High level expression in Escherichia coli of a fungal gene under the control of strong promoters

A recent report (Patino et al., (1989) FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 58, 139-144) described the low level expression, in Escherichia coli, of the Isopenicillin N Synthase (IPNS) gene from Cephalosporium acremonium under the control of strong promoters. We report here our work on the expression of the IPNS gene. Plasmids containing the IPNS gene under the control of the trp or trc promoters directed synthesis of high levels of active IPNS in E. coli. Constitutive and inductive high level IPNS expression systems have been developed. Importantly, the expression vectors do not encode beta-lactamase so IPNS activity can be determined directly by biological assays. Analysis by nmr verified that the IPNS produced from these expression systems catalysed the conversion of delta-(L-alpha-aminoadipoyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-valine (LLD-ACV) to isopenicillin N in high yield.     

High-level expression of the Streptomyces clavuligerus isopenicillin N synthase gene in Escherichia coli.

The pcbC gene, which encodes isopenicillin N synthase (IPNS), was subcloned from Streptomyces clavuligerus into Escherichia coli by using the pT7 series of plasmid vectors. The polymerase chain reaction was used to introduce an NdeI site at the translation initiation codon of pcbC, allowing the gene to be inserted behind an E. coli type of ribosome binding site. This construction directed high-level expression of IPNS, but the IPNS was in an inactive form in inclusion bodies. Active IPNS was recovered by solubilizing and renaturing the protein.     

High-level expression of the Streptomyces clavuligerus isopenicillin N synthase gene in Escherichia coli.

The pcbC gene, which encodes isopenicillin N synthase (IPNS), was subcloned from Streptomyces clavuligerus into Escherichia coli by using the pT7 series of plasmid vectors. The polymerase chain reaction was used to introduce an NdeI site at the translation initiation codon of pcbC, allowing the gene to be inserted behind an E. coli type of ribosome binding site. This construction directed high-level expression of IPNS, but the IPNS was in an inactive form in inclusion bodies. Active IPNS was recovered by solubilizing and renaturing the protein.     

PCR cloning, heterologous expression, and characterization of isopenicillin N synthase from Streptomyces lipmanii NRRL 3584

A key step which involves the cyclization of delta-(L-alpha-aminoadipyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-valine to the bicyclic ring structure of isopenicillin N in the penicillin and cephalosporin biosynthetic pathway, is catalyzed by isopenicillin N synthase (IPNS). In this study, an IPNS gene from Streptomyces lipmanii NRRL 3584 (slIPNS) was cloned via PCR-based homology cloning, sequenced and expressed in Escherichia coli. Soluble slIPNS was overexpressed up to 21% of total soluble protein, and verified to be functionally active when in an IPNS enzymatic assay. Sequence comparison of the slIPNS gene obtained (excluding the consensus primer sequences) with another cloned IPNS from S. lipmanii 16884.3, revealed one three-nucleotide deletion and three closely-spaced single nucleotide deletions. Furthermore, this paper also reports the first instance of the usage of PCR as an alternative and rapid strategy for IPNS cloning using consensus primers.     

The upstream region of the IPNS gene determines expression during secondary metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans

We have constructed a translational fusion between the isopenicillin-N-synthetase-encoding gene (IPNS) of Aspergillus nidulans and the lacZ gene of Escherichia coli. Recombinant strains carrying a single copy of the fusion integrated at the IPNS locus produced beta-galactosidase (beta Gal) during secondary metabolism. Integration of the fusion at the argB locus results in a situation in which the only 5'-flanking sequences of the IPNS gene upstream from the chimeric fused gene are those included in the transforming plasmid. Such a strain still expresses beta Gal activity during secondary metabolism, showing that a DNA fragment including sequences of the IPNS gene from nt -2000 to +35 (relative to the translation start codon) still contains sufficient information to drive expression of the fusion gene during secondary metabolism.     

Cloning and nucleotide sequence determination of the isopenicillin N synthetase gene from Streptomyces clavuligerus

The isopenicillin N synthetase (IPNS) gene from Streptomyces clavuligerus was isolated from an Escherichia coli plasmid library of S. clavuligerus genomic DNA fragments using a 44-mer mixed oligodeoxynucleotide probe. The nucleotide sequence of a 3-kb region of the cloned fragment from the plasmid, pBL1, was determined and analysis of the sequence showed an open reading frame that could encode a protein of 329 amino acids with an Mr of 36,917. When the S. clavuligerus DNA from pBL1 was introduced into an IPNS-deficient mutant of S. clavuligerus on the Streptomyces vector pIJ941, the recombinant plasmid was able to complement the mutation and restore IPNS activity. The protein coding region of the S. clavuligerus IPNS gene shows about 63% and 62% similarity to the Cephalosporium acremonium and Penicillium chrysogenum IPNS nucleotide sequences, respectively, and the predicted amino acid sequence of the encoded protein showed about 56% similarity to both fungal sequences.     

