重组丙型肝炎病毒核心蛋白的原核表达、纯化和抗体制备

本文旨在获得纯化丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)核心蛋白(HCV-C)及抗HCV-C多克隆抗体,为深入研究HCV-C与肝细胞相互作用的分子机制奠定基础。首先以HCV1b亚型HC-J4-91全基因组质粒为模板,聚合酶链反应(PCR)扩增HCV-C基因,构建重组质粒pQE31-HCV-C。融合蛋白经原核表达、纯化后,免疫BALB/c小鼠,制备抗HCV-C多克隆抗体。利用酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)检测抗体效价,蛋白免疫印迹(Westernblot)和间接免疫荧光染色鉴定抗体特异性。结果显示,表达HCV-C的原核表达质粒pQE31-HCV-C构建正确,获得相对分子质量约22000的纯化融合蛋白。ELISA检测重组蛋白免疫小鼠的抗血清效价达1:12800。结果显示,自制的抗HCV-C多克隆抗体能特异性识别HCV-C。本研究获得了纯度较好、原核表达的HCV-C,并成功制备了抗HCV-C多克隆抗体,为深入研究HCV-C的致病机制提供了有实用价值的研究工具。     

诺如病毒NV衣壳蛋白VP1表达纯化及多克隆抗体的制备

目的 获得纯化的诺如病毒（NV）衣壳蛋白VP1,免疫动物制备多克隆抗体。方法 提取粪便样品中诺如病毒RNA,逆转录得到cDNA文库,通过PCR扩增获取VP1基因序列,构建到大肠埃希菌原核表达系统中诱导表达重组VP1蛋白。使用镍柱亲和层析法对重组蛋白进行纯化,十二烷基磺酸钠‒聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳（SDS-PAGE）和考马斯亮蓝法（BSA）对重组蛋白的纯度与浓度进行分析,以重组的VP1蛋白为抗原,免疫雄性SPF级SD大鼠获得多抗血清,用ELISA测定抗体效价、Western blot检测抗体特异性。结果 成功地构建出重组表达载体VP1-pET28a,并将其在大肠埃希菌BL21（DE3）中稳定地表达诱导重组蛋白。ELISA测其多抗血清的平均效价为1∶200000,Western blot检测抗体在原核和真核特异性很高。结论 本实验成功地利用原核表达系统表达诺如病毒衣壳蛋白VP1,为进一步研究诺如病毒的诊断和疫苗开发提供了条件。     

Negative purification method for the selection of specific antibodies from polyclonal antisera

We developed a protocol to remove non-specific antibodies from polyclonal antisera by adsorption on non-target antigens immobilized on nitrocellulose membranes. This "negative" purification method is simple and provides better immunoreagents than the blocking of nonspecific antibodies in solution or the enrichment of specific antibodies on nitrocellulose membranes. For routine applications, this method is quicker and cheaper than the purification protocols based on selective precipitations and affinity chromatography.     

Production and purification of melanoma gp100 antigen and polyclonal antibodies

gp100 is a melanoma-associated antigen found to carry immunogenic epitopes that can induce a CTL response against tumor cells. Production and purification of large quantities of this polypeptide may be important in the context of diagnosis and vaccinating against melanoma. To overcome the hydrophobic nature of gp100, we cloned and expressed only a part of the protein, and obtained a hydrophilic recombinant polypeptide (HR-gp100) that contained most of the immunogenic peptides. High yield was achieved in an Escherichia coli expression system. The protein was purified by AKTA Prime using anionic-columns. Polyclonal antibodies developed in chicken against HR-gp100 were efficient at detecting gp100 in melanoma cells, as determined by Western blot analysis and by immunohistochemistry. HR-gp100 can be used to develop a vaccine against melanoma. Antibodies to HR-gp100 may be used to detect tumors of melanocytic origin or to determine the level of gp100 expression in tumors prior to immunotherapy with the protein or one of its peptides.     

Expression and purification of a Tuber borchii fruitbody-specific protein, TBF-1, from Escherichia coli: generation of polyclonal antibodies

TBF-1 is a fruitbody-specific protein present in the white truffle species Tuber borchii Vittad. A similar protein has been found only in the closely related species Tuber dryophilum (TDF-1), but not in other truffles. The protein from T. borchii was overexpressed as fusion protein in E. coli and was purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography. Recombinant protein was used for generating polyclonal antibodies. The antiserum strongly reacted with TBF-1, weakly recognized TDF-1, and did not detect correlate band in the other white truffle species. The high level of expression of this protein in the fruitbody and the specificity of the antibody anti-TBF-1 make it possible to set up a diagnostic tool for detecting these species in natural samples and foodstuffs.     

