Profluorescent protein fragments for fast bimolecular fluorescence complementation in vitro

Here, we present a protocol for isolating the large N-terminal fragment of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) with a preformed chromophore. By itself, the chromophore-containing EGFP fragment exhibits very weak fluorescence, but it rapidly becomes brightly fluorescent upon complementation with the corresponding small, C-terminal EGFP fragment. Each EGFP fragment is cloned and overexpressed in E. coli as a fusion with self-splitting intein. After solubilizing and refolding these fusions from inclusion bodies, both EGFP fragments are cleaved from intein and purified using chitin columns. When these EGFP fragments are linked with the two complementary oligonucleotides and combined in equimolar amounts, fluorescence develops within a few minutes. The isolation of profluorescent protein fragments from recombinant E. coli cells requires approximately 3 d, and their conjugation to oligonucleotides requires 1-4 h.     

Analysis of DsRed Mutants. Space around the fluorophore accelerates fluorescence development.

Earlier mutagenesis of the red fluorescent protein drFP583, also called DsRed, resulted in a mutant named Fluorescent Timer (Terskikh, A., Fradkov, A., Ermakova, G., Zaraisky, A., Tan, P., Kajava, A. V., Zhao, X., Lukyanov, S., Matz, M., Kim, S., Weissman, I., and Siebert, P. (2000) Science 290, 1585--1588). Further mutagenesis generated variants with novel and improved fluorescent properties. The mutant called AG4 exhibits only green fluorescence. The mutant, called E5up (V105A), shows complete fluorophore maturation, eventually eliminating residual green fluorescence present in DsRed. Finally, the mutant, called E57 (V105A, I161T, S197A), matures faster than DsRed as demonstrated in vitro with purified protein and in vivo with recombinant protein expressed in Escherichia coli and Xenopus leavis. Comparative analysis of the mutants in the context of the crystal structure of DsRed suggests that mutants with free space around the fluorophore mature faster and more completely.     

一种新型IIa类细菌素的克隆表达和活性鉴定

NB-C1为一种潜在的IIa类细菌素基因,为实现其在大肠杆菌中的高效可溶表达,首先构建了NB-C1蛋白与绿色荧光蛋白 (GFP) 的融合表达载体pIVEX 2.4d-GFP-NB-C1,然后将构建的表达载体转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3) pLysS,经诱导表达后,重组蛋白GFP-NB-C1以可溶的形式存在于细胞内。经Ni-NTA亲和层析柱分离纯化后,重组融合蛋白的纯度大于95％,产量达36.1 mg/L。抑菌试验表明,纯化后的重组蛋白对单核细胞增生李斯特氏菌具有明显的抑制作用。     

定点突变改善红色荧光指示蛋白玉米尿卟啉原Ⅲ甲基化酶的水溶性研究

尿卟啉原Ⅲ甲基化酶是一种新型的红色荧光指示蛋白,但是,在大肠杆菌重组表达的SUMT水溶性相对较低,限制了它的应用范围,而且对于结合在蛋白的色素组分尚不清楚。利用定点突变产生玉米尿卟啉原Ⅲ甲基化酶L88R/L89G双突变体和L166A突变体,两种突变体分别在大肠杆菌中重组表达,Ni-NTA一步纯化。紫外可见光谱扫描和质谱分析确定从纯化的L88R/L89G双突变体蛋白分离的色素组分。L88R/L89G双突变体在大肠杆菌细胞内有酶活,而L166A突变体胞内酶活丧失。结合蛋白的主要组分为三甲基化咕啉。纯化的双突变体蛋白水溶性增加,为提高它作为荧光指示蛋白检测外源融合蛋白的水溶性打下基础。     

