Purification and reconstitution of Escherichia coli proline carrier using a site specifically cleavable fusion protein

We previously constructed a bifunctionally active membrane-bound fusion protein, in which Escherichia coli proline carrier (the product of the putP gene) was linked with beta-galactosidase (the product of the lacZ gene) through a collagen linker (Hanada, K., Yamato, I., and Anraku, Y. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 14100-14104). The proline carrier was purified from this site specifically cleavable fusion protein. Cytoplasmic membranes overproducing the fusion protein were solubilized with dodecylmaltoside, and the solubilized fraction was subjected to anti-beta-galactosidase IgG-Sepharose chromatography. The fusion protein was specifically adsorbed to the immunoaffinity resin and then treated with collagenase for splitting the proline carrier moiety of the fusion protein from the beta-galactosidase moiety. The collagenase used for the collagenolysis was then removed by anti-collagenase IgG-Sepharose chromatography. In this way, the proline carrier was purified to more than 95% homogeneity of the protein. Proline transport in proteoliposomes reconstituted with the purified carrier was dependent on the membrane potential and the chemical gradient of Na+ across the membrane with apparent Michaelis constants for proline and for Na+ stimulation of 3.6 microM and 31 microM, respectively. These results indicated that the proline carrier mediates electrogenic Na+/proline symport.     

Difference in sodium requirement of branched chain amino acid carrier between Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO and PML strains is due to substitution of an amino acid at position 292

Sodium dependence of leucine transport, a measure of the Na+-coupled leucine-isoleucine-valine II (LIV-II) transport system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, was compared between two wild-type strains, PAO and PML. The leucine transport activity was saturated at 0.1 mM NaCl for PAO and at 5.0 mM for PML. From kinetics experiments, the apparent Km value for Na+ with respect to leucine transport was estimated to be 3 microM for PAO and 95 microM for PML. The Km value for leucine was 6 microM for PAO and 13 microM for PML. The LIV-II carrier gene (braB) of PML was isolated for comparison of its amino acid sequence with that of the PAO carrier cloned previously. The Km values for Na+ and leucine of the cloned LIV-II carriers of PAO and PML expressed in LIV-II defective mutants were similar to those in wild-type strains. Determination of the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the LIV-II carrier gene of PML showed an amino acid difference at position 292 between the PAO and PML carriers. The amino acid was threonine for PAO and alanine for PML. These results indicate that the substitution of the amino acid at position 292 of the LIV-II carrier causes a difference in the sodium requirement of the carriers of the PAO and PML strains.     

Purification of diphtheria toxin receptor from Vero cells

Diphtheria toxin receptor has been solubilized from Vero cell membranes with octyl beta-D-glucoside. CRM197, the product of a mutated diphtheria toxin gene, was used for the identification of the receptor. The binding activity of the solubilized receptor was assayed by precipitating the receptor with acetone in the presence of phospholipids and carrier proteins. The solubilized receptor was purified by the combination of several chromatographic steps in the presence of the detergent, resulting in about a 10(6)-fold purification of the receptor. The purified receptor showed essentially a single band of 14.5 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. When partially purified receptor fractions were subjected to ligand blotting analysis using 125I-CRM197 as the probe, the 14.5-kDa protein and a few minor protein bands were identified as diphtheria toxin-binding molecules. These results show clearly that the 14.5-kDa protein is the diphtheria toxin receptor, or at least the major diphtheria toxin-binding molecule. When partially purified receptor was applied to a Sephacryl S-300 column in the presence of detergent, the receptor was eluted in the fractions corresponding to the 60-90-kDa size range. This suggests that the protein forms a complex with itself or with another protein.     

Phospholipids stabilize the secondary structure of the sodium-coupled branched-chain amino acid carrier of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

