PsiB polypeptide prevents activation of RecA protein in Escherichia coli

Summary We further characterize a novel plasmid function preventing SOS induction called Psi (Plasmid SOS Inhibition). We show that Psi function is expressed by psiB, a gene located at coordinate 54.9 of plasmid R6-5 and near oriT, the origin of conjugal transfer. Deletions and amber mutations of the psiB gene permitted us to demonstrate that PsiB polypeptide (apparent molecular weight, 12 kDa) is responsible for Psi function. PsiB protein prevents recA730-promoted mutagenesis and intra-chromosomal recombination but not recombination following conjugation. Overproduction of PsiB protein sensitizes the host cell to UV irradiation. We propose that PsiB polypeptide has an anti-SOS action by inhibiting activation of RecA protein, thus preventing the occurrence of LexA-controlled functions.     

Requirements for the phosphorylation of the Escherichia coli EIIANtr protein in vivo

The nitrogen-related phosphotransferase system (Ntr-PTS) is a paralogous system working in parallel to the well-known carbohydrate:PTS. In a chain of phosphotransfer reactions, EI^Ntr and NPr (PtsO) deliver phosphoryl groups to the EIIA^Ntr (PtsN) protein. EIIA^Ntr is implicated in important regulatory processes such as the σ^E-dependent cell envelope stress response and regulation of K⁺ uptake. Phosphorylation is believed to trigger the output of EIIA^Ntr in these regulations. EIIA^Ntr is encoded within the gene cluster ptsN–yhbJ–ptsO , which is highly conserved in Proteobacteria . In this study, we investigated the phosphorylation of the Escherichia coli EIIA^Ntr protein in vivo by ³²P-labeling. We show that EIIA^Ntr is readily phosphorylated in wild-type cells. This phosphorylation occurs at a single site, the histidine 73 in EIIA^Ntr. YhbJ and NPr are dispensable for this phosphorylation. A detailed analysis revealed that both the energy coupling phosphotransferases of the Ntr-PTS as well as the 'sugar'-PTS contribute to the phosphorylation of EIIA^Ntr, suggesting cross talk between both systems.     

大肠杆菌二氢叶酸还原酶基因folA的克隆、表达纯化及分子间交联

利用PCR技术从大肠杆菌DH5α中获取二氢叶酸还原酶(DHFR)基因folA。用限制性内切酶BamHI与PstI将该片段插入到克隆载体pUC18上,DNA测序鉴定目的基因。而后再将该基因亚克隆到表达载体pTrcHisC上,IPTG诱导表达重组蛋白。在非变性条件下,用TALON金属亲和层析树脂纯化含组氨酸标记的重组DHFR。纯化产物在热诱导条件下行SDSPAGE分析,除23000大小的单体外,还出现了交联的二聚体和多聚体;而当反应体系中含有还原剂β-巯基乙醇时,二聚体和多聚体都被减弱。推断蛋白质在热诱导条件下二级结构发生改变而产生交联,并且有二硫键的参与。     

Expression of recombinant human glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide in Escherichia coli by sequence-specific proteolysis of a protein A fusion protein

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is a forty-two amino acid hormone that stimulates the secretion of insulin from the pancreatic B-cells in the presence of elevated glucose concentrations. The human GIP gene with the human A-fibrinopeptide sequence was synthesized and linked to the Staphylococcus aureus protein A gene in the vector pRIT2T. This plasmid was expressed in Escherichia coli, and the resulting fusion protein consisted of three domains: protein A for ease of purification, fibrinopeptide sequence for thrombin cleavage and human GIP. The GIP was subsequently cleaved from the fusion protein with -thrombin. The identity of the recombinant human GIP was confirmed by SDS-PAGE, ELISA, HPLC and amino-terminal amino acid sequence analysis. This recombinant product was shown to have comparable insulinotropic activity to porcine GIP in the isolated perfused pancreas.     

Gene sequence,developmental expression,and protein phosphorylation of RAB-17 in maize

The ABA-induced MA12 cDNA from maize, which encodes a set of highly phosphorylated embryo proteins, was used to isolate the corresponding genomic clone. This gene, called RAB-17 (responsive to ABA), encodes a basic, glycine-rich protein (mol. wt. 17 164) containing a cluster of 8 serine residues, seven of them contiguous. It is a homologue of the rice RAB-21 gene (Mundy J, Chua NH, EMBO J 7; 2279–2286, 1988). Phosphoamino acid analysis of the isolated protein indicates that only the serine residues are phosphorylated and a putative casein-type kinase phosphorylatable sequence was identified in the protein. The pattern of expression and in vivo phosphorylation of the RAB-17 protein was studied during maize embryo germination and in calli of both meristematic or embryonic origin. ABA treatment induced the synthesis of RAB-17 mRNA and protein in calli, however, the RAB-17 proteins were found to be highly phosphorylated only in embryos.     

