N-糖酰胺酶F在大肠杆菌中的高效表达及其脱糖基化作用研究

从脑膜炎脓杆菌（Flavobacterium meningosepticum）基因组中通过PCR扩增了N-糖酰胺酶F（PNGase F）基因,经酶切后与表达载体pET28a连接,获得的重组质粒转入大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)。重组大肠杆菌经诱导表达和纯化提取后,获取大量高纯度N-糖酰胺酶F,其纯度达90%以上。试验证明,经纯化的重组N-糖酰胺酶F可以切除核糖核酸酶B、转铁蛋白和人IgG等糖蛋白上的N-糖链,具有脱糖基化作用。     

蛋白质N-糖基化在拟南芥生长周期中的变化规律及去糖基化对根发育的影响

蛋白质N-糖基化修饰在植物生长发育中发挥重要作用。为探究蛋白质N-糖基化在拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)整个生长周期中的变化规律以及去N-糖基化对拟南芥生根发育的影响,通过N-糖链酶解和HPLC与MALDI-TOF-MS分析解析了不同生长时期的拟南芥Col-0植株的N-糖链组成(结构和含量)变化。以...     

酵母N-糖基化工程研究进展

酵母表达系统可用来生产具生物活性的重组糖蛋白,但其在N-糖基化过程中会生成高甘露糖型糖链。通过引入相关的甘露糖苷酶和糖基转移酶基因、切断酵母自身的高甘露糖链形成通道能够改变酵母宿主N-糖基化的类型。本对酵母N-糖基化工程的研究状况、最新进展及存在问题作简要阐述。     

N-糖基化对一种新型重组耐高温β-甘露聚糖酶(ReTMan26)稳定性的影响

【背景】对来源于嗜热枯草芽孢杆菌(TBS2)的一种新型重组耐高温β-甘露聚糖酶(ReTMan26)基因序列进行分析,该基因中含有3个N-糖基化位点(N8、N26与N255),经毕赤酵母表达时可进行N-糖基化修饰。【目的】确定N-糖基化对ReTMan26稳定性的影响。【方法】通过构建ReTMan26蛋白质三维结构模型,初步分析N-糖基化对该酶稳定性的影响。在此基础上,利用天然蛋白去糖基化试剂盒除去ReTMan26的N-多糖链,获得去除N-糖基化的耐高温β-甘露聚糖酶(ReTMan26-DG),并对纯化后的ReTMan26及ReTMan26-DG进行相应的稳定性对比检测。【结果】ReTMan26与ReTMan26-DG的最适反应pH均为6.0,但在pH1.5-9.0范围内,ReTMan26的稳定性比ReTMan26-DG有小幅提高。ReTMan26的最适反应温度为60°C,比ReTMan26-DG高5°C;ReTMan26经100°C处理10 min,剩余酶活为58.6%,而ReTMan26-DG经93°C处理10 min,剩余酶活为58.2%,100°C处理10min则完全失活。经胃蛋白酶及胰蛋白酶在37°C处理2h后,ReTMan26的剩余酶活分别为70.5%及91.2%,比ReTMan26-DG分别提高了23.7%及25.6%。【结论】N-糖基化可提高ReTMan26的pH稳定性、耐热稳定性及抗蛋白酶消化性能。     

Man8GlcNAc2糖基化的酿酒酵母菌株的构建

酿酒酵母糖蛋白的N-糖基化经过高尔基体的修饰后形成聚合度约150-200的甘露寡糖,高尔基体N-糖基化的糖基转移酶Mnn1p和Och1p在甘露寡糖的形成过程中起关键作用。通过同源重组置换敲除了酵母中的MNN1和OCH1基因阻断高尔基体N-糖基化修饰,分离纯化了mnn1 och1突变株中的N-糖蛋白,糖酰胺酶PNGaseF酶解释放的N-糖链经过2-氨基吡啶衍生后,利用HPLC和MALDITOF/MS结合的方法分析了突变株糖蛋白上的N-糖链。结果显示mnn1 och1突变株中的糖蛋白的N-糖链为结构单一的糖链,分子量为1794.66,推测为Man8GlcNAc2。     