For functional reconstitution of bacterial cotransporters (carriers or permeases) including the sodium-coupled branched-chain amino acid carrier (LIV-II carrier) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the presence of phospholipid is required through the process of solubilization and purification of the transporters from the bacterial membranes, suggesting the possibility that phospholipid may stabilize the structure of the cotransporter proteins to be in a functional form. In this study, this possibility was examined by studying the effect of denaturant on the secondary structure of the LIV-II carrier purified in the absence and presence of phospholipid using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. CD spectra of the purified LIV-II carrier solubilized in n-octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (OG), OG/dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE)/dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (DOPG) mixture, and dispersed into DOPE/DOPG small unilamellar vesicles were measured in the absence of denaturant. The three spectra were very similar and had a trough at 222 nm with mean residue molar ellipticity of -23000 deg.cm(2)/dmol and a shoulder at 208 nm. CD spectral analyses with three different methods (S.W. Provencher, J. Gl?ckner, Estimation of globular protein secondary structure from circular dichroism, Biochemistry 20 (1981) 33-37; J.Y. Yang, C.-S.C. Wu, H.Z. Martinez, Calculation of protein conformation from circular dichroism, Methods Enzymol. 130 (1986) 208-269; N. Sreerama, R.W. Woody, A self-consistent method for the analysis of protein secondary structure from circular dichroism, Anal. Biochem. 209 (1993) 32-44) revealed that the LIV-II carrier solubilized in OG/DOPE/DOPG mixture contained 69-75% alpha-helix and 0-9% beta-sheet. Addition of 6 M guanidine hydrochloride decreased 48% of the amplitude at 222 nm of the CD spectrum of the carrier solubilized in OG alone and 9-14% of the CD amplitude of the carrier solubilized in OG/DOPE/DOPG or OG/dioleoylphosphatidylcholine mixture and dispersed in liposomes composed of DOPE/DOPG. These results show that the ordered secondary structure of the LIV-II carrier is partially unfolded in OG without phospholipid by denaturant but is greatly stabilized with phospholipids with oleoyl chains independently of their polar head group composition and suggest that the alpha-helical structure of the carrier is mainly embedded in the lipid environment.     

Purification of phosphatidylinositol kinase from bovine brain myelin.

A membrane-bound phosphatidylinositol (PI) kinase (EC 2.7.1.67) was purified by affinity chromatography from bovine brain myelin. This enzyme activity was solubilized with non-ionic detergent and chromatographed on an anion-exchange column. Further purification was achieved by affinity chromatography on PI covalently coupled to epoxy-activated Sepharose, which was eluted with a combination of PI and detergent. The final step in the purification was by gel filtration on an Ultrogel AcA44 column. This procedure afforded greater than 5500-fold purification of the enzyme from whole brain myelin. The resulting activity exhibited a major silver-stained band on SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis with an apparent Mr 45,000. The identity of this band as PI kinase was corroborated by demonstration of enzyme activity in the gel region corresponding to that of the stained protein. The purified enzyme exhibited a non-linear dependence on PI as substrate, with two apparent kinetic components. The lower-affinity component exhibited a Km similar to that observed for the phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate by the enzyme.     

Purification and properties of the cellular prion protein from Syrian hamster brain.

The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is encoded by a chromosomal gene, and its scrapie isoform (PrPSc) features in all aspects of the prion diseases. Prior to the studies reported here, purification of PrPC has only been accomplished using immunoaffinity chromatography yielding small amounts of protein. Brain homogenates contain two PrPC forms designated PrPC-I and -II. These proteins were purified from a microsomal fraction by detergent extraction and separated by immobilized Cu2+ ion affinity chromatography. PrPC-II appears to be generated from PrPC-I by limited proteolysis of the N-terminus. Fractions enriched for PrPC-I were purified further by cation-exchange chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Greater than 90% of the final product migrated as a broad band of M(r) 33-35 kDa as judged by silver staining after SDS-PAGE. Digestion of PrPC-I with peptide-N-glycosidase (PNGase) compressed the band and shifted its mobility giving an M(r) of 27 kDa. The protocol described should be amenable to large-scale preparation of PrPC, enabling physical comparisons of PrPC and PrPSc.     

Purification of a reconstitutively active K+/H+ antiporter from rat liver mitochondria

We describe purification of three different states of the 82-kDa K+/H+ antiporter from rat liver mitochondria. The denatured 82-kDa protein, identified by its selective labeling with [14C]dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), was purified by preparative two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. This purified product was used to raise and immunopurify monospecific polyclonal antibodies. Western blot analysis showed that the [14C] DCCD-labeled 82-kDa protein is not a DCCD-crosslinked product. The native, [14C]DCCD-labeled, 82-kDa protein was purified by (NH4)2SO4 fractionation and column chromatography, using 14C labeling and gel electrophoresis to track the protein. The native, non-DCCD-labeled 82-kDa protein was purified by similar procedures, using immunopurified antibodies to track the protein. DCCD binding had no effect on chromatographic behavior of the antiporter protein. This protocol resulted in purification of the 82-kDa protein to apparent homogeneity. The purified, native 82-kDa protein was reconstituted into proteoliposomes and assayed for K+ transport with the new fluorescent probe, PBFI. K+ transport was electroneutral and was inhibited by DCCD, Mg2+, and timolol. The turnover number for K+ transport was about 1000 s-1, very similar to the value previously estimated in intact mitochondria.     

