A comparative study of the human T-cell leukemia virus type 2 integrase expressed in and purified from Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris

The human T-cell leukemia virus type-2 (HTLV-2) integrase (IN) catalyzes the insertion of the viral genome into the host chromosome. HTLV-2 IN was expressed as an N-terminal hexa-histidine tagged protein in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris and as a C-terminal hexa-histidine fusion in Escherichia coli. Maximal IN expression was observed at 48h post-induction for the yeast system and 2h post-induction for E. coli. Effective purification strategies were developed using non-ionic and zwitterionic detergents for initial protein extraction, followed by a one-step nickel-chelating chromatography purification. IN from both sources was routinely greater than 90% pure with yields exceeding 1.5mg of purified IN per liter of culture for P. pastoris. The relative pI was defined for both INs, pH 5.0-5.4, by 2D-gel electrophoresis. Specific activities for IN purified from E. coli and P. pastoris were calculated from in vitro 3(') processing assays and were comparable. In vitro IN assays were also performed to optimize reaction buffer pH and metal concentrations for both 3(') processing and strand transfer assays. Strand transfer was optimal from pH 6.2-6.8, more than 1.5 pH units below the optimal 3(') processing pH of 8.3. IN from both sources showed no enhancement in activity with MnCl(2) concentrations greater than 5mM. The specific activity of P. pastoris purified IN was 0.35 product (pmol)/h/microg IN, and E. coli produced IN was 0.48 product (pmol)/h/microg IN.     

Efficient concerted integration by recombinant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 integrase without cellular or viral cofactors

Replication of retroviruses requires integration of the linear viral DNA genome into the host chromosomes. Integration requires the viral integrase (IN), located in high-molecular-weight nucleoprotein complexes termed preintegration complexes (PIC). The PIC inserts the two viral DNA termini in a concerted manner into chromosomes in vivo as well as exogenous target DNA in vitro. We reconstituted nucleoprotein complexes capable of efficient concerted (full-site) integration using recombinant wild-type human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) IN with linear retrovirus-like donor DNA (480 bp). In addition, no cellular or viral protein cofactors are necessary for purified bacterial recombinant HIV-1 IN to mediate efficient full-site integration of two donor termini into supercoiled target DNA. At about 30 nM IN (20 min at 37 degrees C), approximately 15 and 8% of the input donor is incorporated into target DNA, producing half-site (insertion of one viral DNA end per target) and full-site integration products, respectively. Sequencing the donor-target junctions of full-site recombinants confirms that 5-bp host site duplications have occurred with a fidelity of about 70%, similar to the fidelity when using IN derived from nonionic detergent lysates of HIV-1 virions. A key factor allowing recombinant wild-type HIV-1 IN to mediate full-site integration appears to be the avoidance of high IN concentrations in its purification (about 125 microg/ml) and in the integration assay (<50 nM). The results show that recombinant HIV-1 IN may not be significantly defective for full-site integration. The findings further suggest that a high concentration or possibly aggregation of IN is detrimental to the assembly of correct nucleoprotein complexes for full-site integration.     

美洲商陆抗病毒蛋白-Ⅱ基因的克隆和表达

根据报道的cDNA序列,用RT-PCR的方法从美洲商陆夏季的叶片中克隆美洲商陆抗病毒蛋白-Ⅱ(pokeweedantiviralproteinⅡ,PAP-Ⅱ)基因。将PAP-Ⅱ基因克隆至表达载体pET-28a( )并在大肠杆菌中表达,SDS-PAGE电泳分析结果表明,PAP-Ⅱ蛋白在BL21(DE3)菌中获得表达,表达产物以不溶性包涵体形式存在,经过溶解包涵体、复性和BBSTNTA树脂柱亲和层析纯化,获得高纯度的PAP-Ⅱ蛋白。用非放射性基于ELISA方法检测经过复性纯化后PAP-Ⅱ蛋白和蓖麻毒素A链(RTA)在体外对HIV-1整合酶有较强的抑制活性,其IC50分别约为303μg/mL,220μg/mL。用MTT法分析PAP-Ⅱ蛋白的生物学活性,复性纯化后蛋白对HEP-G2和Hela细胞有细胞毒作用,IC50分别为93μg/mL,102μg/mL,说明了PAP-Ⅱ蛋白能抑制肿瘤细胞的生长。构建的PAP-Ⅱ表达系统所表达的蛋白经复性后具有生物学活性,为进一步研究PAP-Ⅱ的抗HIV-1机制和抗肿瘤作用奠定了基础。     

