人乳头瘤病毒18型L1蛋白的包涵体和可溶性表达及纯化

目的:原核表达系统表达人乳头瘤病毒18型(HPV18)L1蛋白,建立包涵体和可溶性表达的L1蛋白的纯化方法。方法:构建重组表达质粒p GEX-4T-1-HPV18 L1,在大肠杆菌BL21中以包涵体和可溶性方式表达HPV18 L1蛋白。通过超声波破碎菌体、洗涤包涵体、碱变性、透析复性和谷胱甘肽(GST)琼脂糖凝胶4B亲和层析纯化包涵体蛋白;在菌体中加入三磷酸腺苷(ATP)和3.5 mol/L尿素孵育后,GST 4B亲和层析纯化可溶性蛋白,凝血酶酶切。SDS-PAGE和Western印迹鉴定表达和纯化产物。结果:SDS-PAGE结果表明,HPV18 L1蛋白以包涵体和可溶性方式在大肠杆菌BL21内高效表达,均产生相对分子质量约为86 000的HPV18 L1-GST融合蛋白。Western印迹结果显示,包涵体纯化后获得的融合蛋白降解条带较多;而可溶性蛋白纯化后获得的融合蛋白未降解,凝血酶酶切后得到HPV18 L1蛋白,可与HPV18 L1蛋白单克隆抗体结合。结论:采用原核系统表达了HPV18 L1-GST融合蛋白,分别建立了包涵体和可溶性蛋白的纯化方法,获得HPV18 L1蛋白,为其进一步应用奠定了基础。     

Efficient expression of truncated recombinant cadmium-metallothionein gene of a ciliate, Tetrahymena tropicalis lahorensis in Escherichia coli

Truncated recombinant metallothionein GST–fusion protein has been successfully expressed in Escherichia coli. The previously identified novel Cd-inducible metallothionein (TMCd1) gene from the locally isolated ciliate, Tetrahymena tropicalis lahorensis, was inserted into a pET-41a vector, in frame with a sequence encoding an N-terminal glutathione-S-transferase (GST) tail. Truncated recombinant GST fusion protein has been purified by affinity column chromatography using glutathione sepharose. After enzymatic cleavage of GST tail with enterokinase, the truncated TMCd1 MT shows molecular weight of 11.5 kDa, corresponding to the expected value. This is the first successful report of expression of cadmium metallothionein gene of a ciliate, T. t. lahorensis, reported from this part of the world, in E. coli. This study will further help in characterization of metallothionein protein of this ciliate.     

Cloning, Large Scale Over-Expression in E. coli and Purification of the Components of the Human LAT 1 (SLC7A5) Amino Acid Transporter

The high yield expression of the human LAT1 transporter has been obtained for the first time using E. coli. The hLAT1 cDNA was amplified from HEK293 cells and cloned in pH6EX3 vector. The construct pH6EX3-6His-hLAT1 was used to express the 6His-hLAT1 protein in the Rosetta(DE3)pLysS strain of E. coli. The highest level of expression was detected 8 h after induction by IPTG at 28 °C. The expressed protein was collected in the insoluble fraction of cell lysate. On SDS-PAGE the apparent molecular mass of the polypeptide was 40 kDa. After solubilization with sarkosyl and denaturation with urea the protein carrying a 6His N-terminal tag was purified by Ni²⁺-chelating affinity chromatography and identified by anti-His antibody. The yield of the over-expressed protein after purification was 3.5 mg/L (cell culture). The human CD98 cDNA amplified from Imagene plasmid was cloned in pGEX-4T1. The construct pGEX-4T1-hCD98 was used to express the GST-hCD98 protein in the Rosetta(DE3)pLysS strain of E. coli. The highest level of expression was detected in this case 4 h after induction by IPTG at 28 °C. The expressed protein was accumulated in the soluble fraction of cell lysate. The molecular mass was determined on the basis of marker proteins on SDS-PAGE; it was about 110 kDa. GST was cleaved from the protein construct by incubation with thrombin for 12 h and the hCD98 was separated by Sephadex G-200 chromatography (size exclusion). hCD98 showed a 62 kDa apparent molecular mass, as determined on the basis of molecular mass markers using SDS-PAGE. The yield of CD98 was 2 mg/L of cell culture.     

