Display of Human Proinsulin on the Bacillus subtilis Spore Surface for Oral Administration

With the continuous improvement of the living standards of human society, the number of diabetics worldwide is growing rapidly. To date, the main effective therapy for diabetic is intravenous injection of insulin, which is accompanied by a lot of shortage such as high cost and side effects. To obtain long-term bioactive anti-diabetic drug for oral administration, we used human proinsulin (hpi) as a foreign gene to construct a recombinant plasmid pJS700-HPI with an enterokinase site Asp-Asp-Asp-Asp-Lys suitable for digestion. Plasmid pJS700-HPI was transformed into Bacillus subtilis by double cross-over and an amylase inactivated mutant was produced. After induction of spores formation, western blot was used to monitor HPI surface expression on spores. Oral administration to the silkworms with spores implied that the HPI protein displayed on recombinant spores may be digested and absorbed into the silkworm’s hemolymph due to the resistant characters of spores and the addition of enterokinase site.     

Surface Display of Human Serum Albumin on Bacillus subtilis Spores for Oral Administration

Human serum albumin (HSA) is the major protein component of human plasma. To date, HSA for clinical uses is mostly produced by fractionation of human whole blood, which is accompanied by a lot of limitations. To obtain long-term bioactive albumin, we used hsa as a foreign gene and constructed a recombinant plasmid pJS700-HSA which carries a recombinant gene cotC-hsa under the control of cotC promoter. Plasmid pJS700-HSA was transformed into Bacillus subtilis by double cross-over and an amylase inactivated mutant was produced. After induction of spore formation, western blot and fluorescence immunoassay were used to monitor HSA surface expression on spores. We estimated that HSA displayed on the spore accounted for 0.135 % of the total spore proteins and about 0.023 fg HSA were exposed on the surface of each spore. Oral administration to mice with spores displaying HSA implied that the recombinant spores may have potential ability to increase the serum albumin level in vivo due to the resistant characters of spores.     

Display of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombyx mori</Emphasis> Nucleopolyhedrovirus GP64 on the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> Spore Coat

To investigate whether Bombyx mori immunized with Bacillus subtilis spore displaying GP64 escape from the B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) attack, a recombinant integrative plasmid named pJS700-GP64 was constructed, which carries a recombinant cotC-Gp64 gene under the control of the cotC promoter. In this study, pJS700-GP64 was transformed into B. subtilis 168 (trp⁻) competent cells, an amylase (amyE) inactivated mutant was selected, and was confirmed to be a double cross-over integrant, cotC-Gp64 fragment of which was integrated into B. subtilis chromosome. Gp64 was expressed on the spore surface and recognized by Gp64-specific antibody. Results of B. mori when challenged with BmNPV indicated that B. mori vaccinated with the recombinant spores possessed resistance to the invasion of BmNPV at some degree.     

Enhanced accumulation of secreted human growth hormone by transgenic tobacco cells correlates with the introduction of an N-glycosylation site

Extracellular secretion of recombinant proteins from plant cell suspension culture will simplify the protein purification procedure and greatly reduce the production cost. Our early work indicated that presence of hydroxyproline-O-glycosylation at the C- or N-terminus of the target protein boosted the secreted yields in the culture medium. Inspired by early successes, we tested the possibility of introducing an N-glycosylation site to facilitate the secretion of human growth hormone (hGH) from cultured tobacco cells. Three N-glycosylated hGH fusion proteins, designated NAS-EK-hGH, NAS-Kex2-hGH and hGH-NAS, were expressed in tobacco BY-2 cells. Where NAS denotes the “Asn-Ala-Ser” consensus sequence for N-glycosylation; EK denotes an enterokinase cleavage site and Kex2 a sequence to be cleaved by a Golgi-localized Kex2p-like protease. Our results indicated that a single N-glycan attached either at the N-terminus or C-terminus of hGH correlated with enhanced extracellular accumulation of the transgenic proteins; the secreted yield of NAS-EK-hGH and hGH-NAS was 70-90 fold greater than the control targeted, non-glycosylated hGH. NAS-Kex2-hGH was subject to partial cleavage of the N-glycan tag at the Kex2 site in Golgi apparatus, and therefore gave lower yields than the other two constructs.     

