Expression and secretion of goat alpha-lactalbumin as an active protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

An expression plasmid for goat alpha-lactalbumin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, pSKA100, was constructed into a shuttle vector, pYG100, by inserting cDNA which encodes goat pre-alpha-lactalbumin and two-thirds of the 3'-non-coding region. The goat alpha-lactalbumin was expressed under the yeast glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) promoter and terminator of pYG100 and secreted in the growth medium for yeast as a precise mature protein, possessing specific activity essentially the same as that of authentic goat alpha-lactalbumin in lactose synthesis.     

Construction of a plasmid for high-level expression of goat alpha-lactalbumin and its derivative in E. coli

The high-level expression system of goat alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-LA) in E. coli was established by fusing the alpha-LA cDNA to porcine adenylate kinase cDNA and expressing the fused gene under the control of tac promoter. For high-level expression, elimination of 3'-noncoding region of the alpha-LA cDNA was found to be necessary.     

Molecular cloning and sequencing of cDNA encoding goat pre alpha-lactalbumin

In poly(A)+RNA extracted from a lactating goat mammary gland, mRNA of about 750 nucleotides was shown to encode pre alpha-lactalbumin by using in vitro translation and immunoprecipitation. From the total poly(A)+RNA, the cDNA library was constructed using the Escherichia coli plasmid pUC18; it was screened with the oligodeoxyribonucleotide probe corresponding to the amino acid sequence of Trp60-Gln65 of goat alpha-lactalbumin. A plasmid containing almost full-length cDNA of goat pre alpha-lactalbumin, pGLA-1, was identified. The cDNA insert of pGLA-1 comprises 727 base pairs and contains the signal peptide and mature protein sequence.     

Equilibrium and kinetic studies on folding of the authentic and recombinant forms of human alpha-lactalbumin by circular dichroism spectroscopy

The equilibrium and kinetics of the unfolding and refolding of authentic and recombinant human alpha-lactalbumin, the latter of which had an extra methionine residue at the N-terminus, were studied by circular dichroism spectroscopy, and the results were compared with the results for bovine and goat alpha-lactalbumins obtained in our previous studies. As observed in the bovine and goat proteins, the presence of the extra methionine residue in the recombinant protein remarkably destabilized the native state, and the destabilization was entirely ascribed to an increase in the rate of unfolding. The thermodynamic stability of the native state against the unfolded state was lower, and the thermodynamic stability of the molten globule state against the unfolded state was higher for the human protein than for the other alpha-lactalbumins previously studied. Thus, the population of the molten globule intermediate was higher during the equilibrium unfolding of human alpha-lactalbumin by guanidine hydrochloride. Unlike the molten globule states of the bovine and goat proteins, the human alpha-lactalbumin molten globule showed remarkably more intense circular dichroism ellipticity than the native state in the far-ultraviolet region below 225 nm. During refolding from the unfolded state, human alpha-lactalbumin thus exhibited overshoot kinetics, in which the alpha-helical peptide ellipticity exceeded the native value when the molten globule folding intermediate was formed in the burst phase. The subsequent folding involved reorganization of nonnative secondary structures. It should be noted that the rate constant of the major refolding phase was approximately the same among the three types of alpha-lactalbumin and that the rate constant of unfolding was accelerated 18-600 times in the human protein, and these results interpreted the lower thermodynamic stability of this protein.     

cDNA cloning of a lectin-like gene preferentially expressed in freshwater from the macroalga Ulva limnetica (Ulvales, Chlorophyta)

The macroalgal species Ulva limnetica Ichihara et Shimada was investigated to understand the molecular mechanism of its tolerance or adaptation to freshwater. We detected a 19 kDa protein by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which accumulated in greater amounts in freshwater conditions compared with marine conditions. The band was excised and the partial amino acid sequence was determined by Edoman degradation. Based on the sequences, we isolated the corresponding cDNA by the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technique. The constructed, full-length cDNA was 1272 bp in length, consisting of 198 bp 5'-non-coding region, an open reading frame of 840 bp (279 amino acids), 233 bp 3'-non-coding region and poly (A) tail. The protein encoded by the cDNA showed 30% identity and 45% similarity to lectin isolated from Ulva pertusa Kjellman, and we named this gene ULL (encoding Ulva limnetica lectin-like protein). Northern blot analysis demonstrated that the expression level of the ULL in the freshwater-cultured sample was higher than in the seawater-cultured sample.     