Purification of the bovine rod outer segment Na+/Ca2+ exchanger

Optimal conditions for solubilization and stabilization of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger from rod outer segments were examined. The exchanger was found to be most stable at low detergent concentrations (7.5 mM 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propane-sulfonate), greater than or equal to 100 mM NaCl, pH 7.0-7.5, and with 0.1% added soybean asolectin. The sulfhydryl-modifying reagent, dithiothreitol, caused a loss of exchanger activity and was omitted throughout the purification procedure. These conditions were used to purify the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger from rod outer segments by a combination of selective solubilization, ion exchange, and wheat germ agglutinin chromatography. The procedure achieves a 336-fold increase in exchanger specific activity. The presence of exchanger activity most closely correlates with a polypeptide of molecular mass 215-kDa. Exchanger activity in both the crude rod outer segments and the purified exchanger is specifically dependent upon the presence of K+ in the assay medium; neither choline nor Li+ can substitute for K+.     

Purification and reconstitution of two anion carriers from rat liver mitochondria: the dicarboxylate and the 2-oxoglutarate carrier

Two anion-transporting systems, i.e., the dicarboxylate carrier and the 2-oxoglutarate carrier, have been purified from rat liver mitochondria and functionally identified. The dicarboxylate carrier has been isolated in active form by hydroxyapatite chromatography after partial removal of the solubilizing detergent Triton X-114 from the mitochondrial extract. The SDS gel electrophoresis of this preparation consists mainly of one protein band with an apparent Mr of 28,000, identified as the dicarboxylate carrier. Complete purification of the 28 kDa protein in inactive form has been achieved by sequential chromatography on hydroxyapatite and Celite followed by SDS extraction of the retained protein. The 2-oxoglutarate carrier has been purified by hydroxyapatite chromatography after extensive removal of Triton X-114 from the detergent extract. SDS gel electrophoresis of the purified fraction shows a single band with an apparent Mr of 32,500. When reconstituted into liposomes, the functional properties of the two isolated carrier proteins resemble closely those of the dicarboxylate and the 2-oxoglutarate transport systems characterized in mitochondria.     

Purification and characterization of D-serine deaminase activator protein.

We purified the dsdC gene product, the specific activator of dsdA (D-serine deaminase) gene expression, to about 25% homogeneity from a strain in which its expression was amplified 100-fold. The purification involved, successively: DNase and high-salt treatment of cell extracts, DNA-cellulose chromatography, and Dyematrex (Amicon Corp.) column chromatography. We identified the protein as a discrete spot on two-dimensional O'Farrell gels after the DNA-cellulose step and quantitated it by densitometry. The active form was found to be a dimer. We estimated that there were eight activator dimers per wild-type cell. The activator is a slightly basic protein, with an experimental Km for its ligand D-serine of about 7 X 10(-6)M. The low concentration of the activator in wild-type cells and its autorepression may explain the previously observed partial dominance of dsdC+ in dsdCc/dsdC+ merodiploids.     

Isolation and functional reconstitution of the aspartate/glutamate carrier from mitochondria

The aspartate/glutamate carrier from beef heart mitochondria was solubilized by the detergent dodecyloctaoxyethylene ether (C12E8) in the presence of high concentrations of ammonium acetate. After separating the bulk amount of contaminating proteins by differential solubilization and by hydroxyapatite centrifugation chromatography, the aspartate/glutamate carrier was purified by high-performance liquid chromatography on hydroxyapatite. During the purification process, the aspartate/glutamate carrier as well as other transport proteins was identified by functional reconstitution. In sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the purified aspartate/glutamate carrier protein appears as a protein band with an apparent molecular mass of 68 kDa. Small amounts of some contaminating proteins mainly at 31 kDa were also found. Since the ADP/ATP carrier has an apparent molecular mass of 31 kDa in SDS-gel electrophoresis, possible contamination by the nucleotide carrier was analyzed by immunological methods. The enrichment of the aspartate/glutamate carrier--based on functional reconstitution--was about 570-fold, the protein yield was 0.1%.     

