Expression and purification of His-tagged HPV16 E7 protein active in pRb binding

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) protein E7 is the major oncogenic factor associated with the development of human cervical cancer. The transforming activity of the E7 protein is linked to its interaction with host regulatory proteins such as the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein. The recombinant production of E7 protein is a prerequisite for its structural and functional characterization as well as for the development of various preventive and therapeutic strategies. We present an approach to enhance the soluble expression of His-tagged E7 protein by optimization of the E7 gene and the expression conditions in the host Escherichia coli. We also report a detailed protocol for the purification of E7 protein by standard chromatographic methods. The binding of E7 protein to the recombinant non-phosphorylated form of retinoblastoma protein was examined by ELISA and surface plasmon resonance analysis. These studies confirm that the recombinant His-tagged E7 protein retains its conformational properties and biological activity.     

Analysis of the interaction between the aspartic peptidase inhibitor SQAPI and aspartic peptidases using surface plasmon resonance

Aspartic peptidase inhibitors, which are themselves proteins, are strong inhibitors (small inhibition constants) of some aspartic peptidases but not others. However, there have been no studies of the kinetics of the interaction between a proteinaceous aspartic peptidase inhibitor and aspartic peptidases. This paper describes an analysis of rate constants for the interaction between recombinant squash aspartic peptidase inhibitor (rSQAPI) and a panel of aspartic peptidases that have a range of inhibition constants for SQAPI. Purified rSQAPI completely inhibits pepsin at a 1:1 molar ratio of pepsin to rSQAPI monomer (inhibition constant 1 nM). The interaction of pepsin with immobilized rSQAPI, at pH values between 3.0 and 6.0, was monitored using surface plasmon resonance. Binding of pepsin to rSQAPI was slow (association rate constants ca 10(4)M (-1)s(-1)), but rSQAPI was an effective pepsin inhibitor because dissociation of the rSQAPI-pepsin complex was much slower (dissociation rate constants ca 10(-4)s(-1)), especially at low pH values. Similar results were obtained with a His-tagged rSQAPI. Strong inhibition (inhibition constant 3 nM) of one isoform (rSap4) of the family of Candida albicans-secreted aspartic peptidases was, as with pepsin, characterized by slow binding of rSap4 and slower dissociation of the rSap4-inhibitor complex. In contrast, weaker inhibition of the Glomerella cingulata-secreted aspartic peptidase (inhibition constant 7 nM) and the C. albicans rSap1 and Sap2 isoenzymes (inhibition constants 25 and 400 nM, respectively) was, in each case, characterized by a larger dissociation rate constant.     

Refining the measurement of rate constants in the BIAcore

When estimating rate constants using the BIAcore surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor, one must have an accurate mathematical model to interpret sensogram data. Several models of differing complexity are discussed, including the effective rate constant (ERC) approach. This model can be shown formally to be good within O(Da) in the limit of small Damköhler number Da, which is the ratio of the reaction rate to the rate of transport to the surface. Numerical results are presented that show that except for very slow reactions, parameter estimates from the ERC model are very close to those estimated using a more complicated model. The BIAcore measures the behavior of an evanescent wave whose signal strength decays as it penetrates into the device. It is shown that this decay does not appreciably affect the sensogram readout at low Da, but at moderate Da can lead to situations where two vastly different rate constants can produce the same short-time sensogram data.Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 35B20, 35C15, 35K60, 45J05, 92C45This work was supported in part by NIGMS Grant 1R01GM067244-01.Revised version: 1 August 2003     

Fibroblast growth factor 2‐antagonist activity of a long‐pentraxin 3‐derived anti‐angiogenic pentapeptide

