智能多肽的自组装机理及其生物学应用

智能多肽是指智能响应外界刺激并做出相应回应的多肽。由于其形成过程为自发的自组装,故智能多肽又可称为自组装多肽。智能多肽的氨基酸构成使其拥有良好的生物相容性及生物可降解性,作为构筑基元拼接成为功能性材料,在新型生物材料方面展示出了广阔的应用前景。概括了智能多肽的性质、自组装机理及应用,重点阐述了它在生物能源、生物医学工程和分离工程上的应用,以期在系统认识智能多肽的基础上,发掘其应用潜能,突破开发瓶颈。     

温敏类弹性蛋白多肽的基因设计及重组克隆表达

温敏类弹性蛋白多肽(elastin-like polypeptides, ELPs)作为新型的药物载体,在肿瘤治疗中具有广阔的应用前景。本研究根据大肠杆菌密码子的偏好性和简并性,将高度连续重复氨基酸的多种遗传密码引入基因序列中,利用依次插入单体基因和递归定向连接技术,成功构建了以缬氨酸为客座氨基酸的ELPs基因的表达质粒库,即p ET28-ELP-V_5～pET28-ELP-V₅₀。将pET28-V₅₀转化至表达宿主Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)中,经重组菌的培养和IPTG诱导,SDS-PAGE结果显示ELP-V₅₀在大肠杆菌中成功获得了可溶性表达,与预期分子量大小一致。本研究为进一步构建不同分子量的ELPs基因库提供了新的思路,并为重组表达获得特定相变特性的多肽分子奠定了基础。     

类弹性蛋白多肽及其在生物医学材料的应用

类弹性蛋白多肽是一种人造基因工程蛋白质聚合物,其结构主要由五肽重复串连序列单元 (GVGXP) 的这一肽段单元重复组成。由于具有可逆相变特征,并可进行高通量生产,加之良好的生物相容性及生物可降解性,使其在新型生物医学材料方面展示了广阔的应用前景。概括了类弹性蛋白多肽的相变机理、合成方法及在生物医学材料上的应用,重点阐述了类弹性蛋白多肽在组织工程、靶向肿瘤、构造药物载体微粒的应用。     

负载白藜芦醇自组装多肽水凝胶的抗菌性能研究

[目的]制备一种负载白藜芦醇的自组装多肽水凝胶并探讨其抗菌性能。[方法]通过自组装制备多肽(FmocFFGGRGD)水凝胶和载有白藜芦醇的多肽水凝胶(Pep/RES);通过扫描电子显微镜和透射电子显微镜观察水凝胶的形貌和内部结构;通过流变仪检测水凝胶的流变性质;通过高效液相色谱检测Pep/RES的释放速率;通过细胞毒性试验研究该水凝胶的生物相容性;通过抑菌圈实验和活死细菌染色研究Pep/RES对大肠杆菌和金黄色葡萄球菌的抗菌性能。[结果]多肽溶液可在30 min内自组装形成稳定的水凝胶,水凝胶内部的三维结构密度随多肽浓度的增加而增加,2.0wt%浓度的多肽水凝胶稳定效果最好。白藜芦醇从Pep/RES水凝胶中缓慢释放7 d释放量达到50%,Pep/RES浸泡液对NIH/3T3细胞表现出良好的生物相容性。Pep/RES水凝胶中负载的白藜芦醇浓度为512μg/m L时,对金黄色葡萄球菌的抑菌圈直径即可达到5.41±0.18 mm,但即使白藜芦醇浓度达到1 024μg/m L,对大肠杆菌的抑菌圈直径仅为4.27±0.22 nm。[结论]Pep/RES结构稳定,安全无毒,能缓释白藜芦醇,并对金黄...     

类弹性蛋白多肽的从头设计、非色谱纯化及盐效应

旨在克隆、表达与纯化类弹性蛋白多肽,并测定类弹性蛋白的相变温度对不同的盐敏感程度。从头设计了类弹性蛋白多肽的序列并人工合成其编码基因片段,克隆至改造后的表达载体pET-22b中,构建重组表达载体,转化至大肠杆菌BL21(DE3) 中并诱导表达,采用可逆相变循环经高速离心对其进行纯化,并考察了盐类型及浓度对类弹性蛋白相变温度的影响。结果表明：0.4 mmol/L的Na2CO3能使25 μmol/L类弹性蛋白多肽 [KV8F-20] 相变温度降低至19 ℃,此类弹性蛋白多肽序列有望开发成一新型纯化标签,为今后     