橙色荧光蛋白——绿色荧光蛋白GFPxm的改造

最近报道了从大型多管水母中分离出新的gfp基因。经大肠杆菌表达并纯化出的绿色荧光蛋白 (GFPxm)具有 4 76nm的激发峰和 4 96nm的发射峰 ,但是只能在低温下成熟的缺点限制了它的应用。这里进一步报道GFPxm的 12种突变型。在大肠杆菌中的表达结果表明 ,有 7种突变型在 37℃条件下产生高的荧光强度。在 2 5、32和 37℃条件下表达 6h ,GFPxm16、GFPxm18和GFPxm19的相对荧光强度均高于增强型绿色荧光蛋白 (EGFP) ,而GFPxm16和GFPxm16 3在 4 2℃高温表达时仍能保持高的荧光强度。这 7种突变型中的 4种在哺乳动物细胞中已获得良好表达。此外 ,有 6种突变型的荧光光谱红移 ,目前所达到的最长激发峰为 5 14nm、最长发射峰为 5 2 5nm。另外有 3种突变型具有包括紫外在内的两个激发峰 ,1种突变型只有单一的紫外激发峰。首次报道具有橙色荧光的突变型OFPxm ,它的激发峰为 5 0 9nm、发射峰为 5 2 3nm。 5 2 3nm属于黄绿色 ,但肉眼看到的蛋白为橙色。OFPxm在高温下可得到高水平表达且很好地成熟 ,但是因为低的量子产率而荧光强度相对较低。     

NopB, a soybean cultivar-specificity protein from Sinorhizobium fredii USDA257, is a type III secreted protein

The type III secretion system (TTSS) of plant- and animal-pathogenic bacteria is involved in translocation of virulence factors into the host cell cytosol where they modulate cellular processes. Sinorhizobium fredii USDA257 is a gram-negative soil bacterium that forms nitrogen-fixing nodules on specific soybean cultivars (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). This microsymbiont is known to secrete at least five nodulation outer proteins (Nops) in response to flavonoid induction. Some of these Nops have been shown to be secreted by TTSS in this symbiotic bacterium. We have isolated and purified an 18-kDa extracellular protein from flavonoid-induced cultures of USDA257. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of this purified protein was identical to the published sequence of the soybean cultivar-specificity protein, NopB (formerly NoIB). Inactivation of rhcN, which encodes an ATPase, abolished secretion of NopB. Similarly, a nonpolar nopB deletion mutant was compromised in its ability to secrete several Nops. A construct containing the coding region of nopB under control of a T7 promoter was expressed successfully in Escherichia coli and, subsequently, the recombinant NopB was purified by nickel-affinity column chromatography. Polyclonal antibodies raised against purified recombinant NopB were used in Western blot analysis to demonstrate the association of NopB with pilus-like surface appendages. Deletion analysis indicated that the first 33 N-terminal residues of NopB were necessary and sufficient to mediate the secretion of a green fluorescent protein reporter. Introduction of plasmid-borne extra copies of nopB into USDA257 resulted in lower accumulation of native NopB. We also show that USDA257 and its nonpolar nopB deletion mutant exhibited discernible differences in their ability to nodulate legume hosts.     

抗PAI抑制作用的纤溶酶原激活剂突变体的活性研究

目的:重组表达抗PAI抑制作用的t-PA突变体,经诱导表达、复性、纯化后进行生物学活性和酶动力学分析。方法:构建pBV220-tpa重组表达质粒,经DNA测序确认后,转化至大肠杆菌DH5a,温控诱导表达,凝胶过滤法对包涵体蛋白进行初步纯化,复性后,过刺桐胰蛋白酶亲和层析柱纯化,酶动力学分析其活性。结果:测序证实,t-PA突变体的DNA序列正确,表达蛋白占总菌体蛋白的30%,经纯化后纯度达90%以上,比活性为7.0×108IU/mg,t-PA突变体与PAI-1反应后,其活性未受到抑制。t-PA突变体酶的米氏常数Km为0.5298,最大水解速度Vmax为0.0595。结论:经生物学活性测定,表达蛋白能够明显抵抗PAI的抑制作用,并具有良好的生物活性,该突变体有可能成为用量更少、疗效更佳的新型溶栓药物。     

新型瞬时报告载体pRSET-EGFP的构建及表达

目的：利用分子生物学技术和方法将pRSET-B质粒改建为带有绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)突变体基因(GFP-S65T)的新型瞬时表达载体pRSET-EGFP,并在E．coli．BL21中得到GFP基因的高效表达。方法：PCR法从pEGFP质粒克隆GFP-S65T cDNA并在5’末端引入KpnⅠ的位点。将扩增出来的GFP-S65T基因和pRSEY-B质粒用HindⅢ和KpnⅠ双酶切后连接构成重组质粒。用化学法把重组质粒转化到E．coli．BL21中,培养发酵液。OD540=0．4时加入IPTG诱导GFP-S65T基因转录和表达,合成绿色荧光蛋白。还对诱导条件进行了优化,发酵液OD540=0．4加入IPTG可以得到最优表达。结果：通过Ni^2 柱亲和层析,纯化得到绿色荧光蛋白,SDS-PAGE电泳检测,分子量为27kDa,与文献报道值一致。这说明Ni^2 柱能够有效的纯化表达产物。结论：成功构建了新型瞬时表达载体pRSET-EGFP,并且在E．coli．BL21中得到高效表达。     