Fibroblast growth factor‐2 (FGF2) plays a major role in angiogenesis. The pattern recognition receptor long‐pentraxin 3 (PTX3) inhibits the angiogenic activity of FGF2. To identify novel FGF2‐antagonistic peptide(s), four acetylated (Ac) synthetic peptides overlapping the FGF2‐binding region PTX3‐(97–110) were assessed for their FGF2‐binding capacity. Among them, the shortest pentapeptide Ac‐ARPCA‐NH₂ (PTX3‐[100–104]) inhibits the interaction of FGF2 with PTX3 immobilized to a BIAcore sensorchip and suppresses FGF2‐dependent proliferation in endothelial cells, without affecting the activity of unrelated mitogens. Also, Ac‐ARPCA‐NH₂ inhibits angiogenesis triggered by FGF2 or by tumorigenic FGF2‐overexpressing murine endothelial cells in chick and zebrafish embryos, respectively. Accordingly, the peptide hampers the binding of FGF2 to Chinese Hamster ovary cells overexpressing the tyrosine‐kinase FGF receptor‐1 (FGFR1) and to recombinant FGFR1 immobilized to a BIAcore sensorchip without affecting heparin interaction. In all the assays the mutated Ac‐ARPS A‐NH₂ peptide was ineffective. In keeping with the observation that hydrophobic interactions dominate the interface between FGF2 and the FGF‐binding domain of the Ig‐like loop D2 of FGFR1, amino acid substitutions in Ac‐ARPCA‐NH₂ and saturation transfer difference‐nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of its mode of interaction with FGF2 implicate the hydrophobic methyl groups of the pentapeptide in FGF2 binding. These results will provide the basis for the design of novel PTX3‐derived anti‐angiogenic FGF2 antagonists.     

人蛋白酶体亚基PSMB1的重组表达、纯化及在蛋白酶体抑制剂体外筛选中的应用

蛋白酶体是真核细胞中的一类多亚基蛋白酶复合物,它在胞内蛋白质降解的泛素-蛋白酶体通路中起关键作用。重组表达蛋白酶体的活性亚基可以用于在体外筛选、寻找具有蛋白酶体抑制剂作用的化合物。将人蛋白酶体催化亚基(PSMB1)cDNA的编码区(全长726 bp)克隆至原核表达载体pET28a(+),构建重组质粒pET28a-PSMB1,转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3),通过1 mmol/L IPTG,20℃过夜诱导,获得相对分子量约为27 kDa的重组蛋白,采用IMAC亲和层析柱纯化重组蛋白,纯化后的重组蛋白纯度超过95%。重组蛋白酶解后经NanoLC-MS/MS鉴定表明所表达的融合蛋白氨基酸序列完全正确。在体外BIAcore分析中,重组蛋白表现出对不同化合物的选择性结合能力,其中与蛋白酶体抑制剂雷公藤红素的结合较强,10μmol/L的雷公藤红素与重组蛋白的结合达到27 RU,并且具有良好的浓度依赖型。本研究建立了表达、纯化人蛋白酶体催化亚基PSMB1的方法,并应用于具有蛋白酶体抑制活性化合物的体外筛选。     

Kinetics of the interaction of desAABB-fibrin monomer with immobilized fibrinogen

The soluble and stable fibrin monomer-fibrinogen complex (SF) is well known to be present in the circulating blood of healthy individuals and of patients with thrombotic diseases. However, its physiological role is not yet fully understood. To deepen our knowledge about this complex, a method for the quantitative analysis of interaction between soluble fibrin monomers and surface-immobilized fibrinogen has been established by means of resonant mirror (IAsys) and surface plasmon resonance (BIAcore) biosensors. The protocols have been optimized and validated by choosing appropriate immobilization procedures with regeneration steps and suitable fibrin concentrations. The highly specific binding of fibrin monomers to immobilized fibrin(ogen), or vice versa, was characterized by an affinity constant of approximately 10(-8)M, which accords better with the direct dissociation of fibrin triads (KD approximately 10(-8) -10(-9) M) (J. R. Shainoff and B. N. Dardik, Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 1983, Vol. 27, pp. 254-268) than with earlier estimations of the KD for the fibrin-fibrinogen complex (KD approximately 10(-6) M) (J. L. Usero, C. Izquierdo, F. J. Burguillo, M. G. Roig, A. del Arco, and M. A. Herraez, International Journal of Biochemistry, 1981, Vol. 13, pp. 1191-1196).     