High-level expression of human BSF-2/IL-6 cDNA in Escherichia coli using a new type of expression-preparation system

BSF-2 (B cell stimulatory factor-2/IL-6) is a member of the lymphokine family and responsible for B cell differentiation. Expression plasmids of human BSF-2 cDNA were constructed using a trp promotor/operator and a trpA terminator. In an extract of Escherichia coli HB101 holding "direct" expression plasmid pBSF-2D, activity of BSF-2 was detected, but overproduction was not observed. A "fused" expression system was therefore developed to prepare the recombinant protein. In this system, cDNA was expressed as a fused protein with human IL-2 N-terminal peptide. In the case of the fused BSF-2 expression plasmid, pBSF-2F, inclusion bodies were observed and overproduction of the protein occurred. As this fused protein had a Phe-Arg-Ala sequence at the junction of hIL-2 and BSF-2, it was possible to process mature BSF-2 from the fused BSF-2 by treatment with kallikrein and aminopeptidase P. From 1 liter of E. coli culture, 45 mg of mature BSF-2 was purified; it had a relative biological activity equal to that of natural BSF-2 purified from T cells.     

Complete nucleotide sequence of ovine alpha-lactalbumin mRNA

The nucleotide sequence of ovine alpha-lactalbumin mRNA has been determined by chemical sequencing of two cDNA recombinant plasmids and a primer extension product. Ovine alpha-lactalbumin mRNA contains 723 nucleotides (excluding the poly(A) tail), with a 5' non-coding region of 26 nucleotides, followed by the 426 nucleotides of the coding region which determines a sequence signal of 19 amino acid residues and the 123 amino acid residues of mature alpha-lactalbumin. The coding region is followed by a 3' untranslated sequence of 271 nucleotides. The derived amino acid sequence of ovine pre-alpha-lactalbumin differs from that of its bovine counterpart by 8 amino acid substitutions, all but one originating from single mutations. Comparison of sequences of guinea pig, rat and human alpha-lactalbumin mRNAs with their ovine and bovine counterparts has revealed that these molecules have rapidly evolved. The highest degree of conservation was observed in the region coding for the mature protein and corresponds essentially to sequences which interact with UDP-galactosyltransferase and Ca2+ ions.     

人β2-微球蛋白基因克隆及其在大肠杆菌中的高效表达

β2-微球蛋白(β2m)是主要组织相容性复合体(MHC)Ⅰ类分子的轻链部分,为制备MHCⅠ类分子四聚体的必要成分。根据已报道的序列设计特异引物,利用RT-PCR方法从人白细胞中克隆了β2m基因,并构建了成熟β2m的原核表达载体,在大肠杆菌中得到高效表达。表达的β2m大部分在包涵体中,经洗涤、变性和复性,并以强阴离子交换柱层析纯化,获得SDS-PAGE纯的人重组β2m,Western印迹法分析表明该蛋白具有与抗人天然β2m抗体反应的特性。此工作为制备MHCⅠ类分子四聚体奠定基础。     

Expression and purification of recombinant 3C proteinase of Coxsackievirus B3.

We have cloned various lengths of coxsackievirus B3 cDNA encompassing the region encoding the 3C proteinase, which is essential to the viral replication cycle. Such viral cDNAs were fused in frame to the 5'terminal portion of the lacZ' gene carried on the vector pUC118 to express mature 3C proteinase in Escherichia coli. In the E. coli cells containing pCXB108 or pCXB117, constructed for this study, a large amount of 23-kDa protein was synthesized in the presence of IPTG. This protein was purified and was shown to be intact 3C proteinase. These data suggest that 3C proteinase, expressed as a part of a fusion protein, was active in E. coli and released itself from the precursor fusion protein by autocatalytic cleavage.     