A strategy for fusion expression and preparation of functional glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue by introducing an enterokinase cleavage site

KGLP-1, a 31-amino acid glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue, has a great therapeutic potential for anti-diabetes. In this work, a strategy for expression and purification of functional KGLP-1 peptide has been established. KGLP-1 cDNA was fused with glutathione S-transferase (GST), with an enterokinase cleavage site in the fusion junction. The recombinant fusion protein GST–KGLP-1 was affinity purified via the GST-tag, and then digested with enterokinase. The resulting GST part as well as the enzymes were eliminated by ultra-filtration followed by size exclusion chromatograph. The yield of purified KGLP-1 was approximately 12.1 mg/L, with purity of 96.18 %. The recombinant KGLP-1 was shown to have similar bioactivity as native GLP-1 when evaluated in a Chinese hamster ovary cell line expressing a GLP-1 receptor-egfp reporter gene.     

Molecular cloning and expression of ranalexin, a bioactive antimicrobial peptide from Rana catesbeiana in Escherichia coli and assessments of its biological activities

The coding sequence, which corresponds to the mature antimicrobial peptide ranalexin from the frog Rana catesbeiana, was chemically synthesized with preferred codons for expression in Escherichia coli. It was cloned into the vector pET32c (+) to express a thioredoxin-ranalexin fusion protein which was produced in soluble form in E. coli BL21 (DE3) induced under optimized conditions. After two purification steps through affinity chromatography, about 1 mg of the recombinant ranalexin was obtained from 1 L of culture. Mass spectrometrical analysis of the purified recombinant ranalexin demonstrated its identity with ranalexin. The purified recombinant ranalexin is biologically active. It showed antibacterial activities similar to those of the native peptide against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, E. coli, and multidrug-resistant strains of S. aureus with minimum inhibitory concentration values between 8 and 128 μg/ml. The recombinant ranalexin is also cytotoxic in HeLa and COS7 human cancer cells (IC₅₀?=?13–15 μg/ml).     

GST/ AEP 融合蛋白原核表达载体的构建、表达及鉴定

目的：为进一步研究抗癫痫肽（And—epilepsy peptide,AEP）的抗痫机制及筛选其相关作用蛋白,进行GST／AEP融合蛋白原核表达载体的构建及融合蛋白的表达。方法：通过PCR基因扩增对AEP基因进行扩增,并将其克隆于谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶（GST）融合蛋白表达质粒pGEX-4T-1中,经酶切、序列鉴定分析后,用该重组质粒转化大肠杆菌B121（DE3）,经IPTG诱导获得表达,并采用Western Blot进行检测。结果：成功构建了AEP原核表达载体,并在大肠杆菌B121中获得表达。结论：成功构建了GST／AEP原核表达载体,并表达了GST／AEP融合蛋白。     

靶向抗肿瘤蛋白iRGD-CDD的原核表达及生物活性鉴定

目的: 原核表达并纯化具有特异性成纤维细胞激活蛋白(FAPα)酶切位点的靶向抗肿瘤GP-CDD-iRGD融合蛋白,利用FAPα的酶切功能切除融合标签,检测其对FAPα阳性肿瘤细胞株的毒性。方法: 设计并合成GP-CDD-iRGD基因,插入pGEX-4T3 载体,构建重组表达质粒,转化至BL21大肠杆菌感受态细胞中,IPTG诱导表达,SDS-PAGE分析重组融合蛋白的表达,Western blot检测融合蛋白的表达,经GST亲和柱纯化融合蛋白后,通过体外细胞毒性试验(MTT法)和细胞凋亡实验评价该融合蛋白的靶向抗肿瘤活性。结果: 成功构建重组原核表达质粒pGEX-GP-CDD-iRGD,可溶性表达相对分子量约为36 kDa的融合蛋白GST-GP-CDD-iRGD,纯化后蛋白纯度约为90%,经MTT实验测定其对FAPα阳性4T1细胞株的ED50约为18.5μmol/L,流式细胞术检测到其对FAPα阳性4T1细胞株具有选择性毒性作用,早期凋亡比例达到约28%。结论: 原核表达的重组融合蛋白GP-CDD-iRGD对FAPα阴性4T1细胞株未显示毒性,而对FAPα阳性4T1细胞株具有显著的促凋亡作用,为进一步研究其在体内的靶向抗肿瘤活性提供了依据。     

