Escherichia coli skp chaperone coexpression improves solubility and phage display of single-chain antibody fragments

Expression of single-chain antibody fragments (scAb)in the periplasm of Escherichia coli often results in low soluble product yield and cell lysis. We have increased scAb solubility and prevented cell culture lysis by coexpressing the E. coli Skp chaperone gene. A mutant Skp cistron was linked to a bacteriophage T7 gene 10 translational initiation region and placed either downstream of a scAb gene within an isopropyl beta-d-thiogalactopyranoside-inducible expression cassette or on a separate colE1-compatible arabinose-inducible vector. Increases in scAb solubility reflected the amount of coexpressed Skp. A bacteriophage display vector that was also engineered to coexpress Skp permitted display of a virtually undisplayable scAb and should prove useful in expanding library sizes.     

Escherichia coliSkp Chaperone Coexpression Improves Solubility and Phage Display of Single-Chain Antibody Fragments

Expression of single-chain antibody fragments (scAb)in the periplasm ofEscherichia colioften results in low soluble product yield and cell lysis. We have increased scAb solubility and prevented cell culture lysis by coexpressing theE. coliSkp chaperone gene. A mutant Skp cistron was linked to a bacteriophage T7 gene 10 translational initiation region and placed either downstream of a scAb gene within an isopropyl β- -thiogalactopyranoside-inducible expression cassette or on a separate colE1-compatible arabinose-inducible vector. Increases in scAb solubility reflected the amount of coexpressed Skp. A bacteriophage display vector that was also engineered to coexpress Skp permitted display of a virtually undisplayable scAb and should prove useful in expanding library sizes.     

Co-expression of Skp and FkpA chaperones improves cell viability and alters the global expression of stress response genes during scFvD1.3 production

Background  

The overexpression of scFv antibody fragments in the periplasmic space of Escherichia coli frequently results in extensive protein misfolding and loss of cell viability. Although protein folding factors such as Skp and FkpA are often exploited to restore the solubility and functionality of recombinant protein products, their exact impact on cellular metabolism during periplasmic antibody fragment expression is not clearly understood. In this study, we expressed the scFvD1.3 antibody fragment in E. coli BL21 and evaluated the overall physiological and global gene expression changes upon Skp or FkpA co-expression.     

Production of correctly folded Fab antibody fragment in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli trxB gor mutants via the coexpression of molecular chaperones.

Disulfide bonds are normally formed after a polypeptide has been exported from the reducing environment of the cytoplasm into a more oxidizing compartment, such as the bacterial periplasm. Recently, we showed that in Escherichia coli trxB gor mutants, in which the reduction of thioredoxin and glutathione is impaired, the redox potential of the cytoplasm becomes comparable to that of the mammalian endoplasmic reticulum, thus allowing the formation of disulfide bonds in certain complex proteins (P. H. Bessette et al., 1999, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96, 13703-13708]. Here, we investigate the expression of a Fab antibody fragment in the bacterial cytoplasm. The effect of coexpressing cytoplasmic chaperones (GroEL/ES, trigger factor, DnaK/J), as well as signal sequenceless versions of periplasmic chaperones (DsbC and Skp), was examined. Skp coexpression was shown to have the most significant effect (five- to sixfold increase) on the yield of correctly folded Fab. A maximum yield of 0.8 mg Fab/L/OD(600) Fab was obtained, indicating that cytoplasmic expression may be a viable alternative for the preparative production of antibody fragments.     

A step-wise approach significantly enhances protein yield of a rationally-designed agonist antibody fragment in E. coli

Fab59 is a rationally-designed antibody fragment (Fab) that mimics the activity of the cytokine thrombopoietin (TPO). Fab59 activity was initially detected directly from bacterial supernatants in a cell-based assay and was subsequently estimated to be equipotent to TPO using purified material. However, the expression of Fab59 was insufficient to support in vivo characterization of the Fab due to extremely low expression levels from its initial phage display expression vector. To boost expression, a new expression vector was designed and constructed, and Fab59 light chain codons were optimized for bacterial expression. However, from this a new challenge arose, in that the codon-optimized Fab59 was more toxic to Escherichia coli cells than parental Fab59. Co-expression of the bacterial chaperon protein Skp alleviated this toxicity. A two-step purification method was used to isolate monomeric Fab59 from the periplasm. Although Fab59 was prone to form aggregates during the purification process, buffer modification efficiently eliminated this problem. Overall, optimization of Fab59 expression and purification achieved a 100-fold increase in Fab59 production in E. coli relative to the starting yield. The yield of purified monomeric Fab59 from a shake flask reached up to 3.5mg/L, which was sufficient to support testing of the agonist activity of purified monomeric Fab59 in vivo. Even higher yields may be achieved by purification of Fab present in the culture media, as Skp most significantly increased accumulation of Fab59 in that location.     