Display of Bombyx mori alcohol dehydrogenases on the Bacillus subtilis spore surface to enhance enzymatic activity under adverse conditions

Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) are oxidoreductases catalyzing the reversible oxidation of alcohols to corresponding aldehydes or ketones accompanied by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) as coenzyme. ADHs attract major scientific and industrial interest for the evolutionary perspectives, afforded by their wide occurrence in nature, and for their use in industrial synthesis. However, the low activity of ADHs under extremes of pH and temperature often limits their application. To obtain ADH with high activity, in this study, we used Bombyx mori alcohol dehydrogenases (BmADH) as foreign gene and constructed a recombinant integrative plasmid pJS700-BmADH. This pJS700-BmADH was transformed into Bacillus subtilis by double cross-over and produced an amylase inactivated mutant. The fusion protein containing BmADH was expressed on the spore surface and recognized by BmADH-specific antibody. We also assayed the alcohol dehydrogenase activity of the fusion protein together with the native BmADH at different pH and temperature levels, which indicated the recombinant enzyme exhibits activity over wider ranges of temperature and pH than its native form, perhaps due to the resistance properties of B. subtilis spores against adverse conditions.     

Secretion of human growth hormone by the food-grade bacterium Staphylococcus carnosus requires a propeptide irrespective of the signal peptide used

Staphylococcal exoproteins can be divided into two groups. One group comprises proteins bearing only a signal peptide, the other group requires an additional propeptide for secretion. The secretion signals of the propeptide-requiring lipase from Staphylococcus hyicus (Lip) have been frequently used to produce recombinant secretory proteins in the food-grade species Staphylococcus carnosus. However, it has been unclear whether recombinant proteins can be secreted using signal peptides of staphylococcal proteins without propeptide. The human growth hormone protein (hGH) was fused to various staphylococcal secretion signals of proteins without propeptide (Seb, SceA, and SceB) and of proteins requiring a propeptide (lipase, lysostaphin, and glycerol ester hydrolase). Secretory hGH was efficiently produced by S. carnosus after fusion with any propeptide-containing secretion signal, whereas precursor proteins were retained in the cells when only a signal peptide was used. Addition of the first six amino acid residues of mature SceA to the signal peptide did also not lead to secretion of hGH. It was concluded that the properties of the mature protein domains determine whether a propeptide is required for secretion or not. The Lip propeptide could be efficiently removed from hGH after introduction of an enterokinase cleavage site between the two protein domains.     

Purification and Functional Characterization of a Protein: Bombyx mori Human Growth Hormone Like Protein in Silkworm Pupa

Human growth hormone (hGH) is a peptide hormone secreted by eosinophils of the human anterior pituitary, and a regulatory factor for a variety of metabolic pathways. A 30-kD protein from the pupa stage of silkworm was detected by Western blotting and confirmed by immunoprecipitation based on its ability to bind to anti-hGH antibody. This protein, named BmhGH-like protein, was purified from fresh silkworm pupas through low-temperature homogenization, filtration, and centrifugation to remove large impurity particles. The supernatants were precipitated, resuspended, and passed through a molecular sieve. Further purification by affinity chromatography and two-dimensional electrophoresis resulted in pure protein for analysis by MS MALDI-TOF-MS analysis. An alignment with predicted proteins indicated that BmhGH-like protein consisted of two lipoproteins, which we named hGH-L1 and hGH-L2. These proteins belong to the β-trefoil superfamily, with β domains similar to the spatial structure of hGH. Assays with K562 cells demonstrated that these proteins could promote cell division in vitro. To further validate the growth-promoting effects, hGH-L2 was cloned from pupa cDNA to create recombinant silkworm baculovirus vBmNPV-hGH-L2, which was used to infect silkworm BmN cells at low titer. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that the protein shortened the G0/G1 phase of the cells, and enabled the cells to rapidly traverse the G1/S phase transition point to enter S phase and promote cell division. Discovery of hGH-like protein in silkworm will once again arouse people’s interest in the potential medicinal value of silkworm and establish the basis for the development of new hormone drugs.     