人朊蛋白不同N-糖基化修饰突变体的构建及其在哺乳动物细胞中表达

构建并表达人朊蛋白N-糖基化修饰位点突变的真核表达载体,有助于进一步研究朊蛋白N-糖基化修饰的生物学功能。定点突变野生型人朊蛋白基因PRNP,将获得的突变体亚克隆至真核表达载体pcDNA3.1中,并在人宫颈癌细胞株HeLa中瞬时表达各种朊蛋白糖基化修饰位点突变体,利用免疫印迹和糖苷酶消化等糖蛋白分析方法鉴定表达产物的糖基化形式。经Western blot鉴定,野生型和突变型朊蛋白表达产物出现不同形式的泳动特征,分别出现特异性糖基化修饰的多个条带,单糖基化修饰的两条条带和无糖基化修饰的一条条带。经PNGase F糖苷酶消化,野生型和糖基化单点突变型表达产物均能被糖苷酶消化,其分子量下移,去糖基化突变型表达产物的分子条带位置不变。通过突变野生型人朊蛋白基因PRNP的N-糖基化修饰位点,获得单糖基化修饰和去N-糖基化修饰的6种人朊蛋白突变体,并能够在HeLa细胞株中瞬时表达单糖基化修饰和去N-糖基化修饰朊蛋白,为进一步研究朊蛋白的相关功能建立良好基础。     

糖蛋白过敏原N-糖链与过敏的相关性研究

糖蛋白是一种含有寡糖链的蛋白质,糖链与蛋白质之间以共价键相连。N-糖蛋白为常见过敏原之一,主要来源于食物、吸入物、昆虫毒素等,能够引起过敏反应。N-糖蛋白过敏原的N-糖链结构影响过敏原与IgE的结合,影响抗原提呈细胞（APC）对过敏原的识别和提呈。本文在介绍与过敏相关的N-糖蛋白、常见N-糖蛋白过敏原的N-糖链结构及与过敏相关的糖基化酶的基础上,进一步分析过敏原N-糖链影响过敏的机制,为临床预防与治疗过敏性疾病提供新的思路。     

N-糖肽的规模化质谱解析方法进展

蛋白质糖基化修饰的鉴定是蛋白质翻译后修饰分析中最具挑战性的任务之一,近几年尤其受到关注.快速发展的质谱技术为规模化的蛋白质糖基化修饰研究提供了有效的手段.与其他基于质谱技术的翻译后修饰鉴定相比,糖基化鉴定的难点在于糖链是大分子而且存在微观不均一性,另外糖链本身可以在串联质谱中碎裂且与肽段的碎裂规律不同,导致蛋白质组学的质谱解析方法和软件难以完整地鉴定肽段序列和糖链结构.完整N-糖肽的鉴定是糖基化分析的热点内容之一,针对N-糖肽的鉴定,近年来,人们开发了多种多样的质谱解析方法,其中包括用N-糖酰胺酶切除糖链后鉴定N-糖基化位点的方法、基于电子转运裂解的糖肽肽段鉴定、基于高能碰撞裂解与电子转运裂解联用或碰撞诱导裂解与三级谱联用的完整N-糖肽鉴定等等.本文对这些质谱解析方法进行了整理和综述,简要指出了目前完整糖肽鉴定软件存在的一些不足,展望了未来的发展方向.     

胃癌相关糖蛋白糖链谱的研究进展

胃癌是一类高发病率和高死亡率的恶性肿瘤.研究表明,癌前感染与胃癌的发生发展过程始终伴随着蛋白糖基化的异常.例如在癌前感染阶段糖蛋白糖链发挥的作用:在感染阶段,幽门螺杆菌(Helicobacter pylori,H.pylori)吸附导致的唾液酸化路易斯X抗原的上调,增强了H.pylori的吸附作用使其在胃部定殖并诱发持续的炎症反应;在慢性胃炎和肠上皮化生阶段唾液酸化的Tn抗原表达上调.胃癌发生发展过程中涉及到了血清、组织、细胞中的蛋白糖基化的改变,如核心岩藻糖基化N-糖链表达的下调,β1,6-连接的N-乙酰葡糖胺分支型N-糖链的增加,以及细胞黏附分子糖基化的改变.本文综述了胃癌相关糖蛋白糖链研究的最新进展,阐述了糖基化在胃癌的发生发展中发挥的重要作用及其作为胃癌早期生物标志物与药物靶点的潜在临床应用价值.     

