重组包涵体蛋白质的折叠复性

综述了减少包涵体形成、包涵体分离和溶解以及包涵体折叠复性的策略及其最新进展 .详细讨论了包涵体蛋白质折叠复性的基本原则、包涵体折叠复性促进剂和包涵体折叠复性方法     

蛋白质复性研究进展

许多蛋白在大肠杆菌中高效表达时,其产物常以无活性的包含体形式存在,包含体蛋白的复性往往是制备这些蛋白的关键步骤之一,蛋白复性包括肽链折叠和分子内二硫键的氧化这两个互相影响的过程,本文综述了蛋白折叠过程的研究进展,及促进蛋白折叠和二硫键氧化的方法。     

芋螺毒素氧化折叠研究进展

芋螺毒素(conotoxin,CTX)是当今生物毒素研究的热点之一,已经成为研究药理学和神经科学的重要工具。因此,芋螺毒素如何在体内和体外进行氧化折叠形成天然构象,获得有生物活性的芋螺毒素,越来越为人们所关注。根据当前研究状况,概述了芋螺毒素氧化折叠的一般过程,并总结了二硫键、PDI(二硫键异构酶)、前体肽等在芋螺毒素氧化折叠中所发挥的作用。此外,还就芋螺毒素氧化重折叠的研究前景和方向进行了展望。     

蛋白质工程和蛋白质折叠

蛋白质一级结构决定着高级结构。蛋白质肽链在适宜条件下会自动卷曲形成其相应的高级结构,即自动发生蛋白质折叠,其自动发生的原因和过程仍不十分清楚,但是随着蛋白质工程的日益兴起,这些与折叠有关的问题也愈显重要,就此已有文章进行过讨论[1,2]。反之,如把新兴的蛋白质工程手段(尤其是基因定点诱变技术)应用来研究这些折叠问题,必将推动蛋白质折叠的研究。本文将就蛋白质折叠与蛋白质工程相互影响的一些例子进行讨论。     

蛋白质在大肠杆菌间周质中的折叠

随着分子伴侣的发现和外源基因表达技术的发展 ,大肠杆菌间周质蛋白质的折叠成为研究热点。间周质 (ｐｅｒｉｐｌａｓｍ)是革兰氏阴性菌内膜与外膜之间的区域 ,对外界环境变化的适当能力很脆弱 ,例如ｐＨ、温度、渗透压[1] 。重组技术表达的重要蛋白质大多含有二硫键 ,二硫键的形成在真核生物是在内质网中完成的 ,而大肠杆菌是在间周质中进行的。催化大肠杆菌间周质蛋白质折叠会遇到两个限速步骤 ,被两类酶催化 :二硫键氧化还原酶 (Ｄｓｂ)和肽酰 脯氨酰顺反异构酶 (ｐｅｐｔｉｄｙｌ ｐｒｏｌｙｌｃｉｓ ｔｒａｎｓｉｓｏ ｍｅｒａｓｅ ,…     

半胱氨酸氧化还原状态的协同性

以2002年4月份的Culled Protein Data Bank数据库中的639条蛋白质多肽链为研究对象,统计分析了其含有的584条二硫键的形成特征,发现半胱氨酸氧化还原状态表现出明显的协同性现象：含有二硫键的蛋白质中几乎所有的半胱氨酸都以氧化态形式存在。这一协同性可以通过蛋白质全局水平上的20种氨基酸组分的百分含量很好地加以说明,由此来预测半胱氨酸的氧化还原状态准确率最高可达84．5％。结果表明半胱氨酸是否形成二硫键主要取决于蛋白质全局的而非局部的结构信息。     

重组蛋白的体外再折叠

重组蛋白的再折叠是基因工程下游处理中非常重要的环节。本文在分析了蛋白体外折叠的机制后,指出了重组蛋白再折叠的一般策略,并综述了近年来的主要新方法,包括：分析伴侣介导的再折叠去污剂协助的再折叠,反向微团中的蛋白再折叠,折叠促进剂的添加以及再折地促进二硫键形成的方法 。     

重组蛋白包涵体的复性研究

重组蛋白在大肠杆菌中的高表达往往形成不可溶、无生物活性的包涵体,需经过变性溶解后,在适当条件下复性形成天然的构象,才可恢复其生物活性．变复性实验是建立在对蛋白质体外折叠机制的了解的基础上．根据近年来对蛋白质折叠机制的认识和重组蛋白包涵体在复性方面的主要进展,论述以下3个方面的内容：1)蛋白质在细胞内的折叠机制;2)蛋白质体外折叠机制;3)蛋白质复性的策略和方法．     