PEG修饰对PLL-EGF基因载体靶向结合作用的影响

聚阳离子基因载体系统由于安全性好和便于设计等优点,近年来在基因治疗中的应用发展迅速.在进行基因药物的体内靶向输送时,目前国际上主要通过在基因输送系统中修饰聚乙二醇(PEG)和靶向分子来提高体内输送的稳定性和靶向性.PEG的修饰可能会遮蔽靶向分子的功能呈现,因此建立定量分析方法评价PEG修饰对靶向结合作用的影响非常重要.将连接有表皮生长因子(EGF)的聚赖氨酸(PLL)基因载体作为研究模型,建立BIAcore检测方法,比较PLL-EGF,PEG7000修饰的PLL-EGF,PEG20000修饰的PLL-EGF对表皮生长因子受体(EGFR)的结合和解离速率,评价PEG修饰对PLL-EGF靶向功能呈现的影响.结果表明,PEG7000的修饰降低了EGF和EGFR之间的结合速率,提高了解离速率,整体减弱了靶向分子的靶向结合能力.PEG20000的修饰进一步减弱靶向分子功能的呈现.因此在进行靶向型聚阳离子基因输送系统设计时,考察PEG修饰对靶向结合能力的影响程度非常重要.该研究结果也对其他基因载体系统的设计提供必要的参考.     

G protein β1γ2 subunits purification and their interaction with adenylyl cyclase

A preliminary study on the interaction of G protein (guanine triphosphate binding pro- tein) β1γ2 subunits and their coupled components in cell signal transduction was conducted in vitro. The insect cell lines, Sf9 (Spodoptera frugiperda) and H5 (Trichoplusia ni) were used to express the recombinant protein Gβ1γ2. The cell membrane containing Gβ1γ2 was isolated through affinity chromatography column with Ni-NTA agarose by FPLC method, and the highly purified protein was obtained. The adenylyl cyclase 2 (AC2) activity assay showed that the purified Gβ1γ2 could significantly stimulate AC2 activity. The interaction of β1γ2 subunits of G protein with the cytoplasmic tail of various mammalian adenylyl cyclases was monitored by BIAcore technology using NTA sensor chip, which relies on the phenomenon of surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The experiments showed the direct binding of Gβ1γ2 to the cytoplasmic tail C2 domain of AC2. The specific binding domain of AC2 with Gβ1γ2 was the same as AC2 activity domain which was stimulated by β1γ2.     

G protein β<Subscript>1</Subscript>γ<Subscript>2</Subscript> subunits purification and their interaction with adenylyl cyclase

A preliminary study on the interaction of G protein (guanine triphosphate binding pro- tein) β1γ2 subunits and their coupled components in cell signal transduction was conducted in vitro. The insect cell lines, Sf9 (Spodoptera frugiperda) and H5 (Trichoplusia ni) were used to express the recombinant protein Gβ1γ2. The cell membrane containing Gβ1γ2 was isolated through affinity chromatography column with Ni-NTA agarose by FPLC method, and the highly purified protein was obtained. The adenylyl cyclase 2 (AC2) activity assay showed that the purified Gβ1γ2 could significantly stimulate AC2 activity. The interaction of β1γ2 subunits of G protein with the cytoplasmic tail of various mammalian adenylyl cyclases was monitored by BIAcore technology using NTA sensor chip, which relies on the phenomenon of surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The experiments showed the direct binding of Gβ1γ2 to the cytoplasmic tail C2 domain of AC2. The specific binding domain of AC2 with Gβ1γ2 was the same as AC2 activity domain which was stimulated by β1γ2.