Protein phosphorylation in isolated trabeculae from nonfailing and failing human hearts

Disturbances in the cAMP production during -adrenergic stimulation and alterations of Ca ²⁺ transport controlling proteins and their regulation in the sarcoplasmic reticulum might be involved in the pathogenesis of the failing human heart. Thus, we investigated the cAMP-mediated phosphorylation of phospholamban, troponin I and C-protein in electrically driven, intact isolated trabeculae carneae from nonfailing and failing (NYHA IV) human hearts in parallel to contractile properties on the same tissue samples. The increase in force of contraction induced by isoproterenol (0.2 M) or pimobendan (100 M), a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, was diminished in the failing human hearts compared to nonfailing hearts by 49% and 36%, respectively. Concomitantly the isoproterenol-induced phosphorylation (pmol P/mg homogenate protein) of phospholamban, troponin I and C-protein was reduced from 13.0 ± 2.4 (n = 4), 30.5 ± 1.5 (n = 5) and 11.0 ± 1.3 (n = 5) in the nonfailing heart to 5.2 ±0.6 (n = 13), 14.6 ± 2.2 (n = 16) and 7.1 ± 1.0 (n = 6) in the failing human heart, respectively. Pimobendan changed the phosphorylation state of these proteins similar to isoproterenol. The fact that combined addition of both agents or dibuturyl CAMP (1 mM) alone restored the phosphorylation capacity as observed in the control groups indicates that i) a reduced cAMP generation is related to the reduced phosphorylation of regulatory phosphoproteins located in the sarcoplasmic reticulum and contractile apparatus e.g. phospholamban, troponin I and C-protein, that ii) there is a relationship between protein phosphorylation state and contractile activity and that iii) no changes in the respective content of phosphoproteins are involved in the limitation of cAMP-mediated inotopic activity in the failing human heart. (Mol Cell Biochem 157: 171–179, 1996)     

Pyrophosphate is a source of phosphoryl groups for Escherichia coli protein phosphorylation

Abstract Stress tolerance and cross-protection in Enterococcus faecalis ATCC19433 were examined after exposure to bile salts, acid or heat shock. Bile salts and heat adapted cells demonstrated induced homologous tolerance and cross-resistance. No cross-protection of heat adapted cells against acid stress is observed and pretreatment with bile salts even sensitized the cells to this challenge. Whole-cell protein extract analysis revealed that each treatment induced a battery of stress proteins. Some of these polypeptides are induced by more than one treatment. The greatest overlap is observed between bile salts and heat treatments. Eighteen stress proteins, including DnaK and GroEL, are common between these stresses.     

Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of a human cDNA encoding the DNA repair protein N-methylpurine-DNA glycosylase

A 871-base pair cDNA encoding the human N-methylpurine-DNA glycosylase (MPG) was cloned from a HeLa S3 cDNA expression library in a pUC vector by phenotypic screening of MPG-negative (tag- alkA-) Escherichia coli cells exposed to methylmethane sulfonate. The active MPG is expressed as a 31-kDa fusion protein. The human cDNA-encoded MPG releases 3-methyladenine, 7-methylguanine, and 3-methylguanine from DNA and thus has a substrate range similar to that of the indigenous enzyme and the E. coli AlkA protein. The cDNA hybridizes with distinct restriction fragments of mammalian DNAs but not with E. coli or yeast DNA. A search in the GenBank data bank failed to show any other cloned DNA with a similar sequence. Although the human protein has 62% sequence homology with the corresponding rat enzyme, only a few amino acid residues are conserved between the human protein and the E. coli and yeast MPGs. However, a conserved glutamine residue in all MPGs that release 3-alkyladenine and an arginine residue in eukaryotic MPGs and E. coli AlkA that act additionally on N-alkylguanines suggest that these residues are involved in recognition of adenine and guanine adducts in DNA, respectively. Although the 1.1-kilobase mRNAs of MPG from human and rodents are similar in size, liver and cultured cells of rat have much lower levels of MPG mRNA than do human and mouse cells. A hamster cell line variant isolated as being resistant to methylmethane sulfonate does not have a higher level of MPG mRNA than the parent cell line.     