HIV-1整合酶核心区可溶性表达及抑制剂筛选

为了实现HIV-1整合酶蛋白核心区 (central core domain of integrase, IN-CCD) 的可溶性表达,并建立以IN-CCD为靶点的抑制剂体外筛选方法,从包含F185K突变HIV-1 IN基因的质粒中经PCR扩增得到含有F185K突变的IN-CCD基因,克隆到pET28b载体上构建重组质粒pIN-CCD,转化pIN-CCD至E. coli BL21 (DE3)中经IPTG诱导、表达,Ni-亲和层析纯化,获得IN-CCD蛋白。修饰DNA底物,以链亲和素包被的磁珠为载体捕获DNA产物,结合酶联免疫吸附测定法(ELISA)检测IN-CCD的去整合活性,并筛选以IN-CCD为靶点的抑制剂。结果表明重组蛋白IN-CCD实现了高效可溶性表达,纯化后蛋白纯度达95%。建立的ELISA可以检测IN-CCD的去整合活性,且方法特异性和灵敏度好,可以实现高通量抑制剂筛选。从100个样品中筛选得到5个具有初步抑制IN-CCD去整合活性的样品。     

Purification of an active monomeric recombinant HIV-1 trans-activator.

A method for the purification of a truncated, biologically active human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) trans-activator (rTAT) from recombinant Escherichia coli is reported here. The purification steps utilized include mild extraction (French press), concentration by ammonium sulfate precipitation, chromatography in 8 M urea on an S-Sepharose fast-protein liquid chromatography column, and finally, resolution by C-4 reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. After the final step, the rTAT is dried and stored under salt-free conditions. Amino acid compositional analysis and N-terminal sequence analysis confirm that the purified protein is rTAT. Unlike other methods reported for purification of recombinant HIV-1 trans-activator, our protocol uses urea instead of guanidine HCl. The rTAT is fully soluble in buffered solutions at concentrations exceeding 10 mg/ml, migrates as a single 14 kDa species on both sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and two-dimensional PAGE gels with a pI of 9.3 +/- 0.3. Additionally, the rTAT migrates as a monomer on size-exclusion chromatography columns under native conditions. Finally, purified rTAT exhibits trans-activator activity when introduced into appropriate reporter cells. Since rTAT is monomeric when tested by gel filtration, and yet exhibits biological activity, we conclude that the method of purification we have utilized is distinct from all other methods reported to date.     

Nuclear localization of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 preintegration complexes (PICs): V165A and R166A are pleiotropic integrase mutants primarily defective for integration,not PIC nuclear import

Retroviral replication requires the integration of reverse-transcribed viral cDNA into a cell chromosome. A key barrier to forming the integrated provirus is the nuclear envelope, and numerous regions in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) have been shown to aid the nuclear localization of viral preintegration complexes (PICs) in infected cells. One region in integrase (IN), composed of Val-165 and Arg-166, was reportedly essential for HIV-1 replication and nuclear localization in all cell types. In this study we confirmed that HIV-1(V165A) and HIV-1(R166A) were replication defective and that less mutant viral cDNA localized to infected cell nuclei. However, we present three lines of evidence that argue against a specific role for Val-165 and Arg-166 in PIC nuclear import. First, results of transient transfections revealed that V165A FLAG-tagged IN and green fluorescent protein-IN fusions carrying either V165A or R166A predominantly localized to cell nuclei. Second, two different strains of previously described class II IN mutant viruses displayed similar nuclear entry profiles to those observed for HIV-1(V165A) and HIV-1(R166A), suggesting that defective nuclear import may be a common phenotype of replication-defective IN mutant viruses. Third, V165A and R166A mutants were defective for in vitro integration activity, when assayed both as PICs isolated from infected T-cells and as recombinant IN proteins purified from Escherichia coli. Based on these results, we conclude that HIV-1(V165A) and HIV-1(R166A) are pleiotropic mutants primarily defective for IN catalysis and that Val-165 and Arg-166 do not play a specific role in the nuclear localization of HIV-1 PICs in infected cells.     

