Expression and characterization of hepatitis C virus NS3 protease domain in insect cells / 中华传染病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To produce the recombinant NS3 protease of the hepatitis C virus in insect cells. Methods The gene of HCV serine proteinase domain which encodes 181 amino acids was inserted into pFastBacHTc and the recombinant plasmid pFBCNS3N was transformed into DH10Bac competent cells for transposition. After the recombinant bacmid had been determined to be correct by both blue-white colonies and PCR analysis, the isolated bacmid DNAs were transfected into Sf9 insect cells. The bacmid DNA was verified to replicate in insect cells and package into baculovirus particles via PCR and electronic microscope analysis. The insect cells infected by recombinant baculovirus were determined by SDS-PAGE and Western-blot assays. The recombinant protein was soluted in N-Lauryl Sarcosine Sodium (NLS) and purifed by metal-chelated-affinity chromatography, then the enzymatic activity was measured with the protein substrate NS5ab and the antigenicity of recombinant protease was determined by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay. Results The HCV NS3 protease domain was expressed in insect cells at high level and it was partially resolved in NLS;Totally 0.2 mg recombinant serine proteinase domain with high purity was obtained by metal-chelated-affinity chromatography from 5?10 7 cells and both enzymatic activity and antigenicity of the protein were proven to be good. Conclusion The recombinant HCV NS3 protease expressed in insect cells is a membrane-binding protein with good enzymatic activity and antigenicity.