The periplasmic Escherichia coli peptidylprolyl cis,trans-isomerase FkpA. I. Increased functional expression of antibody fragments with and without cis-prolines

The production of recombinant proteins in the periplasm of Escherichia coli can be limited by folding problems, leading to periplasmic aggregates. We used a selection system for periplasmic chaperones based on the coexpression of an E. coli library with a poorly expressing antibody single-chain Fv (scFv) fragment displayed on filamentous phage (Bothmann, H., and Plückthun, A. (1998) Nature Biotechnol. 16, 376-380). By selection for a functional antibody, the protein Skp had been enriched previously and shown to improve periplasmic expression of a wide range of scFv fragments. This selection strategy was now repeated with a library constructed from the genomic DNA of an skp-deficient strain, leading to enrichment of the periplasmic peptidylprolyl cis,trans-isomerase (PPIase) FkpA. Coexpression of FkpA increased the amount of fusion protein displayed on the phage and dramatically improved functional periplasmic expression even of scFv fragments not containing cis-prolines. In contrast, the coexpression of the periplasmic PPIases PpiA and SurA showed no increase in the functional scFv fragment level in the periplasm or displayed on phage. Together with the in vitro data in the accompanying paper (Ramm, K., and Plückthun, A. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 17106-17113), we conclude that the effect of FkpA is independent of its PPIase activity.     

Reduced toxicity of expression, in Escherichia coli, of antipollutant antibody fragments and their use as sensitive diagnostic molecules

Single-chain antibody fragments (scAb), specific for the chlorophenoxy acid herbicide mecoprop, have been expressed and purified from the bacterium Escherichia coli. Co-expression with the colE1-compatible, arabinose-inducible, skp expression vector pHELP1 prevented bacterial lysis and significantly increased both total and functional expression yield. The periplasmic protein, SKP, may have a role as a generic detoxification protein. Surface plasmon resonance (BIAcore 2000) analysis confirmed that the purified scAb retained similar binding kinetics to the monoclonal antibody (Mab) from which it was cloned. In competition ELISA, the bacterial scAb showed the same specificity for mecoprop and a related herbicide, MCPA, as the Mab but an increase in sensitivity for free antigen in all ELISA formats. Bacterially expressed antibody fragments provide a simple, sensitive and cost-effective alternative to the traditional production of diagnostic Mabs via tissue culture.     

An engineered chaperonin caging a guest protein: Structural insights and potential as a protein expression tool

The structure of a chaperonin caging a substrate protein is not quite clear. We made engineered group II chaperonins fused with a guest protein and analyzed their structural and functional features. Thermococcus sp. KS-1 chaperonin alpha-subunit (TCP) which forms an eightfold symmetric double-ring structure was used. Expression plasmids were constructed which carried two or four TCP genes ligated head to tail in phase and a target protein gene at the 3' end of the linked TCP genes. Electron microscopy showed that the expressed gene products with the molecular sizes of ~120 kDa (di-TCP) and ~230 kDa (tetra-TCP) formed double-ring complexes similar to those of wild-type TCP. The tetra-TCP retained ATPase activity and its thermostability was significantly higher than that of the wild type. A 260-kDa fusion protein of tetra-TCP and green fluorescent protein (GFP, 27 kDa) was able to form the double-ring complexes with green fluorescence. Image analyses indicated that the GFP moiety of tetra-TCP/GFP fusion protein was accommodated in the central cavity, and tetra-TCP/GFP formed the closed-form similar to that crystallographically resolved in group II chaperonins. Furthermore, it was suggested that caging GFP expanded the cavity around the bottom. Using this tetra-TCP fusion strategy, two virus structural proteins (21-25 kDa) toxic to host cells or two antibody fragments (25-36 kDa) prone to aggregate were well expressed in the soluble fraction of Escherichia coli. These fusion products also assembled to double-ring complexes, suggesting encapsulation of the guest proteins. The antibody fragments liberated by site-specific protease digestion exhibited ligand-binding activities.     