HIV-1 Vpu蛋白的原核表达、鉴定和纯化

目的：克隆、表达、纯化人免疫缺陷病毒Ⅰ型（HIV-1）Vpu蛋白,为其功能及免疫学研究奠定基础。方法：PCR扩增Vpu基因,纯化、酶切后克隆到原核表达载体pET32a中,转化大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）菌株获得表达工程菌株,IPTG诱导蛋白表达,免疫印迹鉴定目的蛋白,亲和层析纯化蛋白。结果：构建了HIV-1Vpu蛋白的原核表达载体Vpu-pET32a,并在大肠杆菌中高效表达,目的蛋白呈可溶性形式存在,免疫印迹检测显示为目的蛋白,经Ni—NTAAgarose纯化获得了高纯度的目的蛋白。结论：在原核表达系统中表达了可溶性HIV-1Vpu蛋白,为进一步进行HIV-1Vpu蛋白的免疫原性和功能研究奠定了基础。     

Development of a high-throughput assay for the HIV-1 integrase disintegration reaction

Both HIV-1 integrase (IN) and the central catalytic domain of IN (IN-CCD) catalyze the disintegration reaction in vitro. In this study, IN and IN-CCD proteins were expressed and purified, and a high-throughput format enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the disintegration reaction. IN exhibited a marked preference for Mn²⁺ over Mg²⁺ as the divalent cation cofactor in disintegration. Baicalein, a known IN inhibitor, was found to be an IN-CCD inhibitor. The assay is sensitive and specific for the study of disintegration reaction as well as for the in vitro identification of antiviral drugs targeting IN, especially targeting IN-CCD.     

Automated purification of recombinant proteins: combining high-throughput with high yield

Protein crystallography, mapping protein interactions, and other functional genomic approaches require purifying many different proteins, each of sufficient yield and homogeneity, for subsequent high-throughput applications. To fill this requirement efficiently, there is a need to develop robust, automated, high-throughput protein expression, and purification processes. We developed and compared two alternative workflows for automated purification of recombinant proteins based on expression of bacterial genes in Escherichia coli (E. coli). The first is a filtration separation protocol in which proteins of interest are expressed in a large volume, 800 ml of E. coli cultures, then isolated by filtration purification using Ni-NTA-Agarose (Qiagen). The second is a smaller scale magnetic separation method in which proteins of interest are expressed in a small volume, 25 ml, of E. coli cultures then isolated using a 96-well purification system with MagneHis Ni2+ Agarose (Promega). Both workflows provided comparable average yields of proteins, about 8 microg of purified protein per optical density unit of bacterial culture measured at 600 nm. We discuss advantages and limitations of these automated workflows, which can provide proteins with more than 90% purity and yields in the range of 100 microg to 45 mg per purification run, as well as strategies for optimizing these protocols.     

分子信标方法研究HIV-1整合酶3'加工反应动力学

HIV-1整合酶催化病毒cDNA与宿主细胞基因组DNA的整合,是病毒在宿主细胞中增殖的一个关键酶。 3'加工是整合酶催化整合过程的第一步反应,3'加工反应动力学的研究对整合酶催化机理研究和以整合酶为靶点的药物研发都具有重要意义。构建了野生型HIV-1整合酶重组质粒,在大肠杆菌BL21中诱导表达,通过对包涵体变性、复性,纯化得到了整合酶蛋白。 基于分子信标原理,设计了荧光和淬灭基团标记的DNA底物,通过荧光信号实时监测3' 加工反应,对酶反应的动力学性质进行研究。 结果表明,纯化的整合酶蛋白具有较高的活性,酶反应表现出显著的Mg²⁺偏好性。 酶动力学研究 (K_m = 131.79 nmol/L,K_cat = 0.0042 min ^-1) 表明,该分子信标方法和设计的DNA底物可用于整合酶3'加工反应动力学研究以及酶反应性质的研究。     

In vitro activities of purified visna virus integrase.

Although integration generally is considered a critical step in the retrovirus life cycle, it has been reported that visna virus, which causes degenerative neurologic disease in sheep, can productively infect sheep choroid plexus cells without detectable integration. To ascertain whether the integrase (IN) of visna virus is an inherently defective enzyme and to create tools for further study of integration of the phylogenetically related human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), we purified visna virus IN by using a bacterial expression system and applied various in vitro oligonucleotide-based assays to studying this protein. We found that visna virus IN demonstrates the full repertoire of in vitro functions characteristic of retroviral integrases. In particular, visna virus IN exhibits site-specific endonuclease activity following the invariant CA found two nucleotides from the 3' ends of viral DNA (processing activity), joins processed oligonucleotides to various sites on other oligonucleotides (strand transfer or integration activity), and reverses the integration reaction by resolving a complex that mimics one end of viral DNA integrated into host DNA (disintegration activity). In addition, although it has been reported that purified HIV-1 IN cannot specifically nick visna virus DNA ends, purified visna virus IN does specifically process and integrate HIV-1 DNA ends.     

DNA binding properties of the integrase proteins of human immunodeficiency viruses types 1 and 2.