δ-睡眠肽与GFP融合蛋白的表达和纯化

构建δ-睡眠肽(DSIP)蛋白与GFP的融合基因表达载体,高效表达和纯化GFP-DSIP融合蛋白。通过SOE-PCR拼接DSIP全长编码基因,并使得DSIP上游具有肠激酶识别位点,经双酶切定向克隆至表达载体pET-28a,构建重组载体pET-28a-DSIP,通过PCR扩增GFP全长编码基因,经双酶切定向克隆至pET-28a-DSIP,构建原核重组表达载体pET-28a-GFP-DSIP,通过双酶切和测序鉴定后,导入E.coli BL21宿主菌中,IPTG诱导表达融合蛋白,采用镍亲和层析和分子筛凝胶层析获得高纯度蛋白,SDS-PAGE分析鉴定。经测序鉴定成功构建了原核重组表达载体pET-28a-GFP-DSIP,在IPTG诱导下获得可溶性的绿色荧光蛋白与睡眠肽的融合蛋白,经Ni-NTA亲和层析纯化成功获得高纯度的融合蛋白。成功构建了DSIP与GFP融合基因的重组表达载体,确定了GFP-DSIP融合蛋白诱导表达的最佳条件,获得了较高纯度的融合蛋白,为进一步研究DSIP蛋白的生物学功能奠定了基础。     

Heterologous expression and secretion of an antifungal Bacillus subtilis chitosanase (CSNV26) in Escherichia coli

The aims of the study were the production improvement, the purification, the characterization and the activity investigation of chitosanase CSNV26 of Bacillus subtilis (V26). The gene csnV26 encoding for this protein was amplified and cloned in the pBAD vector then expressed in Escherichia coli (Top10). The SDS-PAGE and zymogram analysis of the recombinant protein showed that it has two active forms sized 27 and 31 kDa, corresponding to the protein with and without signal peptide. This protein has the particularity of being secreted by Top10-pBAD-csnV26 with a high yield of 6.2 g/l. The HPLC purification of CSNV26 from supernatant confirmed the presence of the two sizes. The investigation of the CSNV26 thermostability showed that the pure protein is highly stable keeping 68 % of its activity after 30-min treatment at 100 °C, contrarily to the protein present within the supernatant of E. coli and B. subtilis (V26). The molecular dynamics study of the predicted structure of protein in both forms showed that the presence of the peptide signal in the form of 31 kDa gave it a remarkable thermal stability. The antifungal activity of CSNV26 was evidenced on Rhizopus nigricans and Rhizopus oryzae. Indeed, it has provoked an alteration and embrittlement of their hyphae with onset of protoplast.     

Recombinant Scorpine Produced Using SUMO Fusion Partner in Escherichia coli Has the Activities against Clinically Isolated Bacteria and Inhibits the Plasmodium falciparum Parasitemia In Vitro

Scorpine, a small cationic peptide from the venom of Pandinus imperator, which has been shown to have anti-bacterial and anti-plasmodial activities, has potential important applications in the pharmaceutical industries. However, the isolation of scorpine from natural sources is inefficient and time-consuming. Here, we first report the expression and purification of recombinant scorpine in Escherichia coli, using small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) fusion partner. The fusion protein was expressed in soluble form in E. coli, and expression was verified by SDS-PAGE and western blotting analysis. The fusion protein was purified to 90% purity by nickel–nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni²⁺–NTA) resin chromatography. After the SUMO-scorpine fusion protein was cleaved by the SUMO protease, the cleaved sample was reapplied to a Ni²⁺–NTA column. Tricine/SDS-PAGE gel results indicated that Scorpine had been purified successfully to more than 95% purity. The recombinantly expressed Scorpine showed anti-bacterial activity against two standard bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 and Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 19606, and clinically isolated bacteria including S. aureus S, S. aureus R, A. baumannii S, and A. baumannii R. It also produced 100% reduction in Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia in vitro. Thus, the expression strategy presented in this study allowed convenient high yield and easy purification of recombinant Scorpine for pharmaceutical applications in the future.     

猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒ORF5基因在昆虫细胞中的高效融合表达

对杆状病毒BactoBac表达系统的转座质粒pFastbac1进行改造,即在其多角体蛋白启动子下游插入谷胱苷肽S转移酶（glutathioneStransferase, GST）基因,构建GST融合表达转座质粒pFGST。通过转座和转染Sf9细胞,证实该系统能高水平表达GST。采用PCR方法从pMTgp51质粒中扩增截去N端信号肽序列的猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒（PRRSV）YA株ORF5基因,并将截短的ORF5基因片段克隆到pFGST中,使之与GST融合,构建的重组转座质粒pFGST53转染DH10Bac,提取大分子Bacmid DNA,转染Sf9细胞,获得能表达融合蛋白的高滴度重组病毒rvGST53。rvGST53感染Sf9细胞,SDSPAGE和Western印迹分析表明：与GST融合的ORF5基因在Sf9细胞中获得高效表达,表达产物分子量为45kD,能与抗PRRSV E蛋白单克隆抗体发生特异性反应。将表达产物免疫小白鼠,经间接免疫荧光检测,免疫血清能使PRRSV YA株感染的MARC145细胞呈较强的荧光着色,证实表达的融合蛋白具有良好的免疫原性。     

High level expression,purification and immunogenicity analysis of a protective recombinant protein against botulinum neurotoxin type E

Botulinum neurotoxin type E heavy chain consists of two domains: N-terminal half as a translocation domain and C-terminal half (Hcc) as a binding domain. In this research a synthetic gene fragment encoding the binding domain of botulinum neurotoxin type E (BoNT/E-Hcc) was highly expressed in Escherichia coli by pGEX4T-1 vector. After purification, the recombinant BoNT/E-Hcc was evaluated by SDS-PAGE and western blot (immunoblot) analysis. Average yields obtained in this research were 3.7 mg recombinant BoNT/E-Hcc per liter of bacterial culture. The recombinant protein was injected in mice for study of its protection ability against botulinum neurotoxin type E challenges. The challenge studies showed that, vaccinated mice were fully protected against 10⁴ × minimum lethal dose of botulinum neurotoxin type E.     

A cost-effective ELP-intein coupling system for recombinant protein purification from plant production platform

Background

Plant bioreactor offers an efficient and economical system for large-scale production of recombinant proteins. However, high cost and difficulty in scaling-up of downstream purification of the target protein, particularly the common involvement of affinity chromatography and protease in the purification process, has hampered its industrial scale application, therefore a cost-effective and easily scale-up purification method is highly desirable for further development of plant bioreactor.

Methodology/Principal Findings

To tackle this problem, we investigated the ELP-intein coupling system for purification of recombinant proteins expressed in transgenic plants using a plant lectin (PAL) with anti-tumor bioactivity as example target protein and rice seeds as production platform. Results showed that ELP-intein-PAL (EiP) fusion protein formed novel irregular ER-derived protein bodies in endosperm cells by retention of endogenous prolamins. The fusion protein was partially self-cleaved in vivo, but only self-cleaved PAL protein was detected in total seed protein sample and deposited in protein storage vacuoles (PSV). The in vivo uncleaved EiP protein was accumulated up to 2–4.2% of the total seed protein. The target PAL protein could be purified by the ELP-intein system efficiently without using complicated instruments and expensive chemicals, and the yield of pure PAL protein by the current method was up to 1.1 mg/g total seed protein.

Conclusion/Significance

This study successfully demonstrated the purification of an example recombinant protein from rice seeds by the ELP-intein system. The whole purification procedure can be easily scaled up for industrial production, providing the first evidence on applying the ELP-intein coupling system to achieve cost-effective purification of recombinant proteins expressed in plant bioreactors and its possible application in industry.     