溶剂特性对三臂星型类弹性蛋白多肽相变温度的影响

本文利用SpyTag/SpyCatcher特性构建了三臂星型结构的类弹性蛋白多肽(elastin like polypeptides, ELPs),考察其在不同溶剂,如分子拥挤试剂、osmolytes及深共熔溶剂(deep eutectic solvents,DESs)中的相变温度及行为,并与含有相同ELPs重复数的线性ELPs120作对比。结果表明：在不同浓度拥挤试剂PEG2000作用下,两种结构的ELPs相变温度均降低,当其各自浓度均为25 μmol/L时,三臂星型ELPs相变温度降低3℃～13℃,而ELPs120相变温度仅降低1.5℃～10.8℃。此外,在添加PEG2000后,三臂星型ELPs相变缓慢;在不同类型和浓度的osmolytes溶液中,25 μmol/L三臂星型ELPs相变温度明显要比线性ELPs高8℃左右;在DESs体系中,三臂星型ELPs有类似与水溶液中的相变行为,且其相变温度受到抑制,另外三臂星型ELPs和ELPs120在DESs/PBS体系中,与在(氯化胆碱+尿素)/PBS体系中的相变行为一致,其中当DESs体积含量为50%,ELPs120相变温度是最低的。由于ELPs在非单一缓冲液体系中的相变行为不同,这丰富了ELPs作为纯化标签的应用,且在非单一缓冲液体系中因降低了相变温度,节约了纯化融合蛋白的经济成本,同时也为研究ELPs拓扑结构与其相变行为之间的关系奠定理论基础。     

自组装多肽纳米纤维支架诱导骨髓间充质干细胞定向分化

组织工程是现代修复重建医学领域的新思路,生物支架和种子细胞是组织工程两大关键要素。自组装多肽纳米纤维支架(SAPNS)是两亲性多肽(PAs)分子在一定条件下自组装成的一类具有三维网状结构的新型生物支架,其结构、生物功能、机械力学等特性类似天然细胞外基质(ECM),其内部经功能化修饰的抗原表位以高浓度呈递在纳米纤维表面并高效选择性地调控种子细胞生物学行为。种子细胞是组织成功再生的必需条件,骨髓间充质干细胞(BMSCs)因其良好的自我更新和多向分化潜能成为了组织工程最佳候选细胞。体外实验表明经特异功能化修饰的SAPNS在有/无辅助因子条件下可促进BMSCs黏附、增殖、迁移和定向分化,动物模型体内实验发现SAPNS结合BMSCs构建的组织工程移植物可修复缺损部位的组织结构和功能,故其在修复重建医学中有良好的应用前景。对SAPNS、自组装、BMSCs、SAPNS诱导BMSCs定向分化等方面进行了综述。     

以类弹性蛋白多肽为标签的表达质粒构建及其用于木聚糖酶的非色谱纯化

【目的】旨在构建一个能以非色谱纯化目标蛋白的表达质粒,使用自行设计的类弹性蛋白多肽(ELPs)作为非色谱纯化标签,以纯化目标蛋白。该ELPs长度短,对盐非常敏感。【方法】从头设计了木聚糖酶,将其通过一段无规则卷曲同ELPs相连,合成了编码上述序列的基因,并构建重组表达载体pET-22b-SoxB-M2-S-ELP,转化至大肠杆菌BLR(DE3)中诱导表达,采用可逆相变循环经高速离心纯化木聚糖酶,并考察纯酶的酶学性质。【结果】成功构建了表达载体并表达,在pH=7.0时0.5 mol/L碳酸钠可使ELPs的相变温度降至22℃。在上述条件下,对木聚糖酶进行了非色谱纯化,其纯化倍数为3.2,回收率为21.2%,纯度为64.3%。经测定,未连接ELPs的酶、粗酶及纯化酶学性质基本一致,其最适温度为60℃,最适pH为6.0,最适反应时间为30 min,粗酶70℃保温1 h相对酶活仍有50%,为嗜热木聚糖酶,与预期相符。【结论】ELPs作为非色谱纯化标签纯化重组木聚糖酶具有操作简单、易于放大、成本较低的优势,故所构建的重组质粒可望通用于分离多种重组蛋白,具有较广泛的用途。     

超分子多肽自组装在生物医学中的应用

近年来,自组装多肽纳米技术因其可形成规则有序的结构、具有多样的功能而备受关注.研究发现自组装多肽能在特定的条件下形成具有确定结构的聚集体,这种聚集体具备生物相容性好、稳定性高等优点,表现出不同于单体多肽分子的特性和优势,因此其在药物传递、组织工程、抗菌等领域具有良好的应用前景.文中介绍了 自组装多肽形成的分子机理、类型...     