Facile assessment of cDNA constructs for expression of functional antibodies in plants using the potato virus X vector

Antibodies have been expressed in plants to confer novel traits such as virus resistance or altered phenotype. However, not every antibody is suitable for plant expression, and successful intracellular expression of antibody fragments depends primarily on their amino acid sequence in a way that is as yet unpredictable. Therefore it is desirable to assess different constructs before embarking on the production of transgenic plants. We have used a transient expression system based on potato virus X to compare different cDNA constructs for expression and stability of antibody variable gene fragments in plants. Constructs contained an anti-plant enzyme (granule-bound starch synthase I) scFv sequence derived from a naive phage display library together with different combinations of sequences encoding the human IgG constant domain, a murine IgG secretory signal sequence, or the endoplasmic reticulum retention signal peptide KDEL. The results obtained with the potato virus X vector correlated with those from Agrobacterium-mediated stable transformation of potato. The best expression levels were obtained by incorporating sequences that target scFv to the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum and the secretory pathway. The anti-enzyme scFv retained activity during storage of potato tubers for more than five months. The results demonstrate the utility of the potato virus X vector for the analysis and comparison of many scFv with different epitope specificities or sequence modifications. Evaluation of scFv by transient expression from the PVX vector should aid progress in selection of functional scFv for applications in plant biotechnology.     

Coexpression of chaperonin GroEL/GroES markedly enhanced soluble and functional expression of recombinant human interferon-gamma in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis>

Recombinant human interferon-gamma (rhIFN-γ) is a protein of great potential for clinical therapy due to its multiple biological activities. However, overexpressing rhIFN-γ in Escherichia coli was found to accumulate as cytoplasmic inclusion bodies. In this work, a system for soluble and active expression of rhIFN-γ was constructed by coexpressing chaperonin GroEL/GroES in E. coli. The rhIFN-γ gene was fused to a pET-28a expression vector, and rhIFN-γ was partially expressed as the soluble form following coexpression with a second vector producing chaperonin GroEL/GroES. The fermentation of recombinant E. coli harboring rhIFN-γ and GroEL/GroES plasmids was investigated, and the optimized conditions were as follows: culture temperature of 25°C, incubation time of 8 h, isopropyl-β-d-thio-galactoside concentration of 0.2 mM, and l-arabinose concentration of 0.5 g/L. As a result, the expression level of rhIFN-γ was improved accordingly by 2.2-fold than the control, while a significantly positive correlation was also found between the ratio of supernatant to precipitate of rhIFN-γ and the amount of chaperonin. Circular dichroism spectra, fluorescence spectra, size exclusion chromatography, and chemical cross-linking method were applied to characterize rhIFN-γ, indicating that the three-dimensional structure of rhIFN-γ was identical to that of the native rhIFN-γ. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for active rhIFN-γ quantification showed that coexpression yielded 72.91 mg rhIFN-γ per liter fermentation broth. Finally, protein–protein interactions between rhIFN-γ and chaperonin were analyzed using the yeast two-hybrid system, which provided the direct evidence that chaperonin GroEL/GroES interacted with rhIFN-γ to increase the soluble expression and presented the potential in producing efficiently recombinant proteins.     

HIV-1 Gag多表位嵌合基因的构建及表达蛋白的抗体制备

旨在通过构建Gag的抗原多表位融合基因及在原核系统的高表达,为HIV诊断及可能的疫苗制备提供试验基础。选定HIV-1 Gag基因中3个片段包含较多抗原表位的区域,设计带有酶切位点的引物,用PCR的方法从HIV-1HXB2全基因扩增编码这3个片段的基因序列,通过质粒提取、酶切、测序方法鉴定基因片段的正确性,SDS-PAGE和Western blotting测定融合蛋白的表达,并免疫动物制备相应抗体。结果显示,构建的HIV-1 Gag多表位嵌合基因的原核表达质粒,酶切和测序结果表明基因序列正确,基因全长576bp。在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中高效表达的重组蛋白分子量为27kD,以包涵体的形式存在。纯化目的蛋白免疫家兔,制备多克隆抗体IgG。ELISA和免疫荧光方法检测显示制备的多克隆抗体能具有特异性反应。成功构建和高表达了HIV-1 Gag多表位融合蛋白,纯化蛋白制备的抗体与HIV-1Gag有特异性结合。为进一步研究HIV-1奠定了试验基础。     

