A simple method for recombinant protein purification using self-assembling peptide-tagged tobacco etch virus protease.

Recombinant protein purification remains to be a major challenge in biotechnology and medicine. In this paper we report a simple method for recombinant protein purification using self-assembling peptide-tagged tobacco etch virus protease (TEVp). After construction of an N-terminal ELK16 peptide fusion expression vector, we expressed ELK16-TEVp fusion protein in E. coli. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that ELK16-TEVp was expressed as active protein aggregates which could be purified to 91% purity with 92% recovery by centrifugation in the presence 0.5% Triton X-100. By using His-tagged bovine interferon-γ (His-BoIFN-γ) as the substrate, we demonstrated that EKL16-TEVp had a protease activity of 1.3 × 10(4) units/mg protein with almost 100% cleavage efficiency under the optimized conditions. More importantly, EKL16-TEVp could be removed from the cleavage reaction by single-step centrifugation. After removing the His-tag by nickel-conjugated agarose bead absorption, the recombinant BoIFN-γ (rBoIFN-γ) was purified to 98.3% purity with 63% recovery. The rBoIFN-γ had an antiviral activity of 1.6 × 10(3) units/mg protein against vesicular stomatitis virus. These data suggest that ELK16-TEVp may become a universal tool for recombinant protein purification.

Single-step purification of recombinant proteins using elastin-like peptide-mediated inverse transition cycling and self-processing module from Neisseria meningitides FrpC.

Purification of recombinant proteins is a major task and challenge in biotechnology and medicine. In this paper we report a novel single-step recombinant protein purification system which was based on elastin-like peptide (ELP)-mediated reversible phase transition and FrpC self-processing module (SPM)-mediated cleavage. After construction of a SPM-ELP fusion expression vector, we cloned the coding sequence for green fluorescent protein (GFP), the Fc portion of porcine IgG (pFc) or human ß defensin 3 (HBD3) into the vector, transformed the construct into Escherichia coli, and induced the fusion protein expression with IPTG. The target-SPM-ELP fusion proteins GFP-SPM-ELP, Fc-SPM-ELP and HBD3-SPM-ELP were expressed in a soluble form and efficiently purified from the clarified cell extracts by two rounds of inverse transition cycling (ITC). Under the optimized conditions, the SPM-mediated cleavage efficiencies for the three fusion proteins ranged from 92% to 93%. After an additional round of ITC, the target proteins GFP, pFc and HBD3 were recovered with purities ranging from 90% to 100% and yields ranging from 1.1 to 36mg/L in shake flasks. The endotoxin levels in all of the three target proteins were <0.03EU/mg. The three target proteins were functionally active with the expected molecular weights. These experimental results confirmed the high specificity and efficiency of SPM-mediated cleavage, and suggested the applicability of SPM-ELP fusion system for purification of recombinant proteins.

[Construction and identification of recombinant avian adeno-associated virus expressing GFP reporter gene].

To generate recombinant avian adeno-associated virus (rAAAV) for gene transfer studies in avian cells, the recombinant plasmid containing the whole genome of AAAV was digested with restriction enzymes to remove the Rep and Cap genes, resulting in AAAV transfer vector pAITR. GFP-expressing cassette was amplified by PCR and inserted into the AAAV transfer vector. The Rep-Cap gene of AAAV amplified by high fidelity PCR was subcloned into eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3, resulting in an AAAV helper vector pcDNA-ARC. The Rep and Cap genes amplified by high fidelity PCR were subcloned separately into the co-expression vector pVITRO2-mcs, resulting in another AAAV helper vector pVITRO2-ARC. Using calcium phosphate precipitation method, rAAAV-GFP was generated by co-transfecting AAV-293 cells with a cocktail of pAITR-GFP, pcDNA-ARC or pVITRO2-ARC, and adenovirus helper vector pHelper. The three structural proteins VP1, VP2 and VP3 of correct molecular masses were detected by SDS-PAGE and the GFP reporter gene was detected by PCR in purified rAAAV-GFP virions. Chicken embryonic fibroblast (CEF) cells and CEL cell line were transduced with the recombinant virus, the GFP-positive cells were easily observed under fluorescent microscope, expression of which lasted for at least two weeks. These data demonstrate that an efficient helper virus-free packaging system has been established for generating recombinant AAAV particles for gene transfer studies in avian cells and for development of recombinant vaccines against avian diseases.

[Prevalence of LEE and HPI pathogenicity islands of Escherichia coli isolates from weaned piglets in China].