Identification of a mitochondrial nucleoside diphosphate kinase from the green alga Dunaliella tertiolecta

We isolated a full-length cDNA encoding a nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinase from a Dunaliella tertiolecta cDNA library by homology cloning and rapid amplification of cDNA ends-PCR. The cDNA sequence, consisting of 840 bp, contained an open reading frame coding for a 221-amino acid protein. The predicted 24-kDa protein was named DtNDK1. It possesses all the residues involved in nucleotide binding and catalysis and, in its long N-terminus, contains putative mitochondrial targeting peptides. The full-length pre-protein expressed in Escherichia coli as a recombinant N-terminally His-tagged protein was retained in inclusion bodies, totally devoid of NDP kinase activity. Upon expression in yeast cells, the full-length protein His-tagged at the C-terminus was found processed in a soluble form that was lacking the first 67 amino acids from the N-terminus. The mature protein, which was purified by affinity chromatography to near homogeneity, showed NDP kinase activity. Confocal microscopy on yeast cells expressing the recombinant protein revealed the specific mitochondrial localization of DtNDK1 labeled at the C-terminus with green fluorescent protein.     

Cloning and amplified expression of the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase genes of Bacillus stearothermophilus and Escherichia coli

Two fragments of DNA which carry the genes coding for the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases of Escherichia coli and Bacillus stearothermophilus have been cloned into the plasmid pBR322 and were selected by complementation of an E. coli temperature-sensitive mutant. Transformation of this strain with either of the recombinant plasmids results in a 100-fold increase in tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase activity measured in vitro and the protein products co-migrate with the corresponding purified enzymes on polyacrylamide gels.     

Generation of monoclonal antibodies for the assessment of protein purification by recombinant ribosomal coupling

We recently described a conceptually novel method for the purification of recombinant proteins with a propensity to form inclusion bodies in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli. Recombinant proteins were covalently coupled to the E. coli ribosome by fusing them to ribosomal protein 23 (rpL23) followed by expression in an rpL23 deficient strain of E. coli. This allowed for the isolation of ribsomes with covalently coupled target proteins which could be efficiently purified by centrifugation after in vitro proteolysis at a specific site incorporated between rpL23 and the target protein. rpL23-GFP-His is among the fusion proteins used in our previous study for ribosomal coupling of C-terminally His-tagged green fluorescent protein. To assess the efficiency of separation of target protein from ribosomes, by site-specific proteolysis, we required monoclonal antibodies directed against rpL23 and GFP. We therefore purified rpL23-GFP-His, rpL23-His and GFP from E. coli recombinants using affinity, ion exchange and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. These proteins could be purified with yields of 150, 150 and 1500 microg per gram cellular wet weight, respectively. However, rpL23-GFP-His could only be expressed in a soluble form and subsequently purified, when cells were cultivated at reduced temperatures. The purified rpL23-GFP-His fusion protein was used to immunize balb/c mice and the hybridoma cell lines resulting from in vitro cell fusion were screened by ELISA using rpL23-His and GFP to select for monoclonal antibodies specific for each protein. This resulted in 20 antibodies directed against rpL23 and 3 antibodies directed against GFP. Antibodies were screened for isotypes and their efficiency in western immunoblots. The most efficient antibody against rpL23 and GFP were purified by Protein G Sepharose affinity chromatography. The purified antibodies were used to evaluate the separation of ribosomes from GFP, streptavidin, murine interleukin-6, a phagedisplay antibody and yeast elongation factor 1A by centrifugation, when ribosomes with covalently coupled target protein were cleaved at specific proteolytic cleavage sites. We conclude that the generated antibodies can be used to evaluate ribosomal coupling of recombinant target proteins as well as the efficiency of their separation from the ribosome.     