A new oxygen-regulated promoter for the expression of proteins in Escherichia coli

Several properties of a new oxygen-regulated promoter, OXYPRO, were tested in small-scale Escherichia coli cultures. Using OXYPRO, maximal activity of a reporter gene encoding chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) occurred in cultures that were tightly capped immediately after inoculation. This is probably a result of the reduced oxygen concentration attained in capped cultures, a condition known to be required for OXYPRO induction. CAT levels were significantly higher when the cells were grown in a glycerol-based medium. Similar levels of CAT expression were obtained when OXYPRO was compared to the trp-lac (tac) promoter. In addition, regulated expression of CAT occurred in a wild type strain of E. coli, suggesting that OXYPRO will be useful in most E. coli strains. Thus, OXYPRO provides a simple, inexpensive, and unobtrusive method to achieve high levels of cloned protein expression in most strains of E. coli. OXYPRO is available in a high copy plasmid with a convenient multiple cloning site for the insertion of genes for direct expression in E. coli.     

Cloning and molecular characterization of a novel lectin gene from Pinellia ternata

The full-length cDNA of Pinellia ternata agglutinin (PTA) was cloned from inflorescences using RACE-PCR. Through comparative analysis of PTA gene (pta) and its deduced amino acid sequence with those of other Araceae species, pta was found to encode a precursor lectin with signal peptide and to have extensive homology with those of other Araceae species. PTA was a heterotetrameric mannose-binding lectin with three mannose-binding boxes like lectins from other Araceae and Amaryllidaceae species. Southern blot analysis of the genomic DNA revealed that pta belonged to a low-copy gene family. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that pta constitutively expressed in various plant tissues including root, leaf, stem and inflorescence. The pta cDNA sequence encoding for mature PTA protein was cloned into pET-32a plasmid and the resulting plasmid, pET-32a-PTA containing Trx-PTA fusion protein, was investigated for the expression in E. coli BL21. SDS-PAGE gel analysis showed that the Trx-PTA fusion protein was successfully expressed in E. coli BL21 when induced by IPTG. Artificial diet assay revealed that PTA fusion protein had significant levels of resistance against peach potato aphids when incorporated into artificial diet at 0.1% (w/v). The cloning of the pta gene will enable us to further test its effect in depth on aphids by transferring the gene into crop plants.     

High level expression in Escherichia coli of isopenicillin N synthase genes from Flavobacterium and Streptomyces, and recovery of active enzyme from inclusion bodies

A T7 promoter-based vector was used to express the isopenicillin N synthase (IPNS) genes of Flavobacterium sp. 12,154 and Streptomyces jumonjinensis in Escherichia coli. Most of the IPNS synthesized at 37 degrees C, and representing some 22% and 51% of the total cell protein respectively, occurred in an insoluble, enzymatically inactive form. Active IPNS was recovered in a rapid and simple two-step procedure in which the insoluble material was first denatured in 5 M urea and then refolded by passing the solubilized IPNS through a G-25 Sephadex sizing column. Further chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose resulted in highly active IPNS preparations. This procedure was found to be well suited for scaling up to produce large amounts of IPNS.     

Improvement of human interferon HUIFNalpha2 and HCV core protein expression levels in Escherichia coli but not of HUIFNalpha8 by using the tRNA(AGA/AGG)

High-level expression from one particular heterologous gene in Escherichia coli generally requires the optimization of codon usage. Genes encoding for Hepatitis C virus core protein (HCcAg), human interferon alpha2 and 8 subtypes (HUIFNalpha2 and HUIFNalpha8) show a high content of AGA/AGG codons. These are encoded by the product of the dnaY gene in E. coli. The proteins used in this work have a high therapeutic value and were used as models for studying the effects of these rare codons on the efficiency of heterologous gene expression in E. coli. Expression plasmids were constructed to express any of these proteins and the dnaY gene product simultaneously in E. coli. After dnaY gene expression, HCcAg, and HUIFNalpha2 expression levels increased 5 and 3 times, respectively. However, HUIFNalpha8 expression was barely detected either supplying or not the additional dnaY gene product. These results suggest that the high frequency of AGA/AGG codons present in the HCcAg and HUIFNalpha2 genes could be one of the factors limiting its expression in E. coli. Nevertheless, for HUIFNalpha8 it seems that other factors prevail upon the lack of dnaY product. Data presented here for HCcAg and HUIFNalpha2 expressions proved the value of this approach to obtain therapeutic proteins in E. coli.     