犬细小病毒VP2基因在大肠杆菌中的高效可溶性表达

目的:犬细小病毒VP2基因在大肠杆菌中高效可溶性表达,进而为其特异单克隆抗体的制备奠定基础。方法:以犬细小病毒VP2基因重组质粒为模板,通过蛋白质分析软件PROSPECT分析,根据VP2基因所编码的氨基酸的亲水性和抗原性,把VP2基因分成不同区段,设计相应引物并扩增出相应片段。按常规方法克隆入pGEX-4T-2载体谷光甘肽-S-转移酶(GST)基因的下游,获得的重组质粒转化大肠杆菌BL21,用IPTG诱导目的基因片段的表达,经超声处理后SDS-PAGE电泳。所得可溶性蛋白再经间接ELISA、western Blotting鉴定。结果:K2和K4片段获得了良好的可溶性表达,其表达的GST融合蛋白的分子质量分别为38.3 KD和41 KD,ELISA、Western Blotting结果表明所表达的融合蛋白具有与CPV阳性抗体特异结合的良好抗原性。结论:犬细小病毒VP2基因在大肠杆菌中的获得了高效可溶性表达。     

The novel Fh8 and H fusion partners for soluble protein expression in Escherichia coli: a comparison with the traditional gene fusion technology

The Escherichia coli host system is an advantageous choice for simple and inexpensive recombinant protein production but it still presents bottlenecks at expressing soluble proteins from other organisms. Several efforts have been taken to overcome E. coli limitations, including the use of fusion partners that improve protein expression and solubility. New fusion technologies are emerging to complement the traditional solutions. This work evaluates two novel fusion partners, the Fh8 tag (8 kDa) and the H tag (1 kDa), as solubility enhancing tags in E. coli and their comparison to commonly used fusion partners. A broad range comparison was conducted in a small-scale screening and subsequently scaled-up. Six difficult-to-express target proteins (RVS167, SPO14, YPK1, YPK2, Frutalin and CP12) were fused to eight fusion tags (His, Trx, GST, MBP, NusA, SUMO, H and Fh8). The resulting protein expression and solubility levels were evaluated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis before and after protein purification and after tag removal. The Fh8 partner improved protein expression and solubility as the well-known Trx, NusA or MBP fusion partners. The H partner did not function as a solubility tag. Cleaved proteins from Fh8 fusions were soluble and obtained in similar or higher amounts than proteins from the cleavage of other partners as Trx, NusA or MBP. The Fh8 fusion tag therefore acts as an effective solubility enhancer, and its low molecular weight potentially gives it an advantage over larger solubility tags by offering a more reliable assessment of the target protein solubility when expressed as a fusion protein.     

Cloning,Expression, and Characterization of Siamese Crocodile (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crocodylus siamensis</Emphasis>) Hemoglobin from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pichia pastoris</Emphasis>

Recombinant Crocodylus siamensis hemoglobin (cHb) has been constructed and expressed using Escherichia coli as the expression system in conjunction with a trigger factor from the Cold-shock system as the fusion protein. While successful processing as soluble protein in E. coli was achieved, the net yields of active protein from downstream purification processes remained still unsatisfactory. In this study, cHb was constructed and expressed in the eukaryotic expression system Pichia pastoris. The results showed that cHb was excreted from P. pastoris as a soluble protein after 72 h at 25 °C. The amino acid sequence of recombinant cHb was confirmed using LC–MS/MS. Indeed, the characteristic of Hb was investigated by external heme incorporation. The UV–Vis profile showed a specific pattern of the absorption at 415 nm, indicating the recombinant cHb was formed complex with heme, resulting in active oxyhemoglobin (OxyHb). This result suggests that the heme molecules were fully combined with heme binding site of the recombinant cHb, thus producing characteristic red color for the OxyHb at 540 and 580 nm. The results revealed that the recombinant cHb was prosperously produced in P. pastoris and exhibited a property as protein–ligand binding. Thus, our work described herein offers a great potential to be applied for further studies of heme-containing protein expression. It represents further pleasing option for protein production and purification on a large scale, which is important for determination and characterization of the authenticity features of cHb proteins.     

High expression of a neutral endo-β-glucanase gene from Humicola insolens in Trichoderma reesei

The neutral endo-β-glucanase gene cel5A from Humicola insolens was cloned and connected with the cellobiohydrolase 1 promoter from Trichoderma reesei to construct a recombinant plasmid pCB-hEG with the hygromycin B resistance marker. The plasmid was introduced into conidia of T. reesei using the Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation method. Eight transformants were obtained on screening plates with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as the sole carbon source. Stable integration of the cel5A gene into the chromosomal DNA of T. reesei was confirmed by PCR. An obvious protein band (approximately 52 kDa) was detected by SDS-PAGE from fermentation broth, which showed that the cel5A gene in recombinant T. reesei successfully fulfilled efficient expression and extracellular secretion. After 96 h shaking-flask fermentation, the endo-β-glucanase activity at pH 6.5 from recombinant T. reesei reached 3,068 U/ml, which was 11 times higher than that of the host strain. In a 2 m³ fermenter, the endo-β-glucanase activity could be further increased to 8,012 U/ml after 96 h fermentation. The results showed a good prospect for application of neutral endo-β-glucanase in the textile industry.     

