasmid. EcoVIII seems to be preferable to HindIII for its production and use because of easier handling of producer cells and a wider range of activity.     

Single-chain ribosome inactivating proteins from plants depurinate Escherichia coli 23S ribosomal RNA.

The rRNA N-glycosidase activities of the catalytically active A chains of the heterodimeric ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs) ricin and abrin, the single-chain RIPs dianthin 30, dianthin 32, and the leaf and seed forms of pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) were assayed on E. coli ribosomes. All of the single-chain RIPs were active on E. coli ribosomes as judged by the release of a 243 nucleotide fragment from the 3′ end of 23S rRNA following aniline treatment of the RNA. In contrast, E. coli ribosomes were refractory to the A chains of ricin and abrin. The position of the modification of 23S rRNA by dianthin 32 was determined by primer extension and found to be A₂₆₆₀, which lies in a sequence that is highly conserved in all species.