黄鳍金枪鱼抗菌肽YFGAP在大肠杆菌中融合表达及其活性检测

【目的】抗菌肽YFGAP由32个氨基酸组成,分子量为3.4 kD,对革兰氏阳性菌(G+)和革兰氏阴性菌(G?)表现出强效的抑制作用,不具有溶血活性。在大肠杆菌中表达抗菌肽YFGAP,分离纯化抗菌肽并鉴定其生物学活性。【方法】化学合成EK-YFGAP和L-EK-YFGAP基因序列,构建表达载体pET22b-ELP20-EK-YFGAP、pET22b-ELP40-EK-YFGAP和pET22b-ELP40-L-EK- YFGAP,分别转化至大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中诱导表达,可逆相变循环纯化融合蛋白。肠激酶酶切,经Vivaspin Turbo纯化柱纯化,测定重组抗菌肽的抑菌活性和溶血活性。【结果】纯化出两种融合蛋白ELP40-EK-YFGAP和ELP40-L-EK-YFGAP,肠激酶酶切纯化后获得重组抗菌肽YFGAP,对4种病原菌均有抑制效果,溶血活性较低。【结论】以ELPs作为非色谱纯化标签,实现了抗菌肽YFGAP的融合表达,具有操作简单、成本低、易于扩大的优势,为重组抗菌肽的量化制备及应用提供了理论基础和技术支持。     

Purification of an elastin-like fusion protein by microfiltration

This article describes a simple and potentially scalable microfiltration method for purification of recombinant proteins. This method is based on the fact that when an elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) is fused to a target protein, the inverse phase transition behavior of the ELP tag is imparted to the fusion protein. Triggering the phase transition of a solution of the ELP fusion protein by an increase in temperature, or isothermally by an increase in salt concentration, results in the formation of micron-sized aggregates of the ELP fusion protein. In this article, it is shown that these aggregates are efficiently retained by a microfiltration membrane, while contaminating E. coli proteins passed through the membrane upon washing. Upon reversing the phase transition by flow of Milli-Q water, soluble, pure, and functionally active protein is eluted from the membrane. Proof-of principle of this approach was demonstrated by purifying a fusion of thioredoxin with ELP (Trx-ELP) with greater than 95% recovery of protein and with greater than 95% purity (as estimated from SDS-PAGE gels). The simplicity of this method is demonstrated for laboratory scale purification by purifying Trx-ELP from cell lysate using a syringe and a disposable microfiltration cartridge. The potential scalability of this purification as an automated, continuous industrial-scale process is also demonstrated using a continuous stirred cell equipped with a microfiltration membrane.     

Influence of amino acid specificities on the molecular and supramolecular organization of glycine-rich elastin-like polypeptides in water

Elastin-like polypeptides adopt complex supramolecular structures, showing either a hydrophobic or a hydrophilic surface, depending on their surrounding environment and the supporting substrate. The preferred organization is important in many situations ranging from biocompatibility to bio-function. Here we compare the n-repeat pentamer LeuGlyGlyValGly (n = 7) with the analogue ValGlyGlyValGly (n = 5), as water suspensions and as deposits on silicon substrates. These sequences contain the repeat XxxGlyGlyZzzGly (Xxx, Zzz = Val, Leu) motif belonging to the hydrophobic glycine-rich domain of elastin and represent a simplified model from which to obtain information on molecular interactions functional to elastin itself. The compounds studied differ only by the presence of the -CH(2)- spacer in the Leu moiety and thus the work was aimed at revealing the influence of this spacer element on self assembly. Both polypeptides were studied under identical conditions, using combined techniques, to identify differences in their conformational states both at molecular (CD, FTIR) and supramolecular (XPS, AFM) levels. By these means, together with a Congo Red spectroscopic assay of β-sheet formation in water, a clear correlation between amino acid sequences (sequence specificity) and their kinetics and ordering of aggregation has emerged. The novel outcomes of this work are from the supplementary measurements, made to augment the AFM and XPS studies, showing that the significant step in the self assembly of both polypeptides takes place in the liquid phase and from the finding that the substitution of Val by Leu in the first position of the pentapeptide effectively inhibits the formation of amyloidal fibers.     