人生长激素慢病毒载体的构建及其在鼠骨骼肌成肌细胞中的表达

构建能表达人生长激素(hGH)的pLentivirus6/V5-hGH载体,并实现hGH基因在骨骼肌成肌细胞中大量、长期和稳定的表达。体外培养SD鼠骨骼肌成肌细胞,并通过免疫组织化学方法鉴定所得细胞、用台酚兰染色确定培养细胞的活性并绘制生长曲线。将目的基因hGH亚克隆到真核细胞表达载体pLenti6/V5-D-TOPO载体上,构建重组质粒pLentivirus6/V5-hGH。将pLenti6/V5-hGH及阳性对照质粒pLenti6/V5-EGFP分别用Lipofectamin2000介导转染体外培养的SD乳鼠骨骼肌成肌细胞。在激光共聚焦扫描显微镜下计数,确定阳性对照质粒的转染数,从而估计该基因的转染效率。加入筛选试剂以获得稳定表达异源生长激素(GH)的成肌细胞。收集转染及筛选后的细胞培养基,用放射免疫分析法(RIA)检测重组人生长激素(rhGH)的表达水平。聚合酶链式反应法(PCR)及DNA测序显示hGH基因成功地插入到pLenti6/V5-D-TOPO载体中;阳性对照质粒转染细胞24h后,在激光共聚焦显微镜下观察,其转染效率达40%以上。检测收集的上清,与对照组相比,有极显著差异(P<0.01),观察至第8周,rhGH仍持续稳定表达。通过检测培养的chang-liver肝细胞上清中胰岛素样生长因子-1(IGF-1)的水平,验证了rhGH的生物学活性。实验通过培养高纯度的成肌细胞,构建了能在真核细胞内表达hGH的重组质粒pLenti6/V5-hGH,实现了hGH基因在骨骼肌成肌细胞中大量、长期和稳定的表达,并且获得的rhGH具有较强的促进肝细胞分泌IGF-1的能力。     

用Bac-to-Bac杆状病毒系统表达人生长激素

利用Bac to Bac杆状病毒载体表达系统将人生长激素 (humangrowthhormone ,hGH)基因cDNA克隆至转移载体pFastBac1中 ,得到pFastBac hGH ,再将其转化进入含穿梭载体Bacmid的受体菌DH10Bac中 ,发生转座作用 ,得到含hGH基因的重组穿梭载体rBacmid hGH .纯化DNA ,直接转染培养的昆虫细胞Sf9,得到重组病毒rAcV Bac hGH .经酶切PCR及Southern杂交鉴定 ,hGH基因正确地插入病毒基因组的多角体蛋白基因启动子下 ,SDS PAGE测得产物蛋白分子量为 2 2kD左右 .用免疫化学发光法测得转染上清中hGH表达水平可达 18μg ml ,与用传统的BEVS表达hGH相比 ,转染上清中hGH表达水平提高 4 0 0倍以上     

Biosynthesis and secretion of recombinant human growth hormone in Pichia pastoris

Mature human growth hormone (hGH) cDNA was cloned by homologous recombination into the yeast Pichia pastoris genome. The hGH gene expression was placed under the control of the methanol-inducible alcohol oxidase 1 (AOX1) gene promoter and the Saccharomyces cerevisiae -factor signal sequence to direct the secretion of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) into the growth medium. O₂-limited induction of recombinant yeast strains in shake tubes with 3 ml of culture medium produced up to 11 mg rhGH l^–1, while high cell density cultures using a 2-l bioreactor produced about 49 mg rhGH l^–1 achieving 40% of total protein of the culture medium supernatant.     