Effects of second-codon mutations on expression of the insulin-like growth factor-II-encoding gene in Escherichia coli

Expression plasmids encoding random sequence mutant proteins of insulin-like growth factor II (IGFII) were constructed by cassette mutagenesis, to improve the efficiency of IGFII synthesis in Escherichia coli. A pool of oligodeoxyribonucleotide linkers containing random trinucleotide sequences were used to introduce second-codon substitutions into the gene encoding Met-Xaa-Trp-IGFII in expression vectors. E. coli RV308 cells transformed with these vectors synthesized IGFII at levels varying from 0-22% of total cell protein. This variable synthesis is a function of the random second-codon sequence and its corresponding amino acid, Xaa. Our data showed that mRNA stability, protein stability and translational efficiency all contributed to variable expression levels of Met-Xaa-Trp-IGFII in E. coli. Furthermore, an efficiently synthesized IGFII mutant protein, Met-His-Trp-IGFII, was converted to natural sequence IGFII by a simple oxidative cleavage reaction.     

Inducible expression of a toxic poliovirus membrane protein in Escherichia coli: comparative studies using different expression systems based on T7 promoters.

The poliovirus 3AB gene has been cloned and overproduced in T7 expression vectors using different approaches to allow reduction of basal levels of expression. Expression of the poliovirus 3AB gene is highly toxic for E. coli cells, due to drastic changes induced in membrane permeability of the bacteria that lead to cell lysis when the T7 lysozyme is present. The best production of 3AB was achieved with the T7/lac system in cells lacking T7 lysozyme, where this toxic protein was synthesized to high levels and during several hours in the absence of cell lysis. These results show the efficient synthesis of a highly damaging membrane protein and open the possibility to apply heterologous gene expression in E. coli to other lytic proteins.     

Intranasal administration of an Escherichia coli-expressed codon-optimized rotavirus VP6 protein induces protection in mice

We are developing rotavirus vaccines based on the VP6 protein of the human G1P[8] [corrected] [J. Virol. 73 (1999) 7574] CJN strain of rotavirus. One prototype candidate consisting of MBP::VP6::His6, a chimeric protein of maltose-binding protein, VP6 and hexahistidine, was expressed mainly as truncated polypeptides in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells. A possible reason for this extensive truncation is the high frequencies of rare bacterial codons within the rotavirus VP6 gene. Expression of truncated recombinant VP6 was found to be reduced, and expression of complete VP6 protein was simultaneously increased, when the protein was expressed in Rosetta(DE3)pLacI E. coli cells that contain increased amounts of transfer RNAs for a selection of rare codons. The same observation was made when a synthetic codon-optimized CJN-VP6 gene was expressed in E. coli BL21 or Rosetta cells. To increase protein recovery, recombinant E. coli cells were treated with 8M urea. Denatured, full-length MBP::VP6::His6 protein was then purified and used for intranasal vaccination of BALB/c mice (2 doses administered with E. coli heat-labile toxin LT(R192G) as adjuvant). Following oral challenge with the G3P[16] [corrected] [J. Virol. 76 (2002) 560] EDIM strain of murine rotavirus, protection levels against fecal rotavirus shedding were comparable (P>0.05) between groups of mice immunized with denatured codon-optimized or native (not codon-optimized) immunogen with values ranging from 87 to 99%. These protection levels were also comparable to those found after immunization with non-denatured CJN VP6. Thus, expression of complete rotavirus VP6 protein was greatly enhanced by codon optimization, and the protection elicited was not affected by denaturation of recombinant VP6.     

Expression of nitrogen fixation genes in foreign hosts. Assembly of nitrogenase Fe protein in Escherichia coli and in yeast

In Klebsiella pneumoniae, the nifH gene encodes the Fe protein (Kp2) polypeptide that is assembled into a homodimer responsible for the reduction of nitrogenase. Escherichia coli or the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, transformed with the K. pneumoniae nifH gene in suitable expression vectors, synthesize the Fe protein polypeptide. This study examines the assembly of the nifH gene product into its characteristic dimeric structure in E. coli and in yeast. Immunoblotting methods, as well as 55Fe2- labeling of K. pneumoniae were employed to detect native nitrogenase components in cell lysates. E. coli and yeast transformants contained a protein similar to native Kp2 in its immunoreactivity, apparent molecular weight, and lability in the presence of oxygen or MgATP. While in E. coli the co-introduction of nifH and nifM resulted in enhanced levels of the nifH product, it appears that the nifH gene product alone is sufficient for the assembly of an Fe protein-like structure in foreign prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts.     

Expression and secretion of outer surface protein (OSP-A) of Borrelia burgdorferi from Escherichia coli

Abstract Outer surface protein A (OspA) is encoded by the ospA gene from Borrelia burgdorferi . This protein induces immunity against infection in mice. The cloning and expression of OspA in Escherichia coli have been previously described, but the secretion of OspA into culture media in E. coli has not yet been reported. In this report we demonstrate that a chimeric OspA protein was secreted into culture media by E. coli when it also harbors the hemolysin secretion genes hlyBD . The OspA fusion protein was also overexpressed from a T7 promoter and purified by immobilized metal ion chromatography. This was possible because the fusion protein contains ix histidyl residues in its N-terminus.