Variation in Bitterness Potency When Introducing Gly-Gly Residue into Bitter Peptides

We previously reported that Gly-Gly-Arg-Pro and Arg-Pro-Gly-Gly, the derivatives of a bitter peptide Arg-Pro, had no bitterness although Gly-Arg-Pro and Arg-Pro-Gly had a bitter taste at the same level as that of Arg-Pro. To elucidate the mechanism of elimination of bitterness by the introduction of the Gly-Gly residues, we synthesized Gly-Gly derivatives of other bitter peptides such as Phe-Phe, Val-Val-Val, and Arg-Pro-Phe-Phe, and examined the effectiveness of Gly-Gly residues in eliminating bitterness. We suggest that, for Arg-Pro and Val-Val-Val, the Gly-Gly residue might prevent a hydrophobic group from binding to a taste receptor.     

Formation of stable nanoparticles via electrostatic complexation between sodium caseinate and gum arabic

The formation of electrostatic complexes between sodium caseinate and gum arabic (GA) was studied as a function of pH (2.0-7.0), using slow acidification in situ with glucono-delta-lactone (GDL) or titration with HCl. The colloidal behavior of the complexes under specific conditions was investigated using absorbance measurements (at 515 or 810 nm) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). In contrast to the sudden increase in absorbance and subsequent precipitation of sodium caseinate solutions at pH < 5.4, the absorbance values of mixtures of sodium caseinate and GA increased to a level that was dependent on GA concentration at pH 5.4 (pH(c)). The absorbance values remained constant with further decreases in pH until a sudden increase in absorbance was observed (at pH(phi)). The pH(phi) was also dependent upon the GA concentration. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) data showed that the sizes of the particles formed by the complexation of sodium caseinate and GA between pH(c) and pH(phi) were between 100 and 150 nm and these nanoparticles were visualized using negative staining transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Below pH(phi), the nanoparticles associated to form larger particles, causing phase separation. zeta-Potential measurements of the nanoparticles and chemical analysis after phase separation showed that phase separation was a consequence of charge neutralization. The formation of complexes between sodium caseinate and GA was inhibited at high ionic strength (>50 mM NaCl). It is postulated that the structure of the nanoparticles comprises an aggregated caseinate core, protected from further aggregation by steric repulsion of one, or more, electrostatically attached GA molecules.     

Delivery of chimeric hepatitis B core particles into liver cells

Aims: To display a liver‐specific ligand on the hepatitis B virus core particles for cell‐targeting delivery. Methods and Results: A liver cell–binding ligand (preS1) was fused at the N‐terminal end of the hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg), but the fusion protein (preS1His₆HBcAg) was insoluble in Escherichia coli and did not form virus‐like particles (VLPs). A method to display the preS1 on the HBcAg particle was established by incorporating an appropriate molar ratio of the truncated HBcAg (tHBcAg) to the preS1His₆HBcAg. Gold immunomicroscopy showed that the subunit mixture reassembled into icosahedral particles, displaying the preS1 ligand on the surface of VLPs. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that the preS1 ligand delivered the fluorescein‐labelled VLPs into the HepG2 cells efficiently. Conclusions: Chimeric VLPs containing the insoluble preS1His₆HBcAg and highly soluble tHBcAg were produced by a novel incorporation method. The preS1 ligand was exposed on the surface of the VLPs and was shown to deliver fluorescein molecules into liver cells. Significance and Impact of Study: The newly established incorporation method can be used in the development of chimeric VLPs that could serve as potential nanovehicles to target various cells specifically by substituting the preS1 ligand with different cell‐specific ligands.     

Influence of elastin-like peptide fusions on the quantity and quality of a tobacco-derived human immunodeficiency virus-neutralizing antibody

The use of vaginal microbicides containing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) is a promising strategy to prevent HIV-1 infection. Although antibodies are predominantly manufactured using mammalian cells, elastin-like peptide (ELP) fusion technology improves the stability of recombinant, plant-produced proteins and facilitates their purification, making plants an alternative platform for antibody production. We generated transgenic tobacco plants accumulating four different formats of the anti-HIV-1 antibody 2G12 in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), i.e. with ELP on either the light or heavy chain, on both, or on neither. Detailed analysis of affinity-purified antibodies by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy showed that the kinetic binding parameters of all formats were identical to 2G12 lacking ELP produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Importantly, protein purification from seeds by inverse transition cycling (ITC) did not affect the binding kinetics. Analysis of heavy chain N-glycans from leaf-derived antibodies showed that retrieval to the ER was efficient for all formats. In seeds, however, N-glycans on the naked antibody were extensively trimmed compared with those on the ELP fusion formats, and were localized to a different subcellular compartment. The in vitro HIV-neutralization properties of the tobacco-derived 2G12 were equivalent to or better than those of the CHO counterpart.     