Characterization and localization of fluorescent Pseudomonas cold shock protein(s) by monospecific polyclonal antibodies

Cold shock protein (CSP) from Pseudomonas fluorescens MTCC 103 and cold resistant protein (CRP) from its mutant CRPF8 of 14 and 35 kd, respectively were purified to homogeneity by HPLC. Polyclonal antibodies were raised against these proteins and the expression level was checked at different temperatures, i.e., 4, 10, 20, 30 and 37 C. Furthermore, morphological changes in P. fluorescens MTCC 103 and its mutant (CRPF8) were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Localization of CSP and CRP documented with immunoelectron microscopy, using colloidal gold particles conjugated with secondary antibodies being the probe were used. Nevertheless, the results of cytosolic localization of CSP and CRP were evident. Furthermore, the expression of CSP and CRP increased with decrease in temperature and the cell wall thickness of the mutant exhibited 2-fold increase, thus facilitating low temperature survival.     

Immunological study of a neurofilament protein variant (S150) with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies

Ten polyclonal neurofilament antibodies were tested for domain specificity with immunoblots of chymotrypsin digests of a neurofilament protein of 150 kDa (NF 150K). In contrast to most monoclonal antibodies previously reported, the five polyclonal antibodies which showed domain specificity reacted with the 40 kDa α-helical rod domain of the molecule. (With one exception, monoclonal antibodies reacted with the 200 kDa carboxy-terminal peripheral domain.) Of these ten polyclonal antibodies only two reacted with an isoelectric variant of NK 150 K (S150) isolated by Liem and collaborators (Wong, J., Hutchison, S.B. and Liem, R.K.H. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 10867–10874) from bovine brain. 13 monoclonal antibodies were also tested for reactivity with S150 protein. With one exception, none of these antibodies reacted with this variant, not even a monoclonal antibody which we have previously shown to react with a non-phosphorylated epitope located in the rod domain of NF 150K. We suggest that either there are modifications other than dephosphorylation in the S150 isoelectric variant or, alternatively, that it is not derived from NF 150K.     

Affinity purification of polyclonal antibodies from antigen immobilized in situ in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels

A procedure for the preparation of affinity-purified antibody is described. Protein mixtures are separated by electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)--polyacrylamide gels. Individual bands of protein are cut from the gel and fixed in situ with glutaraldehyde. The gel pieces are then homogenized and washed extensively with buffered solutions and chaotropic agents. The washed gels can then be used as immunoadsorbents to purify antibodies from crude antisera. This method should be especially useful for the preparation of small amounts of antibody to proteins that are difficult to purify by conventional means, that are available only in limited quantity, or that cannot be blotted to immunoadsorbents such as nitrocellulose or diazotized paper.     

The target of RNAIII-activating protein (TRAP) from Staphylococcus aureus: purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis

The target of the RNAIII-activating protein (TRAP) is a 21 kDa protein in which phosphorylation is activated by the RNAIII-activating protein (RAP), which causes an increase in RNAII and RNAIII synthesis and the production of the virulence factors. In an attempt to examine the structural role of TRAP in the signal transduction pathway, TRAP from Staphylococcus aureus was overexpressed, purified and crystallized using PEG 8000 and 5% Jeffamine M600 (pH 7.0), as precipitants by hanging-drop vapour diffusion methods at 287 K. The crystals belong to the orthorhombic space group, P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit cell parameters of a=39.68, b=50.41, c=85.45 A. There is one monomer of TRAP per crystallographic asymmetric unit with a crystal volume per protein mass (V(M)) of 2.06 A(3) Da(-1) and a solvent content of 40.3%. A complete data set diffracting to 1.9 A resolution was collected from a single crystal at 100 K using a synchrotron-radiation source.     

Analysis of epitopes on dengue virus envelope protein recognized by monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal human sera by a high throughput assay

Background

The envelope (E) protein of dengue virus (DENV) is the major target of neutralizing antibodies and vaccine development. While previous studies on domain III or domain I/II alone have reported several epitopes of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against DENV E protein, the possibility of interdomain epitopes and the relationship between epitopes and neutralizing potency remain largely unexplored.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We developed a dot blot assay by using 67 alanine mutants of predicted surface-exposed E residues as a systematic approach to identify epitopes recognized by mAbs and polyclonal sera, and confirmed our findings using a capture-ELISA assay. Of the 12 mouse mAbs tested, three recognized a novel epitope involving residues (Q211, D215, P217) at the central interface of domain II, and three recognized residues at both domain III and the lateral ridge of domain II, suggesting a more frequent presence of interdomain epitopes than previously appreciated. Compared with mAbs generated by traditional protocols, the potent neutralizing mAbs generated by a new protocol recognized multiple residues in A strand or residues in C strand/CC′ loop of DENV2 and DENV1, and multiple residues in BC loop and residues in DE loop, EF loop/F strand or G strand of DENV1. The predominant epitopes of anti-E antibodies in polyclonal sera were found to include both fusion loop and non-fusion residues in the same or adjacent monomer.