Cloning and sequencing of an Escherichia coli K12 gene which encodes a polypeptide having similarity to the human ferritin H subunit

Summary Using lambda phage clones containing segments of the Escherichia coli K12 chromosome as hybridization probes, we found one gene at 42 min on the E. coli chromosome map, the expression of which was affected by RNase III. The sequence of the DNA fragment containing this gene (gen-165) revealed the presence of an open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 165 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence exhibited a remarkable similarity to that of the human ferritin H chain.     

Cloning and expression of human rotavirus spike protein, VP8*, in Escherichia coli

A system for the expression and purification of soluble VP8*, part of the human rotavirus (HRV) spike protein, was established by expressing VP8* as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase (GST). VP8 cDNA, from the Wa strain of HRV, was prepared by RT-PCR, cloned into a pUC18 plasmid, and inserted into a pGEX-4T-2 GST fusion vector. The GST-VP8* fusion protein was expressed in Escherichia coli, and the VP8* was purified by Glutathione Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography, yielding 1.8 mg VP8*/L culture. The purified VP8* was used to vaccinate chickens, eliciting antibodies which displayed high neutralization activity against the Wa strain of HRV, suggesting its use for the induction of specific neutralizing antibodies for potential immunotherapeutic applications for the prevention of HRV infection.     

Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of a recA-like gene from Vibrio cholerae

Summary A library containing more than 80% of the Vibrio cholerae genome was constructed by cloning BamH1 restriction fragments into pBR322. Using interspecific complementation of an Escherichia coli recA mutant with plasmids containing the gene bank of V. cholerae, a recA-like gene was identified. The recombinant plasmid, designated as pDP145, contained a 1.45 kb segment of V. cholerae DNA which codes for a protein of molecular weight 39,000. The product of this gene confers methyl methane sulphonate resistance on the E. coli recA mutant, suppresses its ultraviolet (UV) light sensitive phenotype and has proteolytic activity on the phage repressor. Induction of a 39,000 dalton protein in UV-irradiated V. cholerae cells was demonstrated.     

Tissue interaction regulates expression of a spasmolytic polypeptide gene in chicken stomach epithelium

The primitive epithelium of embryonic chicken proventriculus (glandular stomach) differentiates, after day 6 of incubation, into luminal epithelium, which faces the lumen and abundantly secretes mucus, and glandular epithelium, which invaginates into mesenchyme and later expresses embryonic chicken pepsinogen (ECPg). So far it is not well understood how undifferentiated epithelial cells differentiate into these two distinct cell populations. Spasmolytic polypeptide (SP) is known to be expressed in surface mucous cells of mammalian stomach. In order to obtain the differentiation marker for proventricular luminal epithelial cells, we cloned a cDNA encoding chicken SP ( cSP ). Sequence analysis indicated that cSP has the duplicated cysteine-rich domain characteristic of SP. Examination of the spatial and temporal expression pattern of cSP gene revealed that, during embryogenesis, cSP was expressed in luminal epithelial cells of the proventriculus, gizzard, small intestine, and lung, but not the esophagus. In the proventriculus, cSP mRNA was first detected on day 8 of incubation and was localized to differentiated luminal epithelial cells. By using cSP as a molecular marker, the effects of mesenchyme on the differentiation of epithelium were analyzed in vitro . On the basis of these data, a model is presented concerning the differentiation of proventricular epithelium.     

Cloning and expression of human beta-defensin-2 gene in Escherichia coli

Human beta-defensin-2 (hBD-2), a small cationic peptide, exhibits a broad range of antimicrobial activity. It has been found to play important roles in innate and adaptive immune responses against microbial invasion. For the purposes of this study, hBD-2 gene was cloned from the lesions of human condyloma acuminatum. An expression vector was constructed and transformed into E. coli. hBD-2 was expressed as a fusion protein in both the soluble and insoluble forms, which was further confirmed by western blotting analysis.     

Cloning, sequencing and expression in Escherichia coli of the low-affinity penicillin binding protein of Enterococcus faecalis

Abstract Low-affinity penicillin binding proteins are particular membrane proteins, in several Gram-positive bacteria, which are involved in β-lactam antibiotic resistance. The structural gene for the low-affinity penicillin binding protein 5 (PBP5) of Enterococcus faecalis was cloned and sequenced. From the sequence of the 3378 bp, a 2040 bp coding region was identified. From biochemical analysis it emerges that E. faecalis PBP5 is a type II membrane protein with an uncleaved N-terminal and is composed of 679 amino acids with a molecular weight of 74055. This protein showed 48 and 33% of identity with Enterococcus hirae PBP5 and Staphylococcus aureus PBP2a, both low-affinity PBPs involved in β-lactam resistance. Anti-PBP5 antibodies cross-reacted with a membrane protein present in other species of enterococci, but the entire gene fragment cloned hybridized only with DNAs of E. faecalis strains, thus suggesting that genes coding for low-affinity PBPs of enterococci are not stictly homologous. In this experiment digoxigenin-labelled E. faecalis DNA was used.     