To investigate the distribution of LEE pathogenicity island and HPI of Yersinia entercolitica in Escherichia coli isolates from weaned piglets, PCR based on intimin gene (eaeA) of LEE pathogenicity island and high molecular weight protein 2 (HMWP1) gene (irp2) of HPI was developed. A total of 240 isolates from 140 diarrheic, 76 edematous and 24 edematous/diarrheic weaned piglets from different farms were tested for the presence of the two genes. Sequence analysis of randomly selected PCR products showed that eaeA gene of 5 isolates was 100%, irp2 gene of 7 isolates was 98.2%, fyuA gene of 5 isolates was 98.3% and Asn-tRNA-intB of 5 isolates was 95.8% identical to the published sequences. Isolates with LEE + HPI gene were more frequently detected in diarrheic swine than in edematous swine and edematous/diarrheic swine, and isolates with LEE gene were more frequently detected in edematous/diarrheic piglets than in edematous and diarrheic piglets. Furthermore, isolates with LEE or HPI or LEE + HPI were more frequently detected in diarrheic swine. 72.5% of HPI + isolates were fyuA positive and linked to asn-tRNA.

Intramammary expression and therapeutic effect of a human lysozyme-expressing vector for treating bovine mastitis.

To develop a gene therapy strategy for treating bovine mastitis, a new mammary-specific vector containing human lysozyme (hLYZ) cDNA and kanamycin resistance gene was constructed for intramammary expression and clinical studies. After one time acupuncture or intracisternal infusion of healthy cows with 400 microg of the p215C3LYZ vector, over 2.0 microg/ml of rhLYZ could be detected by enzymatic assay for about 3 weeks in the milk samples. Western blotting showed that rhLYZ secreted into milk samples from the vector-injected cows had molecular weight similar to that of the natural hLYZ in human colostrums. Twenty days after the primary injection, the quarters were re-injected with the same vector by quarter acupuncture and even higher concentrations of rhLYZ could be detected. Indirect competitive ELISA of milk samples showed that the vector injection did not induce detectable humoral immune response against hLYZ. Clinical studies showed that twice acupuncture of quarters with the p215C3LYZ vector had overt therapeutic effect on clinical and subclinical mastitis previously treated with antibiotics, including disappearance of clinical symptoms and relatively high microbiological cure rates. These data provide a solid rationale for using the vector to develop gene therapy for treating bovine mastitis.

[Generation of transgenic mice expressing human lysozyme in mammary gland].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of generating animal mammary gland bioreactors expressing human lysozyme (hLYZ). METHODS: The recombinant vector p205C3-hLYZ, as a result of connecting the hLYZ cDNA with the mammry gland expression vector p205C3, was used to generate transfer genic mice by microinjection. RESULTS: A total of 136 F0 mice were obtained, of which 7 (2 females and 5 males) and 4 (1 females and 3 males) were found to contain the transfer-gene by PCR and Southern blotting respectively. The results of Western blotting indicated that the expressed protein had the same molecular weight as that of normal hLYZ. From the F1 generation on, the mice mated only with their brothers or sisters and a colony of F7 transgenic mice was obtained. Among the offspring, the female transgenic mice maintained and expressed the transfer-gene stably with an expression level as high as 750 mg/L. The expressed protein had strong tissue specificity, and in addition to the mammary glands, some degree of ectropic expression in the spleens and intestines of the transgenic mice was confirmed by dot blotting assay. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that the mice mammary gland bioreactors expressing hLYZ have been successfully generated.

Transfection and expression of exogenous gene in laying hens oviduct in vitro and in vivo.

To examine whether or not the regulatory sequence of chicken ovalbumin gene can drive transgene expression specifically in hen oviduct, the authors constructed an oviduct-specific expression vector (pOV), containing 3.0 kilobases (kb) of the 5'-flanking sequence and 3.0 kb of the 3'-flanking sequence of the chicken ovalbumin gene. Jellyfish green fluorescence protein (EGFP) reporter gene and bacterial LacZ reporter gene were respectively inserted into the downstream of the 5'-regulatory region. The recombinants were named as pOVEGFP and pOVLacZ. Two transfer systems, in vitro and in vivo, were used to verify the function of the vector. In vitro, the plasmid DNA pOVEGFP and pEGFP-N1 were transfected respectively by the polyethyleneimine procedure into the primary chicken oviduct epithelium (PCOE) and fibroblasts cells isolated from laying hens. In vivo, the recombinant vector pOVLacZ was injected into egg-laying hens via wing vein and the tissues were collected for RT-PCR analysis. The results showed that expression of pEGFP-N1 was achieved at low level in oviduct epithelial cells and at high level in fibroblasts, but that the recombinant vector was not expressed in both cells. RT-PCR analysis showed that the LacZ gene was transcribed in the oviduct, but not in the heart, liver, kidney and spleen of the injected hens. Accordingly, the beta-galactosidase activity was only detected in the oviduct magnum (116.7 mU/ml) and eggs (16.47 mU/ml). These results indicated that the cloned regulation regions of chicken ovalbumin gene could drive exogenous gene expression specifically in the oviducts of hens. In vivo gene injection via wing vein may serve as a rapid production system of recombinant proteins in chicken eggs. In addition, the cultured primary oviduct cells from laying hens were not efficient temporary expression systems for analyzing the function of regulating elements of ovalbumin gene.