Bacterial phytoene synthase: molecular cloning,expression, and characterization of Erwinia herbicola phytoene synthase

Phytoene synthase (PSase) catalyzes the condensation of two molecules of geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) to give prephytoene diphosphate (PPPP) and the subsequent rearrangement of the cyclopropylcarbinyl intermediate to phytoene. These reactions constitute the first pathway specific step in carotenoid biosynthesis. The crtB gene encoding phytoene synthase was isolated from a plasmid containing the carotenoid gene cluster in Erwinia herbicola and cloned into an Escherichia coli expression system. Upon induction, recombinant phytoene synthase constituted 5-10% of total soluble protein. To facilitate purification of the recombinant enzyme, the structural gene for PSase was modified by site-directed mutagenesis to incorporate a C-terminal Glu-Glu-Phe (EEF) tripepetide to allow purification by immunoaffinity chromatography on an immobilized monoclonal anti-alpha-tubulin antibody YL1/2 column. Purified recombinant PSase-EEF gave a band at 34.5 kDa upon SDS-PAGE. Recombinant PSase-EEF was then purified to >90% homogeneity in two steps by ion-exchange and immunoaffinity chromatography. The enzyme required Mn(2+) for activity, had a pH optimum of 8.2, and was strongly stimulated by detergent. The concentration of GGPP needed for half-maximal activity was approximately 35 microM, and a significant inhibition of activity was seen at GGPP concentrations above 100 microM. The sole product of the reaction was 15,15'-Z-phytoene.     

A simple procedure for the preparation of highly purified (sodium + potassium) adenosinetriphosphatase from the rectal salt gland of Squalus acanthias and the electric organ of Electrophorus electricus.

A simple purification procedure for the Na,K-ATPase from membranes of the rectal gland of Squalus acanthias or crude microsomal fractions from the electric organ of Electrophorus electricus is presented here. The purification procedure consists of solubilization of the Na,K-ATPase with the nonionic detergent. Lubrol WX, chromatography of the diluted Lubrol extract on aminoethyl cellulose, and ammonium sulfate fractionation (1) of the concentrated eluate from the aminoethyl cellulose column. The yields of final purified enzyme are comparable to the earlier purification (1–4) involving the expensive and cumbersome zonal centrifugation stop. The purity of the final enzyme, as attested to by specific activity and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, is as great or greater than that previously reported for the enzyme purified by the procedure involving zonal centrifugation. The simplicity of the present procedure, coupled with the ready commercial availability of electric eels which are quite hardy on shipment, makes purification of the Na,K-ATPase widely available to workers in the field.     

Functional reconstitution of the partially purified aspartate-glutamate carrier from mitochondria

The aspartate/glutamate carrier from beef heart mitochondria has been solubilized with detergent. The transport protein was partially purified by chromatography on hydroxyapatite in the presence of dodecyl octaoxyethylene ether and high concentrations of ammonium acetate. During purification, the aspartate/glutamate carrier was identified by functional reconstitution into egg yolk phospholipid liposomes. After hydroxyapatite chromatography the protein is 30 fold enriched in aspartate/glutamate transport activity but still contains ADP/ATP-carrier and phosphate carrier. The reconstituted activity is specific for exchange of L-aspartate and L-glutamate and is similar to intact mitochondria with respect to substrate affinity and inhibitor sensitivity.     

High yield-purification of a urinary Na+-pump inhibitor

A Na+-pump inhibitor was purified from 140 liters of human urine to an apparent homogeneity. Tracing of the inhibitor during the different steps of purification was achieved by simultaneous determination of its capacity to inhibit the activity of Na+,K+-ATPase and ouabain binding, and to cross-react with antidigoxin antibodies. The final purification achieved a 400,000 fold. The purification steps included flash chromatography, anionic exchange chromatography, and reversed-phase HPLC on RP18, diphenyl and phenyl packings. NMR studies indicated that the final product was a non-peptidic, possibly steroidal compound. Its molecular weight as determined by mass spectrometry was 431.     

Mechanism of proline transport in Escherichia coli K12. II. Effect of alkaline cations on binding of proline to a H+/proline symport carrier in cytoplasmic membrane vesicles

The substrate binding reaction of the proline carrier was investigated in nonenergized conditions using cytoplasmic membrane vesicles prepared from the proline carrier-overproducing strain MinS/ pLC4 -45 of Escherichia coli K12. The binding activity specifically required both alkaline cations (X+), Na+ and Li+, and protons. The Na+-dependent binding activity was dependent on the proline carrier, which is the product of the putP gene, and was not affected by ionophores and energy transduction inhibitors. The parameters of proline binding were determined by double reciprocal plots in reaction media with various combinations of Na+ and H+ concentrations. The apparent dissociation constant was greatly affected by the Na+ and H+ concentrations of the medium and could be expressed as a combination of the reciprocals of the Na+ and H+ concentrations, while the maximum number of binding sites remained constant. The characteristics of proline binding to the carrier can be explained by a mechanism in which the unloaded carrier forms a carrier/H+/X+ (CH+X+) complex by a random equilibrium and only the CH+X+ complex binds substrate in nonenergized conditions, as proposed for the Na+/H+/glutamate symport carrier of E. coli B ( Fujimura , T., Yamato , I., and Anraku , Y. (1983) Biochemistry 22, 1954-1959).     