Integration of retroviral DNA into the host chromosome requires the integrase protein (IN). We overexpressed the IN proteins of human immunodeficiency viruses types 1 and 2 (HIV-1 and HIV-2) in E. coli and purified them. Both proteins were found to specifically cut two nucleotides off the ends of linear viral DNA, and to integrate viral DNA into target DNA. This demonstrates that HIV IN is the only protein required for integration of HIV DNA. Although the two types of IN proteins have only 53% amino acid sequence similarity, they act with equal efficiency on both type 1 and type 2 viral DNA. Binding of IN to DNA was tested: purified IN does not bind very specifically to viral DNA ends. Nevertheless, only viral DNA ends are cleaved and integrated. We interpret this as follows: in vitro quick aspecific binding to DNA is followed by slow specific cutting and integration. IN can not find viral DNA ends in the presence of an excess of aspecific DNA; in vivo this is not required since the IN protein is in constant proximity of viral DNA in the viral core particle.     

Biochemical and biophysical analyses of concerted (U5/U3) integration

Retrovirus integrase (IN) integrates the viral linear DNA genome (10 kb) into a host chromosome, a step which is essential for viral replication. Integration occurs via a nucleoprotein complex, termed the preintegration complex (PIC). This article focuses on the reconstitution of synaptic complexes from purified components whose molecular properties mirror those of the PIC, including the efficient concerted integration of two ends of linear viral DNA into target DNA. The methods described herein permit the biochemical and biophysical analyses of concerted integration. The methods enable (1) the study of interactions between purified recombinant IN and its viral DNA substrates at the molecular level; (2) the identification and characterization of nucleoprotein complexes involved in the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) concerted integration pathway; (3) the determination of the multimeric state of IN within these complexes; (4) dissection of the interaction between HIV-1 IN and cellular proteins such as lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF/p75); (5) the examination of HIV-1 Class II and strand transfer inhibitor resistant IN mutants; (6) the mechanisms associated with strand transfer inhibitors directed against HIV-1 IN that have clinical relevance in the treatment of HIV-1/AIDS.     

Two-step purification of Bacillus circulans chitinase A1 expressed in Escherichia coli periplasm

A protein purification procedure was developed to efficiently and effectively purify the target enzyme, chitinase A1 of Bacillus circulans WL-12, from Escherichia coli DH5alpha carrying the chiA gene with its natural promoter in the plasmid pNTU110. Chitinase A1 was purified to apparent homogeneity from E. coli periplasm with a final recovery of 90.6%. Two main steps were included in this protein purification procedure, ammonium sulfate precipitation (40% saturation) and anion-exchange chromatography at pH 6.0 using Q Ceramic HyperD column. The yield of chitinase A1 was estimated at 95 microg/L. A polyclonal antibody against chitinase A1 was raised by immunizing BALB/c mice with chitinase A1 purified from E. coli DH5alpha(pNTU110). As indicated by Western blot analysis, a 3000-fold diluted antibody detected purified chitinase A1 from E. coli DH5alpha(pNTU110) in an amount of at least 1 ng and specifically detected chitinase A1 produced by B. circulans WL-12.     

Newer tetracycline derivatives: synthesis, anti-HIV, antimycobacterial activities and inhibition of HIV-1 integrase

A series of new tetracycline derivatives has been synthesized by reacting appropriate tetracyclines, formaldehyde and secondary amino (piperazino) function of fluoroquinolones using microwave irradiation with the yield ranging from 41 evaluated for its anti-HIV, antimycobacterial activities and HIV-1 integrase (IN) enzyme inhibition studies. Among the synthesized compounds, compound 10 was found to be the most promising compound active against HIV-1 replication with EC(50) of 5.2 microM and was nontoxic to the CEM cells until 200 microM, and MIC of 0.2 microg/mL against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with moderate inhibition of both 3'-processing and strand transfer steps of HIV-1 IN.     

Minimal Core Domain of HIV-1 Integrase for Biological Activity

The human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) integrase (IN) mediates insertion of viral DNA into human DNA, which is an essential step in the viral life cycle. In order to study minimal core domain in HIV-1 IN protein, we constructed nine deletion mutants by using PCR amplification. The constructs were expressed in Escherichia coli, and the proteins were subsequently purified and analyzed in terms of biological activity such as enzymatic and DNA-binding activities. The mutant INs with an N-terminal or C-terminal deletion showed strong disintegration activity though they failed to show endonucleolytic and strand transfer activities, indicating that the disintegration reaction does not require the fine structure of the HIV-1 IN protein. In the DNA-binding analysis using gel mobility shift assay and UV cross-linking method, it was found that both the central and C-terminal domains are essential for proper DNA-IN protein interaction although the central or C-terminal domain alone was able to be in close contact with DNA substrate. Therefore, our results suggest that the C-terminal domain act as a DNA-holding motive, which leads to proper interaction for enzymatic reaction between the IN protein and DNA.     