Insight into the intermolecular recognition mechanism involved in complement component 4 activation through serine protease-trypsin

Serine protease cleaved-complement component 4 (C4) at sessile loop, which is significant for completion of lectin and classical complement pathways at the time of infections. The co-crystalized structure of C4 with Mannose-binding protein-associated serine protease 2 (MASP2) provided the structural and functional aspects of its interaction and underlined the C4 activation by MASP2. The same study also revealed the significance of complement control protein (CCP) domain through mutational study, where mutated CCP domain led to the inhibition of C4 activation. However, the interaction of trypsin serine domain with C4α sessile loop revealed another aspect of C4 activation. The human C4 cleavage by Trypsin (Tryp) in a control manner was explored but not yet revealed the identification of cleaved fragments. Hence, the present study investigated the Tryp mediated C4 activation using computational approach (protein–protein docking and molecular dynamics simulation) by comparing with the co-crystalized structure of C4-MASP2. Docking result identified the crucial interacting residues Gly219, Gln178, and Asn102 of Tryp catalytic pocket which were interacting with Arg756 and Glu759 (sessile loop) of α-Chain (C4) in a similar manner to C4-MASP2 co-crystallized complex. Moreover, MD simulation results and mutational study underlined the conformational rearrangements in the C4 due to the Tryp interaction. Comparative analysis of C4 alone, C4-Tryp, and C4-MASP2 revealed the impact of Tryp on C4 was similar as MASP2. These studies designate the role of sessile loop in the interaction with serine domain, which could be useful to understand the various interactions of C4 with other complement components.     

The interplay of sequence and stereochemistry in defining conformation in proteins and polypeptides

Sequential specification of conformation in proteins and polypeptides is a triangular interplay involving the system of linked peptides, the sequences in side chains, and water as solvent. Stereochemistry in side chain linkages is obviously important in the interaction between all of the players, but no specification of its explicit role, if any, in linking sequence with conformation has been made. Flory and coworkers made a puzzling observation in 1967 that, when mutated from poly-L to alternating-L,D stereochemical structure, polypeptides will suffer a reduction in overall dimension or characteristic ratio by an astonishing factor of 10 and to a value even lower than that predicted for free rotation (Miller, W. G.; Brant, D. A.; Flory, P. J. J Mol Biol 1967, 23, 67-80). Enquiring into this longstanding puzzle, Durani and coworkers found that the stereochemical modification will also abolish conformational sensitivity in polypeptide structure to solvent, because electrostatic interactions in the system of linked peptides are transformed from a condition of mutual conflict to one of harmony (Ramakrishnan, V.; Ranbhor, R.; Kumar, A.; Durani, S. J Phys Chem B 2006, 110, 9314-9323). Thus, poly-L stereochemistry could be the fulcrum linking sequences with phi,psis in protein and polypeptide structures, via dielectric arbitrations in a conflicting type of interpeptide electrostatics, in agreement with the electrostatic screening model of Avbelj and Moult (Avbelj, F.; Moult, J. Biochemistry 1995, 34, 755-764).     

Identification and comparisons of the yolk polypeptides and the genes which code for them in D. melanogaster sibling species

Summary The yolk proteins stored in Drosophila, oocytes for utilisation during embryogenesis are an ideal system for studying the regulation of gene expression during development. The 3 major polypeptides found in yolk in D. melanogaster are synthesised in the fat body and ovarian follicle cells and selectively accumulated by the oocyte during vitellogenesis. In order to understand more about their regulation and the mechanism of uptake, studies on other species are necessary.Three yolk polypeptides have previously been identified in the D. melanogaster sibling species (D. melanogaster, D. simulans, D. mauritiana, D. erecta, D. teissieri, D. orena and D. yakuba). In D. melanogaster three genes located on the X chromosome are known to code for these yolk polypeptides. in this study genomic Southern transfers and in situ hybridisation experiments were carried out on the sibling species. Using the three cloned yolk protein genes from D. melanogaster, homologous sequences could be detected in the sibling species. It is suggested that three yolk protein genes occur in each of these species, all being located on the X chromosome, and that two of the genes are very closely linked in these same species. Yolk protein gene-homologous DNA sequences have also been identified in two more distantly related species D. funebris and D. virilis.