尿酸氧化酶在大肠杆菌中的表达、纯化及活性鉴定

尿酸氧化酶(urate oxidase,Uricase,EC.1.7.3.3)是一种能将尿酸氧化为尿囊素的蛋白酶。合成黄曲霉(Aspergillus flavus)尿酸氧化酶基因,构建表达载体pET43.1a/uox,重组质粒经双酶切鉴定和序列分析,证明插入序列正确,转化到大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)JM109,菌株经诱导表达尿酸氧化酶蛋白,目的蛋白经过超声破碎,经检测以可溶性蛋白为主;菌体经超声破碎后,上清经过阴离子柱和阳离子柱两步纯化,得到尿酸氧化酶纯品,纯品以分光光度法进行体外酶活性测定。结果显示:尿酸氧化酶在大肠杆菌中获得高效表达,目的蛋白占菌体总蛋白的50%;表达产物经过两步层析柱纯化,获得电泳扫描纯度为95%的纯品;在体外活性测定中具有分解尿酸的能力,在临床检测和治疗中有重要意义。     

Purification from brain of an intrinsic membrane protein fraction enriched in (Na+ + K+)-ATPase.

A microsomal fraction from canine brain gray matter has been extracted with the detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate to partially purify the membrane-bound (Na+ + K+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase. Phospholipid, glycolipid, and a family of other glycoproteins are also enriched by the procedure; it is proposed that the product is an intrinsic membrane protein fraction. 6--8-fold purification of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase is obtained without solubilizing the enzyme and without irreversibly altering its turnover number. Final specific activities are 350--400 mumol of ATP hydrolyzed/h per mg protein. The stimulation and reversible inactivation of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase by dodecyl sulfate were examined for information relevant to the mechanism of action of the detergent.     

Enzyme purification by genetically attached polycysteine and polyphenylalanine affinity tails

Two novel affinity tails, polycysteine and polyphenylalanine, have been genetically attached to galactokinase (EC 2.7.1.6) and beta-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23) in order to facilitate their purification. A chemically synthesized DNA linker encoding four cysteine residues was thus fused in frame with the galactokinase gene. The gene product, cysteine galactokinase, was significantly retarded on a column of thiopropyl-Sepharose. Using pulse elution, cysteine galactokinase was eluted at 10 mM DTT. Under the condition used, native galactokinase did not bind to thiopropyl-Sepharose. Homopolymer tailing was employed to prepare a phenylalanine-modified beta-galactosidase. One of the obtained genetic transformants coding for a beta-galactosidase carrying 11 phenylalanine residues at the N-terminus of the enzyme was isolated. With the aid of hydrophobic interaction chromatography the modified enzyme could be purified to homogeneity on fast protein liquid chromatography using a phenyl-Superose column.     

Characterization of a beta-actinin-like protein in purified non-muscle cell membranes. Its activity on (Na+ + K+)-ATPase

Treatment by EDTA of purified plasma membranes from MF2S cells (a variant of the murine plasmacytoma MOPC 173) solubilized proteins and increased by a 1000-fold the sensitivity of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase to ouabain. When added back with Ca2+ to treated plasma membranes, these EDTA-solubilized proteins restored the initial sensitivity of the enzyme to its inhibitor. We report the purification of a protein of Mr 32000, isolated from the EDTA-treated membrane supernatant. This protein was purified by a one-step procedure involving a preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis without detergent. In the presence of Ca2+ it was able to restore the original sensitivity to ouabain of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from EDTA-treated membrane. This protein was shown to be similar to the beta-actinin described by Maruyama by the following criteria: (1) molecular weight and amino acid composition; (2) cross-reactivity with their respective antisera; (3) in the presence of Ca2+ the same quantitative biological activity on ouabain sensitivity of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase. A possible interaction between beta-actinin, calmodulin and membrane-bound (Na+ + K+)-ATPase is discussed.