Conclusions/Significance

Our analyses have implications for epitope-specific diagnostics and epitope-based dengue vaccines. This high throughput method has tremendous application for mapping both intra and interdomain epitopes recognized by human mAbs and polyclonal sera, which would further our understanding of humoral immune responses to DENV at the epitope level.     

莱茵衣藻纤毛内运输蛋白IFT46的原核表达纯化及其多克隆抗体的制备

IFT46是纤毛内运输蛋白IFT复合物B(IFT-B)的一个重要组分,对于纤毛的组装、运动和感知发挥着重要作用。为深入研究IFT46的作用机制,利用ift46基因全序列分别构建了带有GST和MBP标签的原核表达载体p GEX-2T-ift46和p MAL-C2X-ift46,并转入大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)诱导表达,以15%SDS-PAGE鉴定,分别获得了分子量为70、86 k Da的重组GST/MBP-IFT46融合蛋白。将亲和纯化的GST-IFT46融合蛋白(纯度95%以上)免疫新西兰大白兔,采集第5次免疫后血清用ELISA测定效价为1∶256 000。抗血清依次经Protein A和固定在MBP-IFT46纯化后,用Western blotting和免疫荧光检测抗体特异性,结果表明制备的多克隆抗体能很好地识别莱茵衣藻中的IFT46,而且发现IFT46绝大部分定位在纤毛基体,极少部分沿纤毛呈点状分布,为继续开展IFT46在肥胖症、糖尿病、多囊肾病等纤毛相关疾病中作用机制的研究奠定了重要基础。     

Activity modulation of microbial enzymes by llama (Lama glama) heavy-chain polyclonal antibodies during in vivo immune responses

Since they were first described in 1993, it was found that recombinant variable fragments (rVHHs) of heavy-chain antibodies (HCAbs) from Camelidae have unusual biophysical properties, as well as a special ability to interact with epitopes that are cryptic for conventional Abs. It has been assumed that in vivo raised polyclonal HCAbs (pHCAbs) should behave in a similar manner than rVHHs; however, this assumption has not been tested sufficiently. Furthermore, our own preliminary work on a single serum sample from a llama immunized with a β-lactamase, has suggested that pHCAbs have no special ability to down-modulate catalytic activity. In this work, we further explored the interaction of pHCAbs from four llamas raised against two microbial enzymes and analyzed it within a short and a long immunization plan. The relative contribution of pHCAbs to serum titer was found to be low compared with that of the most abundant conventional subisotype (IgG(1)), during the whole immunization schedule. Furthermore, pHCAbs not only failed to inhibit the enzymes, but also activated one of them. Altogether, these results suggest that raising high titer inhibitory HCAbs is not a straightforward strategy - neither as a biotechnological strategy nor in the biological context of an immune response against infection - as raising inhibitory rVHHs.     

Rapid purification of nucleosome assembly protein (AP-I) and production of monoclonal antibodies against it

A nucleosome assembly protein (AP-I) was purified approximately 50% from the cytosol of HeLa S3 cells by three purification steps. Using this protein fraction as an antigen, we established three stable hybridomas that secrete monoclonal antibodies specific for AP-I by the conventional method of cell fusion. Immunoblotting of the HeLa S3 cytosol, proved AP-I exists as a 58-kDa peptide in vivo, not as the 53-kDa peptide previously identified as active in nucleosome assembly (Ishimi, Y., et al., Eur. J. Biochem., 142, 431-439, 1984). An immunocytochemical study using the monoclonal antibody with the highest specificity against AP-I pin pointed the intranuclear localization of AP-I in HeLa S3 cells.     

Identification, isolation and purification of neurotoxic phospholipases A2 from Vipera russelli venom using polyclonal antibodies.

All the neurotoxic phospholipases A2 present in whole Vipera russelli venom were precipitated selectively from other non-neurotoxic phospholipases A2 and non-phospholipases A2 fractions using antibodies (anti PL-V Ig) raised against one of the purified neurotoxic phospholipases A2 (VRV PL-V). These neurotoxins were identified and isolated in their homogeneous form by chromatographic and electrophoretic methods. The present report of selective isolation and purification of all the neurotoxic phospholipases A2 of V. russelli venom is first of its kind.