毛细管电泳及其在蛋白质折叠研究中的应用

简要介绍了毛细管电泳的常用分离模式及其原理,并对毛细管电泳在蛋白质化学领域中的新应用——研究蛋白质折叠和发展前景作了评述。     

包涵体蛋白体外复性的研究进展

外源基因在大肠杆菌中高水平表达时 ,通常会形成无活性的蛋白聚集体即包涵体。包涵体富含表达的重组蛋白 ,经分离、变性溶解后须再经过一个合适的复性过程实现变性蛋白的重折叠 ,才能够得到生物活性蛋白。近年来 ,发展了许多特异的策略和方法来从包涵体中复性重组蛋白。最近的进展包括固定化复性以及用一些低分子量的添加剂等来减少复性过程中蛋白质的聚集 ,提高活性蛋白的产率。     

SOn-column Protein Refolding for Crystallization

One major bottleneck in protein production in Escherichia coli for structural genomics projects is the formation of insoluble protein aggregates (inclusion bodies). The efficient refolding of proteins from inclusion bodies is becoming an important tool that can provide soluble native proteins for structural and functional studies. Here we report an on-column refolding method established at the Berkeley Structural Genomics Center (BSGC). Our method is a combination of an ‘artificial chaperone-assisted refolding’ method previously proposed and affinity chromatography to take advantage of a chromatographic step: less time-consuming, no filtration or concentration, with the additional benefit of protein purification. It can be easily automated and formatted for high-throughput process.     

Cys146-Cys146分子间二硫键在人瘦素二聚化过程中起主导作用

在前期研究中,已发现人瘦素（leptin）在体外再折叠过程中会形成稳定的二聚体,但其二聚化机制尚不清楚. 本研究旨在分析瘦素二聚体的结构特性,并重点研究体外再折叠过程中瘦素二聚化的机制. 相较与瘦素单体,瘦素二聚体保留了约75％免疫活性及15％受体结合活性,同时显示出明显慢的天然电泳迁移率. 圆二色性分析显示,二聚体基本保留了单体α螺旋索结构特征. 还原性及非还原性凝胶电泳分析和自由巯基测定结果表明,瘦素二聚体是由一对分子间二硫键连接2个单体而成的.为了确定瘦素二聚化过程中起主导作用的分子间二硫键,利用PCR定点突变技术构建了C96S和C146S两个突变体瘦素. 通过分析C96S及C146S突变体瘦素的体外再折叠特性及过程,并与野生型瘦素相比较,揭示C96S瘦素的二聚体显示出与野生型瘦素二聚体相似的特性,而C146S瘦素不能形成结构稳定的二聚体. 以上研究结果表明,Cys146-Cys146分子间二硫键在人瘦素二聚化过程中起主导作用.     

A7—B7二硫键缺失对胰岛素原重折叠及结构的影响

为研究A7 B7二硫键在胰岛素原结构和折叠中的作用 ,构建了A7 B7二硫键缺失的胰岛素原突变体 ,研究了其与野生型胰岛素原在体外重折叠产率、自由巯基氧化速度、CD谱、受体及抗体结合活性 ,以及对胰蛋白酶酶切敏感性的差别。结果表明 ,A7 B7二硫键缺失可导致胰岛素原α 螺旋明显减少以及对胰蛋白酶的酶切敏感性显著增加 ,其对胰岛素原结构的影响主要导致了受体结合活性的大幅度降低。突变体在体外重折叠 1h后巯基氧化速率较野生型明显减慢 ,但其最终折叠产率与野生型相当。由此提出一个胰岛素原折叠的可能途径 ,即A链链内二硫键最先形成 ,然后是两对链间二硫键。且A2 0 B19二硫键比A7 B7二硫键很可能先形成 ,在折叠中更重要。     

Distinct Unfolding and Refolding Pathways of Lipid Transfer Proteins LTP1 and LTP2

Plant non-specific lipid transfer proteins (ns-LTPs) comprise two families, LTP1s and LTP2s, all structurally stabilized by four native disulfide bonds. Solution and crystal structures of both LTP1s and LTP2s from various plants have been determined. Despite the similarities of their biological function and backbone folds, the biophysical properties of LTP1s and LTP2s differ significantly. In this report, the mechanisms of unfolding and refolding of rice LTP1 and LTP2 have been investigated using the technique of disulfide bonds scrambling. LTP1 is shown to unfold and refold via predominant species of partially structured intermediates. Four isomers of partly unfolded and extensively unfolded LTP1 were identified, isolated and their disulfide structures were determined. By contrast, unfolding and refolding of LTP2 adopt a (close to) two-state mechanism, and undergo a reversible conversion between the native and a single extensively unfolded isomer without accumulation of any significant intermediate.     