Topoisomerase I from human placenta. Functional activity of products of expression of cloned cDNA fragments

Immunoscreening of the human placenta cDNA-library in the expression vector lambda gt11 using non-isotope detection based on the avidin-biotin system allowed to identify a number of clones encoding human topoisomerase I. The fusion protein from an extract of Escherichia coli cells infected with the recombinant phage lambda gt11 interacts with the monoclonal antibody raised against topoisomerase I from calf thymus; the dissociation constant being 5.7.10(-8) M. The restricted DNA fragments coding for the topoisomerase polypeptide in the composition of the fusion protein were recloned, and expression in the pEX vector was obtained. The functional analysis of the expression products has enabled localization of the epitope of binding the monoclonal antibody. It was demonstrated that the identified fusion protein can be applied for diagnosis of autoimmune diseases.     

促进大肠杆菌周质空间小分子抗体表达的菌种构建方法*

目的:构建一株表达TNF-α Fab'抗体的大肠杆菌工程菌,并设计一种高效实用的策略以促进大肠杆菌周质空间的可溶性Fab'抗体表达。方法:首先,通过更换不同表达载体,改变轻链和重链顺序,更换信号肽,共表达分子伴侣(Skp)、二硫键合成酶(Dsbc)、肽基辅氨酰顺反异构酶(PPIB)、二硫键异构酶(hPDI)、核酸酶(Nuclease),以评估对Fab'抗体表达量的改善。其次,纯化表达的Fab'抗体。通过周质提取、Q阴离子交换柱净化、苯基柱捕获、Protein L柱亲和三步纯化方案得到高纯度的Fab'抗体。最终将纯化后的Fab'抗体进行亲和力测定。结果:提高正确组装的Fab'抗体表达量的策略有——将目的蛋白构建至pET-30a载体;重链在前、轻链在后;轻、重链采用相异的信号肽;共表达hPDI。周质提取液中的Fab'抗体浓度达到588.0mg/L提取液,纯化后产量可达28.2mg/L发酵液,总回收率为32.0%,纯度为90.9%。Fab'抗体亲和力为(5.8±3.0)×10^-9mol/L,体外细胞学活性IC₅₀为(5.2±2.4)×10^-11mol/L。结论:通过大肠杆菌工程菌分子构建方式的优化,得到了一株高效表达可溶性Fab'抗体的工程菌株,为可溶性小分子抗体的规模化生产奠定了研究基础。     

Production of a recombinant Fab in Pichia pastoris from a Monocistronic expression vector

Recombinant Fab is usually expressed using dicistronic vectors producing the heavy and light chains separately. We developed an improved vector for Fab fragment expression in Pichia pastoris, which allows a stoichiometric expression of both chains based on a monocistronic arrangement. The protein is produced as a unique polypeptide harbouring a KEX2 processing site between both chains. After KEX cleavage, a correctly folded mature Fab is formed. The produced recombinant protein is characterized as a heterodimeric functional Fab. The vector described is a new tool for the proper expression of antibody fragments or any heterodimeric polypeptides.     

Chloroplast chaperonins: evidence for heterogeneous assembly of alpha and beta Cpn60 polypeptides into a chaperonin oligomer

Higher plant chloroplasts contain two chaperonin 60 family proteins, Cpn60alpha and Cpn60beta, which are known to have divergent amino acid sequences. Although Cpn60alpha and Cpn60beta are present in roughly equal amounts and copurify in their native states, a heterogeneous ensemble of the chaperonin oligomer has not yet been demonstrated. We separately purified Cpn60alpha and Cpn60beta proteins from spinach leaves as the monomeric form. Either antibody raised against one chaperonin 60 protein could coimmunoprecipitate the other chaperonin 60 protein in their oligomeric state but not in its monomeric state, suggesting that the chloroplast Cpn60alpha and Cpn60beta polypeptides actually reside in the same chaperonin oligomer in the stroma. Moreover, the chaperonin oligomers migrated as at least two distinct bands on the native gel electrophoresis, each of which contained both chaperonin 60 proteins. These results suggest that chloroplast chaperonin oligomers might be composed of at least two distinct sets of two chaperonin proteins.     