Man8GlcNAc2糖基化的酿酒酵母菌株的构建

酿酒酵母糖蛋白的N-糖基化经过高尔基体的修饰后形成聚合度约150-200的甘露寡糖,高尔基体N-糖基化的糖基转移酶Mnn1p和Och1p在甘露寡糖的形成过程中起关键作用。通过同源重组置换敲除了酵母中的MNN1和OCH1基因阻断高尔基体N-糖基化修饰,分离纯化了mnn1 och1突变株中的N-糖蛋白,糖酰胺酶PNGaseF酶解释放的N-糖链经过2-氨基吡啶衍生后,利用HPLC和MALDITOF/MS结合的方法分析了突变株糖蛋白上的N-糖链。结果显示mnn1 och1突变株中的糖蛋白的N-糖链为结构单一的糖链,分子量为1794.66,推测为Man₈GlcNAc₂。     

重组人TNFR-Fc基因水稻种子特异表达载体构建

重组人Ⅱ型肿瘤坏死因子受体-抗体融合蛋白(TNFR-Fc)在治疗系统性自身免疫疾病中有很好的功效。目前TNFR-Fc主要通过动物细胞系生产,高昂的成本限制了其大规模应用。使用水稻种子作为生物反应器有望大幅度降低TNFR-Fc的生产成本,提供优质足量的目标产品。为使TNFR-Fc基因能够在水稻中高效表达,该研究拟构建经水稻偏好密码优化的TNFR-Fc基因的种子特异表达载体。通过对水稻和人全基因组密码子使用偏好性进行比较分析并按照水稻最优密码对TNFR-Fc氨基酸序列进行逐一优化,命名为Rf TNFRFc,通过全基因合成法制备该基因片段;同时采用PCR法扩增水稻种子特异表达启动子Glu-4,构建种子特异表达启动子驱动的Rf TNFR-Fc基因表达载体。结果表明:水稻与人多数氨基酸中密码子使用偏好性较为一致,但在L、S、P、R这4种氨基酸的密码子使用偏好性差异较大,优化时对这些密码子进行逐一替换,优化后30.8%的氨基酸密码子发生了变化;PCR扩增获得种子特异启动子,并连接至p CAMBIA1381载体,同时将全基因合成法制备的Rf TNFR-Fc基因连入该载体,PCR、双酶切验证及测序分析表明载体成功构建。该研究构建的Rf TNFR-Fc基因种子特异表达载体,为在水稻种子中大规模生产TNFR-Fc奠定了基础。     

Glycosylation of purified buffalo heart galectin-1 plays crucial role in maintaining its structural and functional integrity

A buffalo heart galectin-1 purified by gel filtration chromatography revealed the presence of 3.55% carbohydrate content, thus it is the first mammalian heart galectin found to be glycosylated in nature and emphasizes the need to perform deglycosylation studies. Physicochemical comparative analysis between the properties of the native and deglycosylated proteins was carried out to understand the significance of glycosylation. The deglycosylated protein exhibited lesser thermal and pH stability compared to the native galectin. When exposed to thiol blocking reagents, denaturants, and detergents, remarkable differences were observed in the properties of the native and deglycosylated protein. Compared to the native glycosylated protein, the deglycosylated galectin showed enhanced fluorescence quenching when exposed to various agents. CD and FTIR analysis showed that deglycosylation of the purified galectin and its exposure to different chemicals resulted in significant deviations from regular secondary structure of the protein, thus emphasizing the significance of glycosylation for maintaining the active conformation of the protein. The remarkable differences observed in the properties of the native and deglycosylated galectin add an important dimension to the significance of protein glycosylation and its associated biological and clinical relevance.     

Functional role of the glycan cluster of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 transmembrane glycoprotein (gp41) ectodomain.

To examine the role of the glycans of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 transmembrane glycoprotein gp41, conserved glycosylation sites within the env sequence (Asn-621, Asn-630, and Asn-642) were mutated to Gln. The mutated and control wild-type env genes were introduced into recombinant vaccinia virus and used to infect BHK-21 or CD4+ CEM cells. Mutated gp41 appeared as a 35-kDa band in a Western blot (immunoblot), and it comigrated with the deglycosylated form of wild-type gp41. Proteolytic cleavage of the recombinant wild-type and mutant forms of the gp160 envelope glycoprotein precursor was analyzed by pulse-chase experiments and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay: gp160 synthesis was similar whether cells were infected with control or mutated env-expressing recombinant vaccinia virus, but about 10-fold less cleaved gp120 and gp41 was produced by the mutated construct than the control construct. The rates of gp120-gp41 cleavage at each of the two potential sites appeared to be comparable in the two constructs. By using a panel of antibodies specific for gp41 and gp120 epitopes, it was shown that the overall immunoreactivities of control and mutated gp41 proteins were similar but that reactivity to epitopes at the C and N termini of gp120, as present on gp160 produced by the mutated construct, was enhanced. This was no longer observed for cleaved gp120 in supernatants. Both gp120 proteins, from control and mutated env, were expressed on the cell surface under a cleaved form and could bind to membrane CD4, as determined by quantitative immunofluorescence assay. In contrast, and despite sufficient expression of env products at the cell membrane, gp41 produced by the mutated construct was unable to induce membrane fusion. Therefore, while contradictory results reported in the literature suggest that gp41 individual glycosylation sites are dispensable for the bioactivity and conformation of env products, it appears that such is not the case when the whole gp41 glycan cluster is removed.     