重组pEGFP—C2-p100-TSN点突变质粒构建及表达

目的将6个不同的p100-TSN．Mutants基因片段分别定向连入PEGFP—C2质粒中,使P100-TSN突变蛋白能够与绿色荧光蛋白在COS7细胞中融合表达,从而为进一步研究p100蛋白TSN结构域的功能奠定实验基础。方法利用EcoR I和Xho I双酶切方法从6个pcDNA3．1（＋）-p100-TSN．Mutants重组质粒中分别获得p100-TSN．Mutants的cDNA片段,将其连人pEGFP—C2质粒载体中,再将成功构建的6个pEGFP—C2-p100-TSN．Mutants质粒分别转染COS7细胞中,荧光显微镜下观察绿色荧光蛋白表达。结果①将重组质粒进行双酶切鉴定可见p100-TSN．Mutants的cDNA片段;②转染重组质粒后可观察到绿色荧光蛋白的表达。结论①6个pEGFP—C2-p100-TSN．Mutants重组质粒构建成功;②p100-TSN突变蛋白可与绿色荧光蛋白在COS7细胞中融合表达。     

A naturally enhanced green fluorescent protein from magnificent sea anemone (Heteractis magnifica) and its functional analysis

A novel fluorescent protein termed hmGFP homologous to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from Aequorea victoria was cloned from the tentacles of sea anemone Heteractis magnifica by EST sequencing and analysis of cDNA library and followed by using RT-PCR. The sequence analysis suggested that the chromophore, consensus amino acids, and secondary structure of 11 beta-strands of hmGFP were similar to those of GFP from other species. The recombinant hmGFP protein with high purity was obtained by the fusion expression of pETTRX-hmGFP in Escherichia coli and subsequent purification. The pH sensitivity and fluorescence spectroscopy of recombinant hmGFP were characterized. The excitation spectrum of recombinant hmGFP has a rather wide major peak with a maximum at 490 nm and a shoulder at 420 nm, and its emission spectrum at 510 nm. The expression of hmGFP and the chimera IPL through hmGFP in CHO cells has shown that the fusion protein IPL through hmGFP has retained the normal membrane targeting of the IPL from Dasyatis akajei, as well as maintaining fluorescent properties similar to those of native hmGFP, suggesting a promising prospect of the application in biotechnology research for the new protein.     

鼠重组磷脂酶D2腺病毒的构建及功能的初步研究

将磷脂酰胆碱专一性磷脂酶D2基因及其功能缺陷点突变基因 (K75 8R)从真核表达载体pCGN中克隆至带有绿色荧光标记蛋白的穿梭质粒pAdTrack CMV中 ;再与腺病毒骨架载体一起在大肠杆菌BJ5183中进行同源重组 ,成功构建磷脂酶D2重组腺病毒。该病毒颗粒感染人胚肾 2 93细胞 ,高效表达磷脂酶D2及其功能缺陷蛋白。这种表达对M3乙酰胆碱受体介导的细胞内磷脂酶D激活无影响。但磷脂酶D2功能缺陷蛋白对蛋白激酶C介导的胞内磷脂酶D激活有显著抑制作用 ;相反 ,磷脂酶D2蛋白有显著增强作用。结果表明     

Engineering green fluorescent protein as a dual functional tag

A hexa-histidine (6 x His) sequence was inserted into a surface loop of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) to develop a dual functional GFP useful for both monitoring and purification of recombinant proteins. Two variants (GFP172 and GFP157), differentiated by the site of insertion of the 6xHis sequence, were developed and compared with a control variant (GFPHis) having the 6xHis sequence at its C-terminus. The variants were produced in Escherichia coli and purified using immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC). The purification efficiencies by IMAC for all variants were found to be comparable. Purified GFP172 and GFP157 variants retained approximately 60% of the fluorescence compared to that of GFPHis. The reduction in the fluorescence intensity associated with GFP172 and GFP157 was attributed to the lower percentage of fluorescent GFP molecules in these variants. Nonetheless, the rates of fluorescence acquisition were found to be similar for all functional variants. Protein misfolding at an elevated temperature (37 degrees C) was found to be less profound for GFP172 than for GFP157. The dual functional properties of GFP172 were tested with maltose binding protein (MBP) as the fusion partner. The MBP-GFP172 fusion protein remained fluorescent and was purified from E. coli lysate as well as from spiked tobacco leaf extracts in a single-step IMAC. For the latter, a recovery yield of approximately 75% was achieved and MBP-GFP172 was found to coelute with a degraded product of the fusion protein at a ratio of about 4:1. The primary advantage of the chimeric GFP tag having an internal hexa-histidine sequence is that such a tag allows maximum flexibility for protein or peptide fusions since both N- and C-terminal ends of the GFP are available for fusion.     