Characterization of intact and trypsin-digested biosynthetic human growth hormone by high-pressure liquid chromatography

The structural properties of purified human growth hormone (hGH) produced by Escherichia coli K-12 into which the hGH gene has been inserted have been fully characterized by high-pressure liquid chromatography of native hGH and tryptic digests of hGH. All of the tryptic peptides have been separated by high-pressure liquid chromatography and their sequence determined. Comparison of the primary structure with that of the purified pituitary-derived hGH has established the integrity of the biosynthetic hGH disulfide arrangement and amino acid sequence with the presence of an extra NH₂-terminal methionine.     

Butyrate Increases Intracellular Calcium Levels and Enhances Growth Hormone Release from Rat Anterior Pituitary Cells via the G-Protein-Coupled Receptors GPR41 and 43

Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) closely related to the ketone body ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), which is considered to be the major energy substrate during prolonged exercise or starvation. During fasting, serum growth hormone (GH) rises concomitantly with the accumulation of BHB and butyrate. Interactions between GH, ketone bodies and SCFA during the metabolic adaptation to fasting have been poorly investigated to date. In this study, we examined the effect of butyrate, an endogenous agonist for the two G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), GPR41 and 43, on non-stimulated and GH-releasing hormone (GHRH)-stimulated hGH secretion. Furthermore, we investigated the potential role of GPR41 and 43 on the generation of butyrate-induced intracellular Ca²⁺ signal and its ultimate impact on hGH secretion. To study this, wt-hGH was transfected into a rat pituitary tumour cell line stably expressing the human GHRH receptor. Treatment with butyrate promoted hGH synthesis and improved basal and GHRH-induced hGH-secretion. By acting through GPR41 and 43, butyrate enhanced intracellular free cytosolic Ca²⁺. Gene-specific silencing of these receptors led to a partial inhibition of the butyrate-induced intracellular Ca²⁺ rise resulting in a decrease of hGH secretion. This study suggests that butyrate is a metabolic intermediary, which contributes to the secretion and, therefore, to the metabolic actions of GH during fasting.     

Construction of an excretion vector and extracellular production of human growth hormone from Escherichia coli

A new excretion vector, pEAP8, was constructed to develop an excretion system for Escherichia coli. This plasmid, derived from pEAP37, carried the weakly activated kil gene of plasmid pMB9 [Kobayashi et al., J. Bacteriol. 166 (1986) 728-732] and the penicillinase promoter and signal region of an alkalophilic Bacillus sp. to excrete foreign gene products. A gene for human growth hormone (hGH) was joined to this signal sequence through the HindIII site. The recombinant plasmid p8hGH1 thus constructed, was introduced into E. coli. The hybrid protein which was produced in E. coli carrying p8hGH1 was processed during transport through the inner membrane, with the mature hGH being excreted into the medium through the outer membrane which was made permeable by the action of the kil gene. The N-terminal amino acid sequence and the biological activity of the extracellular hGH were consistent with those of the authentic hGH.     

Alternative views of functional protein binding epitopes obtained by combinatorial shotgun scanning mutagenesis

Combinatorial shotgun scanning mutagenesis was used to analyze two large, related protein binding sites to assess the specificity and importance of individual side chain contributions to binding affinity. The strategy allowed for cost-effective generation of a plethora of functional data. The ease of the technology promoted comprehensive investigations, in which the classic alanine-scanning approach was expanded with two additional strategies, serine- and homolog-scanning. Binding of human growth hormone (hGH) to the hGH receptor served as the model system. The entire high affinity receptor-binding sites (site 1) of wild-type hGH (hGH_wt) and of an affinity-improved variant (hGH_v) were investigated and the results were compared. The contributions that 35 residue positions make to binding were assessed on each hormone molecule by both serine- and homolog-scanning. The hormone molecules were displayed on the surfaces of bacteriophage, and the 35 positions were randomized simultaneously to allow equal starting frequencies of the wild-type residue and either serine or a homologous mutation in separate libraries. Functional selections for binding to the hGH receptor shifted the relative wild-type/mutant frequencies at each position to an extent characteristic of the functional importance of the side chain. Functional epitope maps were created and compared to previous maps obtained by alanine-scanning. Comparisons between the different scans provide insights into the affinity maturation process that produced hGH_v. The serine and homolog-scanning results expand upon and complement the alanine-scanning results and provide additional data on the robustness of the high affinity receptor-binding site of hGH.     