小鼠β-防御素30的原核表达和纯化

目的:在原核细胞中表达小鼠β-防御素30(DEFB30),并对表达产物进行鉴定和纯化。方法:用RT-PCR方法扩增小鼠Defb30的cDNA序列,将2个拷贝的cDNA序列串联连入原核表达载体pET28(a),构建重组表达载体pET28(a)-Defb30,并将重组表达载体转化至大肠杆菌Rosetta(DE3),IPTG诱导表达,以Western印迹分析表达产物His-DEFB30,用Ni-NTA亲和柱纯化融合蛋白。结果:构建了Defb30基因的原核表达载体,经IPTG诱导,相对分子质量约15×103的融合蛋白获得表达,Western印迹分析证实此蛋白即为目的蛋白,经Ni-NTA柱亲和纯化,获得了高纯度的融合蛋白His-DEFB30。结论:获得了在大肠杆菌中表达的DEFB30,为研究该蛋白的免疫避孕效果、抗菌活性奠定了基础。     

Cloning, Expression, and Characterization of Iron Superoxide Dismutase in Sonneratia alba, a Highly Salt Tolerant Mangrove Tree

In this study, a novel iron superoxide dismutase (FeSOD) gene from Sonneratia alba was cloned and then expressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta-gami, designated as SaFeSOD. The DNA sequence of SaFeSOD contained a 786-bp open reading frame which encodes a 261 amino-acid protein of 30.0 kDa. The 651-bp fragment coding for putative mature SaFeSOD was amplified and inserted into pET15b for expression. This recombinant SaFeSOD was subsequently isolated by Ni-trap column protein purification system. The apparent molecular mass of the purified enzyme was 25 kDa on SDS-PAGE. In comparison with FeSODs from other plant species, all iron-binding sites (His 27, His 80, Asp 164 and His 168) of SaFeSOD were conserved. SaFeSOD was found to have good pH stability in the pH range of 3.5–9.5 at 25 °C after 1 h incubation and was relatively stable and showed 78 % activity when incubated in 50 °C for 1 h. Quantitative real-time PCR experiments demonstrated that SaFeSOD was expressed in leaf, stem, flower, fruit and root tissues with the highest expression in leaf tissues.     

Production of Tag-Free Recombinant Fusion Protein Encompassing Promiscuous T Cell Epitope of Tetanus Toxoid and Dog Zona Pellucida Glycoprotein-3 for Contraceptive Vaccine Development

Affinity tags can interfere in various physicochemical properties and immunogenicity of the recombinant proteins. In the present study, tag-free recombinant fusion protein encompassing promiscuous T cell epitope of tetanus toxoid [TT; amino acid (aa) residues 830-844] followed by dilysine linker and dog zona pellucida glycoprotein-3 (ZP3; aa residues 23-348) (TT–KK–ZP3) was expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein, expressed as inclusion bodies (IBs), was purified by isolation of IBs, processed to remove host cell proteins, followed by solubilization and refolding. A specific 39 kDa protein including ZP3 was identified by SDS-PAGE. CD spectra showed the presence of α-helices and β-sheets, and fluorescent spectroscopy revealed emission maxima of 265 A.U. at 339 nm for refolded protein and showed red shift in the presence of 6 M guanidine hydrochloride. Immunization of inbred FvB/J female mice with purified recombinant TT–KK–ZP3 (25 μg/animal) led to generation of high antibody titers against the recombinant protein. The antibodies reacted specifically with ZP matrix surrounding mouse oocytes. Immunized mice showed significant reduction in fertility as compared to the control group. The studies described herein provide a simple method to produce and purify tag-free recombinant protein for the development of a contraceptive vaccine.