B3(ds-scFv)靶向超抗原的制备及活性鉴定

To construct the expression vector of a recombinant toxin composed of a disulfide stable single-chain antibody from mAbB3 and SEA(D227A),the binding ability and cytotoxicity of the purified renatured products against the B3 positive carcinoma cells was examined. The VH and VL fragments of the mAbB3 were ligated by overlap PCR, the PCR product was cloned to the pET22b expression vector, then the SEA fragment was inserted into the B3dsscFv-pET22b expression vector which was digested by the same restriction enzymes. The expression plasmid was identified by restriction endonucleases digestion and transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3) followed by IPTG induction. The inclusion body was purified through SP-Sepharose cation exchange column after denaturing and refolding and the binding and cytotoxic ability of the purified products was examined by cell-ELISA and non-radioactive cell proliferation assay seperately. The expression vector B3dsscFv-SEA-pET was constructed successfully and the expression product exists mainly in the inclusion body, amounting to 33% of the total protein. The refolding product remains the binding ability of the single-chain antibody and has cytotoxic effect on HT-29 colon carcinoma cells. The stability assay showed that the resulting protein was stable at 37℃. This genetically engineered B3dsscFv-SEA fusion protein has bifunction of tumor targeting and tumor cell killing and promises to be an effective reagent for tumor targeted immunotherapy.     

Cytoplasmic Skp2 Expression Is Associated with p-Akt1 and Predicts Poor Prognosis in Human Breast Carcinomas

Background

S-phase kinase protein 2 (Skp2), an oncogenic protein, is a key regulator in different cellular and molecular processes, through ubiquitin-proteasome degradation pathway. Increased levels of Skp2 are observed in various types of cancer and associated with poor prognosis. However, in human breast carcinomas, the underlying mechanism and prognostic significance of cytoplasmic Skp2 is still undefined.

Methods

To investigate the role of cytoplasmic Skp2 expression in human breast carcinomas, we immnohistochemically assessed cytoplasmic Skp2, p-Akt1, and p27 expression in 251 patients with invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast. Association of cytoplasmic Skp2 expression with p-Akt1 and p27 was analyzed as well as correspondence with other clinicopathological parameters. Disease-free survival and overall survival were determined based on the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression models.

Results

Cytoplasmic of Skp2 was detected in 165 out of 251 (65.7%) patients. Cytoplasmic Skp2 expression was associated with larger tumor size, more advanced histological grade, and positive HER2 expression. Increased cytoplasmic Skp2 expression correlated with p-Akt1 expression, with 54.2% (51/94) of low p-Akt1-expressing breast carcinomas, but 72.6% (114/157) of high p-Akt1-expressing breast carcinomas exhibiting cytoplasmic Skp2 expression. Elevated cytoplasmic Skp2 expression with low p-Akt1 expression was associated with poor disease-free and overall survival (DFS and OS), and Cox regression models demonstrated that cytoplasmic Skp2 expression was an independent prognostic marker for invasive breast carcinomas.

Conclusion

Cytoplasmic Skp2 expression is associated with aggressive prognostic factors, such as larger tumor size, and advanced histological grade of the breast cancers. Results demonstrate that combined cytoplasmic Skp2 and p-Akt1 expression may be prognostic for patients with invasive breast carcinomas, and cytoplasmic Skp2 may serve as a potential therapeutic target.     

HeLa细胞中Skp2的表达调控p21WAFCIP1稳定性

泛素 蛋白酶体抑制剂MG 132处理的HeLa和SaoS 2细胞中 ,低表达的p2 1WAF CIP1受泛素 蛋白酶体通路调控 .为探讨肿瘤细胞中高表达的E3连接酶底物结合亚基 Skp2和低表达的p2 1WAF CIP1之间的关系 ,在HeLa细胞中转染Skp2的反义寡核苷酸后 ,p2 1表达水平明显升高 .同时 ,相对于转染空载体和Skp2ΔF(Skp2的F box缺失突变体 )的真核表达载体 ,转染全长Skp2的HeLa细胞中 ,p2 1表达水平显著下降 ,说明肿瘤细胞中Skp2调节p2 1的稳定性 ,并且这种调控作用依赖于Skp2蛋白中的F box结构 .免疫荧光结果表明 ,Skp2和p2 1共定位于细胞核 ,这为两者间的相互作用提供了前提 ;体内相互免疫共沉淀结果表明 ,p2 1和其它SCFSkp2 的底物一样与Skp2直接结合 ,并且它们之间的结合区不在F box结构域 ,这一结果在体外的GST pulldown实验中得到验证