Investigation of spore coat display of Bacillus subtilis β-galactosidase for developing of whole cell biocatalyst

The production of highly efficient, recyclable and cost-effective enzymes is one of the most important goals in industrial biotechnology. Bacterial spores are highly resistant to harsh environmental conditions, easy to produce and are suitable for manipulation of genetic materials. These features make them a very efficient tool for biotechnology. Here, we show the use bacterial spores for presentation of functional enzyme. Spore coat display was used to produce a biocatalyst, which expresses β-galactiosidase (LacA). This enzyme is commonly used to produce lactose-free milk for lactose intolerant individuals. The lacA gene from Bacillus subtilis strain 168 was expressed on the surface of B. subtilis RH101(ΔcotC) spores using CotC as protein carrier. Presence of LacA protein is verified by western blotting. Results of β-galactiosidase assay show that the expressed enzyme retained its activity in condition of freezing and drying, as well as after recovery from the reaction’s mixture.     

hGH消化道途径转基因的研究

消化道途径转基因过程方便、快捷、易适应,可为基因治疗提供全新的模式。为了研究人 生长激素(bGH)基因的经消化道途径转基因过程,实验首先应用ECHO克隆系统。在供载体 pUni-hGH和宿主载体pcDNA4／TO-E的基础上,构建出hGH的哺乳动物表达载体pcDNA4-hGH;然 后结合酿酒酵母表达载体pESC-URA,构建出hGH的酵母-哺乳动物穿梭栽体pESC-CMV-hGH,测 序鉴定后转化酿酒酵母。用阳性重组酵母对小鼠进行灌胃免疫实验,间接ELISA方法在实验组 小鼠的血清中检测到抗hGH抗体的存在。结果证实hGH基因可通过消化道途径转进小鼠体细 胞并进行表达,初步证明了hGH的消化道基因治疗的可行性。     

High-level, heat-regulated synthesis of proteins in eukaryotic cells

Plasmids have been constructed in which promoters of 70-kDa heat-shock protein genes (hsp70) of human and Drosophila origin were linked to three different eukaryotic genes encoding human growth hormone (hGH), chicken lysozyme (cL) and a human influenza haemagglutinin (HA). Following transfection into widely divergent eukaryotic cells, the hybrid genes direct the transient, heat-regulated synthesis of the three proteins. hGH and cL are secreted into the medium. A human hsp70-hGH construct was used to establish stable mouse fibroblast lines that are capable of producing and secreting hGH at high levels following heat induction: hGH is secreted at a 500-1200-fold higher rate by heat-treated than by untreated cells.     

Periplasmic production via the pET expression system of soluble,bioactive human growth hormone

A pET based expression system for the production of recombinant human growth hormone (hGH) directed to the Escherichia coli periplasmic space was developed. The pET22b plasmid was used as a template for creating vectors that encode hGH fused to either a pelB or ompA secretion signal under control of the strong bacteriophage T7 promoter. The pelB- and ompA-hGH constructs expressed in BL21 (λDE3)-RIPL E. coli are secreted into the periplasm which facilitates isolation of soluble hGH by selective disruption of the outer membrane. A carboxy-terminal poly-histidine tag enabled purification by Ni²⁺ affinity chromatography with an average yield of 1.4 mg/L culture of purified hGH, independent of secretion signal. Purified pelB- and ompA-hGH are monomeric based on size exclusion chromatography with an intact mass corresponding to mature hGH indicating proper cleavage of the signal peptide and folding in the periplasm. Both pelB- and ompA-hGH bind the hGH receptor with high affinity and potently stimulate Nb2 cell growth. These results demonstrate that the pET expression system is suitable for the rapid and simple isolation of bioactive, soluble hGH from E. coli.