N-linked glycosylation influences on the catalytic and biochemical properties of Penicillium purpurogenum β-d-glucuronidase

To study the influence of N-linked carbohydrate moiety on the catalytic and biochemical properties of glycosylated enzyme, a recombinant β-d-glucuronidase (PGUS-P) from Penicillium purpurogenum as a model glycoprotein, was deglycosylated with peptide-N-glycosidase F (PNGase-F) under native conditions. The enzymatic deglycosylation procedure resulted in the complete removal of carbohydrate moiety. Compared with the glycosylated PGUS-P, the deglycosylated PGUS-P exhibited 20-70% higher activity (p<0.05) within pH 6-9, but 15-45% lower activity (p<0.05) at 45-70°C. The apparent decrease in the thermal stability of the deglycosylated enzyme was reflected by a decrease in the denaturation temperature (T(d)) values determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The removal of N-linked glycans also reduced enzyme's sensitivity to certain metal ions. The deglycosylated PGUS-P displayed lower K(m) vaules, but higher k(cat)/K(m) ratios than the glycosylated isoform towards glycyrrhizin. The consequent conformational changes were also determined by circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectroscopy which revealed no significant difference in the secondary but a slight dissimilarity between the tertiary structures of both isoforms of PGUS-P.     

Design, expression and characterization of a novel coexpression system of two antiarthritic molecules

The complexity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis makes combined blockade of multiple targets an attractive therapeutic strategy. The combination therapy with anti-TNF plus anti-T-cell has been mostly reported to provide greater efficacy than anti-TNF alone. TNFR (p75)-Fc fusion protein, which has been proven effective in clinics, is chosen as the TNF antagonist in this study. CTLA4-FasL fusion molecule, which has been well characterized in our previous studies for its suppressive effect in rat arthritis model, is chosen as the T-cell antagonist. In this study, furin cleavage site and 2A self-processing sequence were introduced to link upstream TNFR-Fc and downstream CTLA4-FasL and mediate separate coexpression of the two fusion proteins in a single recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vector. Using this expression system, we generated two fusion proteins with same size as their individual counterparts in vitro and in vivo, and the proteins desirably retained their parent biological activities. In vivo results demonstrated that furin-2A technology is able to regulate separate coexpression of these proteins under arthritic inflammatory conditions. This study describes a single rAAV vector for production of two antiarthritic molecules antagonizing both TNF and T cells, which may serve as an attractive expression system for RA gene therapy.     

Effects of deglycosylation of sodium channels on their structure and function

Voltage-gated sodium channels are important membrane proteins underlying electrical signaling in the nervous and muscular systems. They undergo rapid conformational changes between closed resting, activated, and inactivated states. Approximately 30% of the mass of the sodium channel is carbohydrate, present as glycoconjugate chains, mostly composed of N-acetylhexosamines and sialic acid. In this study, the effects of removing the carbohydrate on the functional and structural properties of highly purified sodium channels from Electrophorus electricus were investigated. After enzymatic deglycosylation, channels were reconstituted into planar lipid bilayers. In the presence of batrachotoxin, substates became evident and the single-channel conductance of the deglycosylated channels was slightly reduced relative to that of native channels, consistent with electrostatic effects due to the reduction in negative charge at the extracellular vestibule of the channel. The previously reported state-dependent changes in the circular dichroism spectra that are associated with the binding of the anticonvulsant drug Lamotrigine and batrachotoxin are also seen in the modified channels. Synchrotron radiation circular dichroism (SRCD) spectroscopy on the type of sugars found in the sodium channel showed that unlike most carbohydrates, these sugars produce a significant dichroic signal in the far-ultraviolet region. This can account for all of the measured SRCD-detected spectral differences between the native and deglycosylated channels, thereby indicating that no net change in protein secondary structure results from the deglycosylation procedure. Furthermore, thermal denaturation studies detected no significant differences in stability between native and deglycosylated channels. In summary, while the sugars of the voltage-gated sodium channels from electroplax are not essential for functional or structural integrity, they do appear to have a modulating effect on the conductance properties of these channels.     