Human lysozyme: sequencing of a cDNA, and expression and secretion by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A cDNA encoding human lysozyme was isolated from a human placenta cDNA library. The cDNA was 1.5 kb in size and coded for a signal peptide consisting of 18 amino acids and mature lysozyme. The amino acid sequence of the mature lysozyme, deduced from the nucleotide sequence, was identical with the published sequence. In the 3'-noncoding region of the cDNA, an Alu sequence was found in the reverse orientation. In a protein coding region, the human lysozyme cDNA shows 60.1% and 51.3% similarity with chicken lysozyme and human alpha-lactalbumin cDNAs, respectively. When the cDNA was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, an active and correctly processed human lysozyme was secreted efficiently into the culture medium.     

Expression in Escherichia coli of the psbO gene encoding the 33 kd protein of the oxygen-evolving complex from spinach.

The cDNA for the 33 kd protein from the oxygen-evolving complex of spinach together with the coding region for the hydrophobic C-terminal part of the transit sequence was cloned into the expression plasmid pDS12/33Ex. The 33 kd protein precursor was expressed in Escherichia coli, secreted into the periplasm and correctly processed to the mature 33 kd protein. Thus the hydrophobic domain of the transit sequence, preceded by a methionine and two lysine residues, can function as a bacterial signal peptide. The periplasmic proteins were released from the cells by osmotic shock and the expressed protein was purified by anion exchange chromatography. The protein was identified by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. N-terminal sequence analysis showed that the cleavage of the signal peptide occurred at the correct position. The expressed protein could be rebound to CaCl2-washed PSII particles and oxygen evolution was restored in equal amounts by the 33 kd protein from both E. coli and spinach.     

Cloning and characterization of a cDNA from Aspergillus parasiticus encoding an O-methyltransferase involved in aflatoxin biosynthesis.

Aflatoxins are polyketide-derived secondary metabolites produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Among the catalytic steps in the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway, the conversion of sterigmatocystin to O-methylsterigmatocystin and the conversion of dihydrosterigmatocystin to dihydro-O-methylsterigmatocystin are catalyzed by an S-adenosylmethionine-dependent O-methyltransferase. A cDNA library was constructed by using RNA isolated from a 24-h-old culture of wild-type A. parasiticus SRRC 143 and was screened by using polyclonal antiserum raised against a purified 40-kDa O-methyltransferase protein. A clone that harbored a full-length cDNA insert (1,460 bp) containing the 1,254-bp coding region of the gene omt-1 was identified by the antiserum and isolated. The complete cDNA sequence was determined, and the corresponding 418-amino-acid sequence of the native enzyme with a molecular weight of 46,000 was deduced. This 46-kDa native enzyme has a leader sequence of 41 amino acids, and the mature form of the enzyme apparently consists of 377 amino acids and has a molecular weight of 42,000. Direct sequencing of the purified mature enzyme from A. parasiticus SRRC 163 showed that 19 of 22 amino acid residues were identical to the amino acid residues in an internal region of the deduced amino acid sequence of the mature protein. The 1,460-bp omt-1 cDNA was cloned into an Escherichia coli expression system; a Western blot (immunoblot) analysis of crude extracts from this expression system revealed a 51-kDa fusion protein (fused with a 5-kDa beta-galactosidase N-terminal fragment).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

非洲菊查尔酮合酶基因的克隆、序列分析及在大肠杆菌中的表达

利用RT-PCR方法,从非洲菊(Gerbera hybrida)花瓣的CDNA中克隆到了查尔酮合酶(Chalcone Synthase,CHS)基因CHS,进行了序列分析。结果表明,克隆到的CHS基因全长为1197bps,编码一个由398个氨基酸残基组成的多肽,与Helariutta等发表的非洲菊查尔酮合酶CHSI基因的CDNA序列的CHS基因同源性高达99％。进一步将该基因克隆到表达载体pET32a上,经IPTG诱导表达,得到高效表达的融合蛋白。     

The expression of tomato prosystemin in Escherichia coli: A structural challenge.