Oxidative folding of reduced and denatured huwentoxin-I

Huwentoxin-I, a neurotoxic peptide with 33 ammo acid residues and three disulfide bonds, was used to investigate the pathway of reduction/denaturation and of oxidative folding in small proteins with multiple disulfide bonds. Titration of thiol groups, reversed-phase HPLC, 1D NMR spectroscopy, and biological activity assays were used to monitor the extent of reduction/denaturation and renaturation of the toxin. The reduction and denaturation of huwentoxin-I resulted in a 100% loss of bioactivity as measured in a mouse phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparation. About 90% of full biological activity could be restored under optimized conditions of oxidative refolding of the reduced peptide. Several reaction conditions employing air oxidation, oxidized and reduced glutathione (GSSG and GSH), and cystine/cysteine were investigated in order to find optimal conditions for renaturation of huwentoxin-I. The best renaturation yield was achieved in 0.1 mM GSSG and 1 mM GSH at pH 8.5 and 4°C over 24 hr. High concentrations of glutathione and high temperatures reduced renaturation yields. Oxidative refolding of huwentoxin-I in air requires about 6 days for maximal yields and is inhibited by EDTA.     

The Effect of Clp Proteins on DnaK-Dependent Refolding of Bacterial Luciferases

A study was made of the refolding of bacterial luciferases of Vibrio fischeri, V. harveyi, Photobacterium phosphoreum, and Photorhabdus luminescens. By reaction rate, luciferases were divided into two groups. The reaction rate constants of fast luciferases of V. fischeri and Ph. phosphoreum were about tenfold higher than those of slow luciferases of Ph. luminescens and V. harveyi. The order of increasing luciferase thermostability was Ph. phosphoreum, V. fischeri, V. harveyi, and Ph. luminescens. The refolding of thermoinactivated luciferases completely depended on the active DnaK–DnaJ–GrpE chaperone system. Thermolabile fast luciferases of V. fischeri and Ph. phosphoreum showed highly efficient rapid refolding. Slower and less efficient refolding was characteristic of thermostable slow luciferases of V. harveyi and Ph. luminescens. Chaperones of the Clp family were tested for effect on the efficiency of DnaK-dependent refolding of bacterial luciferases in Escherichia coli cells. The rate and extent of refolding were considerably lower in the clpB mutant than in wild-type cells. In E. coli cells with mutant clpA, clpP, of clpX showed a substantially lower luciferase refolding after heat shock.     

Refolding of protein inclusion bodies directly from E. coli homogenate using expanded bed adsorption chromatography

To avoid the intrinsic problem of aggregation associated with the traditional solution-phase refolding process, we proposed a solid-phase refolding method integrated with the expanded bed adsorption chromatography. The model protein was a fusion protein of recombinant human growth hormone and a glutathione S-transferase fragment. It was demonstrated that the inclusion body proteins in the cell homogenate could be directly refolded with higher yield. To verify the applicability of this method, we have tested with success three types of the starting materials, i.e., rhGH monomer, inclusion bodies containing the fusion protein, and the E. coli cell homogenate. This direct refolding process could reduce the number of the renaturation steps required and allow the refolding at a higher concentration, approximately 2 mg fusion protein per ml resin. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Isolation, renaturation, and formation of disulfide bonds of eukaryotic proteins expressed in Escherichia coli as inclusion bodies

Expression of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli often results in the formation of insoluble inclusion bodies, In case of expression of eukaryotic proteins containing cysteine, which may form disulfide bonds in the native active protein, often nonnative inter- and intramolecular disulfide bonds exist in the inclusion bodies. Hence, several methods have been developed to isolate recombinant eukaryotic polypeptides from inclusion bodies, and to generate native disulfide bonds, to get active proteins. This article summarizes the different steps and methods of isolation and renaturation of eukaryotic proteins containing disulfide bonds, which have been expressed in E. coli as inclusion bodies, and shows which methods originally developed for studying the folding mechanism of naturally occurring proteins have been successfully adapted for reactivation of recombinant eukaryotic proteins. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.