Structural implications of spectroscopic characterization of a putative zinc finger peptide from HIV-1 integrase.

The N-terminal domain of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) integrase (IN) contains the sequence motif His-Xaa3-His-Xaa23-Cys-Xaa2-Cys, which is strongly conserved in all retroviral and retrotransposon IN proteins. This structural motif constitutes a putative zinc finger in which a metal ion may be coordinately bound by the His and Cys residues. A recombinant peptide, IN(1-55), composed of the N-terminal 55 amino acids of HIV-1 IN was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. Utilizing a combination of techniques including UV-visible absorption, circular dichroism, Fourier transform infrared, and fluorescence spectroscopies, we have demonstrated that metal ions (Zn2+, Co2+, and Cd2+) are bound with equimolar stoichiometry by IN(1-55). The liganded peptide assumes a highly ordered structure with increased alpha-helical content and exhibits remarkable thermal stability. UV-visible difference spectra of the peptide-Co2+ complexes directly implicate thiols in metal coordination, and Co2+ d-d transitions in the visible range indicate that Co2+ is tetrahedrally coordinated. Mutant peptides containing conservative substitutions of one of the conserved His or either of the Cys residues displayed no significant Zn(2+)-induced conformational changes as monitored by CD and fluorescence spectra. We conclude that the N terminus of HIV-1 IN contains a metal-binding domain whose structure is stabilized by tetrahedral coordination of metal by histidines 12 and 16 and cysteines 40 and 43. A preliminary structural model for this zinc finger is presented.     

Autoprocessing of the HIV-1 protease using purified wild-type and mutated fusion proteins expressed at high levels in Escherichia coli

Various constructs of the human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) protease containing flanking Pol region sequences were expressed as fusion proteins with the maltose-binding protein of the malE gene of Escherichia coli. The full-length fusion proteins did not exhibit self-processing in E. coli, thereby allowing rapid purification by affinity chromatography on cross-linked amylose columns. Denaturation of the fusion protein in 5 M urea, followed by renaturation, resulted in efficient site-specific autoprocessing to release the 11-kDa protease. Rapid purification involving two column steps gave an HIV-1 protease preparations of greater than 95% purity (specific activity approximately 8500 pmol.min-1.micrograms protease-1) with an overall yield of about 1 mg/l culture. Incubation of an inactive mutant protease fusion protein with the purified wild-type protease resulted in specific trans cleavage and release of the mutant protease. Analysis of products of the HIV-1 fusion proteins containing mutations at either the N- or the C-terminal protease cleavage sites indicated that blocking one of the cleavage sites influences the cleavage at the non-mutated site. Such mutated full-length and truncated protease fusion proteins possess very low levels of proteolytic activity (approximately 5 pmol.min-1.micrograms protein-1).     

Folding of the multidomain human immunodeficiency virus type-I integrase.

Protein folding conditions were established for human immunodeficiency virus integrase (IN) obtained from purified bacterial inclusion bodies. IN was denatured by 6 M guanidine.HCl-5 mM dithiothreitol, purified by gel filtration, and precipitated by ammonium sulfate. The reversible solvation of precipitated IN by 6 M guanidine.HCl allowed for wide variation of protein concentration in the folding reaction. A 6-fold dilution of denatured IN by 1 M NaCl buffer followed by dialysis produced enzymatically active IN capable of 3' OH end processing, strand transfer, and disintegration using various human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) long terminal repeat DNA substrates. The specific activities of folded IN preparations for these enzymatic reactions were comparable to those of soluble IN purified directly from bacteria. The subunit composition and enzymatic activities of IN were affected by the folding conditions. Standard folding conditions were defined in which monomers and protein aggregates sedimenting as dimers and tetramers wree produced. These protein aggregates were enzymatically active, whereas monomers had reduced strand transfer activity. Temperature modifications of the folding conditions permitted formation of mainly monomers. Upon assaying, these monomers were efficient for strand transfer and disintegration, but the oligomeric state of IN under the conditions of the assay is determinate. Our results suggest that monomers of the multidomain HIV-1 IN are folded correctly for various catalytic activities, but the conditions for specific oligomerization in the absence of catalytic activity are undefined.