Prosystemin is the 200-amino-acid prohormone of the 18-amino-acid polypeptide called systemin, a systemic mobile signal that activates the synthesis of defense genes in solanaceous plants in response to herbivore attacks. The unusual primary structural features of the tomato prosystemin cDNA and protein provided an extraordinary challenge in devising an expression system to obtain the full-length protein. Prosystemin expression inhibited the growth of a eukaryotic and several prokaryotic hosts used. Prosystemin was initially synthesized as a truncated protein of 185 amino acids in length using a T7 RNA polymerase expression system in E. coli strain BL21[DE3]. The truncation was found to be due to two factors: (1) the intramolecular associations of the 5' coding region of the prosystemin sequence with the expression vector's ribosome binding site and (2) the presence of a translation start site just prior to the amino acid methionine at position 15. Mutations that permitted the synthesis of the full-length prosystemin protein were introduced into the amino-terminal 5' coding region of the prosystemin cDNA. A 199-amino-acid recombinant prosystemin lacking the N-terminal methionine was purified from lysates and confirmed by N-terminal amino acid sequence and immunoblot analysis.     

Secretion of glycosylated alpha-lactalbumin in yeast Pichia pastoris

The secretion of N-linked glycosylated alpha-lactalbumin was much higher in the expression system of yeast Pichia pastoris carrying goat alpha-lactalbumin cDNA than in mammalian milk. This is possibly because of the presence of N-linked glycosylation signal sequences, Asn(45)-Asp(46)-Ser(47) and Asn(74)-Ile(75)-Ser(76), in wild-type alpha-lactalbumin. Attempts to elucidate the mechanism of the higher secretion of glycosylated alpha-lactalbumin in P. pastoris were made. Mutant N45D that deleted the N-linked glycosylation signal sequence at position 45 predominantly secreted nonglycosylated protein. On the other hand, mutant D46N with another N-glycosylation signal site at position 46 only secreted N-linked glycosylated alpha-lactalbumin, i.e. not the nonglycosylated protein. The total secreted amount of mutant N45D was greatly enhanced, while the secreted amounts of the wild-type and mutant D46N were very low, suggesting that the increase in the number of glycosylation sites greatly reduced the secretion of alpha-lactalbumin. It seems likely that the glycosylated alpha-lactalbumin may be degraded by the quality control system.     

Ⅱ型志贺毒素单克隆抗体可变区基因克隆及单链抗体的表达和功能鉴定

目的从分泌抗肠出血性大肠埃希菌Ⅱ型志贺毒素中和单克隆抗体杂交瘤细胞株S2C4中克隆抗体可变区基因,构建单链抗体（ScFv）,进行原核表达,并对其功能进行鉴定。方法从杂交瘤细胞株S2C4中提取总RNA,逆转录成cDNA。在cDNA3’-OH末端添加poly．G。PCR扩增包括5’非翻译区和信号肽序列在内的抗体重、轻链可变区基因VH和VL,PCR产物装入T—A载体测序。根据测序结果,设计引物分别扩增VH和VL编码区,再通过重叠PCR,在VH和VL．编码区基因之间引入连接链,构建Scn基因,并克隆到表达载体pComb3xSS中。重组载体导入E．coliTop10F’进行表达,重组蛋白经纯化后,分别用ELISA和动物保护性实验鉴定其生物学活性。结果VH和VL编码区基因全长分别为396bp和378bp,ScFv基因能在大肠埃希菌中高效表达,表达产物的分子量为34000,用NiSO4亲和层析柱成功纯化。功能性实验表明纯化的重组蛋白可以与Stx2毒素有效结合,能保护动物抵御毒素分子的攻击。结论成功地克隆S2C4单抗可变区基因,并构建、表达其单链抗体ScFv,为下一步进行该抗体人源化奠定实验基础。     

Conformational aspects of the Cu2+ binding to alpha-lactalbumin. Characterization and stability of the Cu-bound state.