Homogeneous assay for biotin based on Aequorea victoria bioluminescence resonance energy transfer system

Here we describe a homogeneous assay for biotin based on bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) between aequorin and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). The fusions of aequorin with streptavidin (SAV) and EGFP with biotin carboxyl carrier protein (BCCP) were purified after expression of the corresponding genes in Escherichia coli cells. Association of SAV-aequorin and BCCP-EGFP fusions was followed by BRET between aequorin (donor) and EGFP (acceptor), resulting in significantly increasing 510 nm and decreasing 470 nm bioluminescence intensity. It was shown that free biotin inhibited BRET due to its competition with BCCP-EGFP for binding to SAV-aequorin. These properties were exploited to demonstrate competitive homogeneous BRET assay for biotin.     

Evolved Lactococcus lactis Strains for Enhanced Expression of Recombinant Membrane Proteins

The production of complex multidomain (membrane) proteins is a major hurdle in structural genomics and a generic approach for optimizing membrane protein expression is still lacking. We have devised a selection method to isolate mutant strains with improved functional expression of recombinant membrane proteins. By fusing green fluorescent protein and an erythromycin resistance marker (ErmC) to the C-terminus of a target protein, one simultaneously selects for variants with enhanced expression (increased erythromycin resistance) and correct folding (green fluorescent protein fluorescence). Three evolved hosts, displaying 2- to 8-fold increased expression of a plethora of proteins, were fully sequenced and shown to carry single-site mutations in the nisK gene. NisK is the sensor protein of a two-component regulatory system that directs nisin-A-mediated expression. The levels of recombinant membrane proteins were increased in the evolved strains, and in some cases their folding states were improved. The generality and simplicity of our approach allow rapid improvements of protein production yields by directed evolution in a high-throughput way.     

High-level expression, purification and pro-apoptosis activity of HIV-TAT-survivin (T34A) mutant to cancer cells in vitro

Survivin, a novel member of the IAP family, was observed to express in the most common human cancers. Anti-cancer therapy targeting survivin had drawn considerable attention. This study focused on high-level expression of recombinant protein TAT-survivin (T34A) mutant in E. coli, purification and bioactivity of pro-apoptosis to various cell lines in vitro. The cDNA encoding survivin was cloned by RT-PCR from breast cancer cell lines B-cap37. After PCR site-directed mutagenesis and construction of expression vector pRSET-B-TAT-survivin (T34A), targeted TAT-survivin (T34A) protein was expressed highly in E. coli BL21 (DE3) by 0.5mM IPTG induction and its yield could reach 650 mg/l in fermentation culture. The fusion protein in a form of inclusion body was then solubilized, refolded and purified to a purity of 98% by cation exchange chromatography and size-exclusion chromatography. Four hundred and eighty milligrams protein of interest was obtained in per liter fermentation culture. This showed that the efficient procedures of large-scale expression and purification were successful for the mass production of the recombinant protein. Pro-apoptosis effects of target protein on four cancer cell lines and one normal cell line from human were confirmed by the change of morphology, and pro-apoptosis activity was evaluated by MTT, fluorescent staining of nuclei and flow cytometry assay. Results indicated that B-cap37 and SW1990 were very sensitive to TAT-survivin (T34A) protein. This finding revealed the recombinant protein was promising as an anti-cancer drug.     

集成干扰素突变体Ⅱ的分子构建、表达及提纯

目的：通过定点突变,构建集成干扰素突变体Ⅱ（IFN-Con-m2）,以期获得兼具高效作用和可定点聚乙二醇（PEG）修饰的新型药物分子。 方法：采用PCR体外定点突变技术,使集成干扰素突变体Ⅰ（IFN-Con-m1）基因的第86位密码子由TAC突变为TGC。将扩增片段克隆入pET-23b表达载体,重组质粒转化大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）。IPTG诱导后,表达的IFN-Con-m2经包含体变复性、疏水层析、DEAE层析和凝胶过滤层析等纯化后,用WISH-VSV系统进行生物活性测定。 结果：IFN-Con-m2以包涵体形式表达,表达量占菌体总蛋白的30%以上。纯化后,IFN-Con-m2的纯度大于95%,比活性大于5.0×108IU/mg。 结论：构建了IFN-Con-m2的表达载体,并成功地在大肠杆菌中表达,获得了高活性突变分子IFN-Con-m2,建立了IFN-Con-m2的纯化工艺。