Fc 融合蛋白在药学领域的研究进展

Fc 融合蛋白是指利用基因工程等技术将某种具有生物活性的功能蛋白分子与Fc 片段融合而产生的新型重组蛋白,其不仅保留了功能蛋白分子的生物学活性,还具有一些抗体的性质,如通过结合相关Fc 受体延长半衰期和引发抗体依赖细胞介导的细胞毒性效应等。对Fc融合蛋白及其在药学领域的研究进展进行了综述。     

Thermal cycling aids folding of a recombinant human beta-casein with four extra N-terminal amino acid residues

Due to the limited secondary structure, it is believed that the caseins of milk, particularly the beta-caseins (beta-CN), may be in a mostly random-coil conformation or in various structures that result from random association of hydrophobic residues. However, the self-association of the human proteins with increasing temperature (T) and in the presence of Ca2+ is reproducible, implying that they normally fold into fixed tertiary structures. A nonphosphorylated recombinant human beta-CN with four extra amino acids at the N-terminus (GSHM-) was prepared and studied by laser light scattering, analytical ultracentrifugation, fluorescence spectroscopy, turbidity, and circular dichroism. In 3.3 M urea or at 4 degrees C, the protein was monomeric, as expected. Increasing T both without and with the addition of Ca2+ ions caused self-association as it does for the nonphosphorylated native beta-CN but with a somewhat different interaction pattern. However, returning the protein to its monomeric state by reequilibration at 4 degrees C followed again by increasing T caused a shift in the pattern. Such thermal cycling eventually caused the protein to equilibrate to a particular conformation where no more change could be observed. The resulting interaction pattern was similar to that of the native protein but differed particularly in that there was more extensive self-association for the recombinant mutant. The equilibration to a stable conformation was more rapid in the presence of Ca2+ ions. This suggests that the native protein normally folds into a particular conformation which may be aided by Ca2+ in the mammary gland. Further study of a recombinant form with the native amino acid sequence is needed.     

Structural significance of the C-terminal amphiphilic helix of interleukin-2

The structural significance of C-terminal amphiphilic alpha-helix of human interleukin-2 has been investigated using principles of protein design. Employing disulfide-mediated semi-synthesis, several multiple residue substitution patterns were studied in order to provide rapid insight into the most appropriate features to incorporate into fully recombinant proteins. Substitutions directed toward both stabilization and destabilization of the helix resulted in proteins with modulated bioactivity. Circular dichroism verified the conformational integrity and thermal stability of the derivatives. The biologic characteristics of each derivative were evaluated in the standard murine CTLL-2 assay and compared to activities exhibited in both human T-cell bioactivity and binding assay. A strategy for the design of protein ligand agonists and antagonists without knowledge of receptor contact residues is discussed.     

Enhanced stability of heterologous proteins by supramolecular self-assembly

Recently, we reported on the dual function of human ferritin heavy chain (hFTN-H) used for the fusion expression and solubility enhancement of various heterologous proteins: (1) high-affinity interaction with HSP70 chaperone DnaK and (2) formation of self-assembled supramolecules with limited and constant sizes. Especially the latter, the self-assembly function of hFTN-H is highly useful in avoiding the undesirable formation of insoluble macroaggregates of heterologous proteins in bacterial cytoplasm. In this study, using enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) and several deletion mutants of Mycoplasma arginine deiminase (ADI_132–410) as reporter proteins, we confirmed through TEM image analysis that the recombinant fusion proteins (hFTN-H::eGFP and hFTN-H::ADI_132–410) formed intracellular spherical particles with nanoscale diameter (≈10 nm), i.e., noncovalently cross-linked supramolecules. Surprisingly, the supramolecular eGFP and ADI showed much enhanced stability in bioactivity. That is, the activity level was much more stably maintained for the prolonged period of time even at high temperature, at high concentration of Gdn–HCl, and in wide range of pH. The stability enhancement by supramolecular self-assembly may make it possible to utilize the protein supramolecules as novel means for drug delivery, enzymatic material conversion (biotransformation), protein chip/sensor, etc. where the maintenance of protein/enzyme stability is strictly required. Jin-Seung Park and Ji-Young Ahn contributed equally to this work.