By circular dichroism experiments the existence of a typical Cu2(+)-bound state is demonstrated for bovine- and for goat alpha-lactalbumin. As in the near-UV region an important ligand to metal charge-transfer band overlaps with the aromatic band of the protein, a subtraction method is developed in order to determine the net effect of Cu2+ ions on the protein conformation. The Cu2(+)-bound state, characterized by a vanishing tertiary structure and a substantial loss of secondary structure, clearly differs from the well-known Ca2(+)-, apo-, and acid conformers. At room temperature, the Cu2+ binding has already decreased the alpha-helix content of bovine alpha-lactalbumin to the extent that further unfolding by thermal or guanidine hydrochloride denaturation behaves in a non-cooperative way. Since for goat alpha-lactalbumin the Cu2+ binding to His-68 is much less important than for bovine alpha-lactalbumin, we observe a somewhat different conformational behaviour for goat alpha-lactalbumin. The results of this conformational circular dichroism study are confirmed by isothermal calorimetric data.     

凋亡抑制因子Survivin在大肠杆菌TB1中的表达纯化及鉴定

 本文旨在克隆凋亡抑制因子Survivin基因,并在大肠杆菌中进行可溶性表达与初步纯化. 采用RT-PCR法,扩增人凋亡抑制因子survivin cDNA,并克隆入原核表达载体pMAL p2X中,转化TB1大肠杆菌感受态细胞.经0.3 mmol/L IPTG诱导2 h后,收集菌体蛋白,进行SDS-PAGE、ELISA及Western 印迹鉴定. 实验获得凋亡抑制因子survivin编码区cDNA,以构建的原核表达载体pMAL-p2X survivin转化菌株后,可表达凋亡抑制因子survivin和麦芽糖结合蛋白(MBP)的融合蛋白,相对分子质量(Mr) 为58 000.并成功利用Factor Xa将融合蛋白裂解开.ELISA和Western 印迹表明,融合蛋白能与抗凋亡抑制因子survivin单克隆抗体特异性结合.获得的凋亡抑制因子survivin全长cDNA可在大肠杆菌TB1中以MBP survivin融合蛋白的形式表达,成功地将survivin目的蛋白和MBP蛋白分离,为深入研究survivin的结构和功能奠定了基础.     

重组人IL-4大肠杆菌表达与纯化

根据大肠杆菌密码子偏爱性优化并合成人白细胞介素4基因,以pET30a( )为载体构建了重组表达质粒pET30a( )/rhIL-4,将重组质粒转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)感受态细胞,诱导表达并超声破菌检测重组蛋白的表达形式。采用5L发酵罐培养工程菌,发酵液OD600为0.6时诱导3.5h收集菌体,检测目的蛋白的表达量。收集的菌体经压榨破菌获得包涵体,通过包涵体变性、层析、透析复性等方法对rhIL-4进行纯化。采用人红细胞白血病细胞(TF-1)测定纯化的rhIL-4的生物活性。测序表明目的基因已插入载体pET30a( )中,重组蛋白以包涵体形式表达,单位体积重组蛋白的表达量达200mg/L发酵液,建立了对包涵体形式表达的rhIL-4纯化方法,最终得率为40mg/L发酵液,纯度大于98%,回收率为20%以上。免疫印迹法检测诱导表达的重组蛋白和纯化的蛋白为IL-4,N端氨基酸序列测定结果与理论相符,生物活性检测纯化的蛋白比活性达2.5×106AU/mg。这为rhIL-4进一步产业化研究建立了基础。     

烟草乙烯受体类似物NTHK2全长基因的克隆及其激酶结构域生化特性

应用5′-ARCE方法克隆到烟草NTHK2的全长cDNA。其全长cDNA共有3216bp,其中5′非编码区为509bp,3′非编码区为427bp,编码区为2280bp,编码产物为760个氨基酸。NTHK2氨基酸序列与植物中的许多杂合型的两组分乙烯受体基因有较高的同源性,具有推测的组氨酸激酶结构域和接受域。但是,在激酶结构域中没有保守的组氨酸,而是被一个天冬氨酸残基所替代。为了研究其生化特性,在酵母中以融合蛋白的形式表达了激酶结构域,体外激酶分析表明,当有Mg^2 存在的情况下NTHK2能够自我磷酸化。进一步的研究应阐明NTHK2在植物体内是否能够作为乙烯受体。参与乙烯的信号传导过程。