优化的复合自动诱导培养基（CAI-4）对外源蛋白在大肠杆菌中 表达的影响

[目的]原核表达系统是目前最为广泛使用的一种外源蛋白表达系统。在利用原核表达系统表达目的蛋白的过程中,可溶性外源蛋白的产量是决定成本和效率的决定性因素。[方法]本项研究中利用本实验室构建的7种不同的重组质粒(-1、p-2、p-3、p-4、p-5、p-6、p-7),检测其在复合自动诱导培养基中的表达情况,评价哪一种培养基更适合于外源蛋白的表达,提高目的蛋白的产量。[结果]结果显示,这7种重组蛋白在复合自动诱导培养基的表达量是普通LB培养基的4~8倍;并在此基础上,对复合培养基的成份进行进一步优化,形成了一种优化培养基(改良培养基-4),P-1、P-2、P-3这3种融合蛋白在这种改良培养基中的表达量比优化前提高了至少2倍。     

Cloning and expression of human salivary-gland kallikrein in Escherichia coli.

CDNA clones for human kallikrein have been identified in a cDNA library constructed from mRNA of human salivary gland. The entire coding sequence for preprokallikrein and for the 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions were isolated by using a mixture of oligonucleotides corresponding to amino acids 51-56 of human urinary kallikrein and one oligonucleotide corresponding to amino acids 233-238 of human pancreatic kallikrein. The DNA sequence proved that, with the exception of two amino acid exchanges, kallikrein of the human salivary gland is identical with pancreatic kallikrein. Salivary gland and renal kallikrein was expressed in Escherichia coli from plasmid pKK223-3 under the control of the tac promoter. The protein was identified by Western-blot analysis and by demonstration of its specific proteolytic activity.     

Constitutive phosphorylation by protein kinase C regulates D1 dopamine receptor signaling

The D(1) dopamine receptor (D(1) DAR) is robustly phosphorylated by multiple protein kinases, yet the phosphorylation sites and functional consequences of these modifications are not fully understood. Here, we report that the D(1) DAR is phosphorylated by protein kinase C (PKC) in the absence of agonist stimulation. Phosphorylation of the D(1) DAR by PKC is constitutive in nature, can be induced by phorbol ester treatment or through activation of Gq-mediated signal transduction pathways, and is abolished by PKC inhibitors. We demonstrate that most, but not all, isoforms of PKC are capable of phosphorylating the receptor. To directly assess the functional role of PKC phosphorylation of the D(1) DAR, a site-directed mutagenesis approach was used to identify the PKC sites within the receptor. Five serine residues were found to mediate the PKC phosphorylation. Replacement of these residues had no effect on D(1) DAR expression or agonist-induced desensitization; however, G protein coupling and cAMP accumulation were significantly enhanced in PKC-null D(1) DAR. Thus, constitutive or heterologous PKC phosphorylation of the D(1) DAR dampens dopamine activation of the receptor, most likely occurring in a context-specific manner, mediated by the repertoire of PKC isozymes within the cell.     

烟实夜蛾触角化学感受蛋白cDNA的克隆、序列分析及在大肠杆菌中的表达

利用RT-PCR技术扩增了编码烟实夜蛾 Helicoverpa assulta 触角化学感受蛋白（chemosensory protein）的全长cDNA。克隆和测序结果表明,烟实夜蛾化学感受蛋白基因核苷酸序列全长384 bp(GenBank序列号： DQ285667),编码127个氨基酸残基,预测N-末端包含16个氨基酸组成的信号肽序列,因此估测其成熟蛋白分子量为12.97 kD,等电点为5.32。将该基因重组到表达载体pGEX-4T₂中,并转入原核细胞中进行表达。SDS-PAGE和Western印迹分析表明,经IPTG诱导后,烟实夜蛾化学感受蛋白基因能在大肠杆菌BL21中表达,电泳检测到一条约39 kD的外源蛋白,与预测的融合蛋白分子量大小相符。