ABSTRACT
T4-lysozyme (T4L) fusion was introduced in the intracellular loop of a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) of human formyl peptide receptor 3 (FPR3), and the ability of T4L fusion to be used in the production of human FPR3 for structural determination was evaluated in this work. The T4L variant of human FPR3 termed FPR3-T4L was expressed in stable tetracycline-inducible HEK293 cells. A systematic detergent screening showed that fos-choline-14 was the optimal detergent to solubilize and subsequently purify FPR3-T4L from HEK293 cells. Immunoaffinity purification in combination with gel filtration was employed to purify the T4L-fused receptor to high homogeneity. The final yield of the human FPR3-T4L monomer from 2 g of cells was 0.2 mg. Circular dichroism spectroscopy indicated that the receptor adopted a correct secondary structure after purification, while ligand binding measurement indicated that the receptor was functional. Thus, the presence of T4L fusion did not evidently disturb the expression in HEK293 cells, proper folding, and functionality of human FPR3. Our study of evaluating T4L fusion for the recombinant production of human formyl peptide receptor would facilitate ongoing efforts in the structural characterization of GPCRs.
Subject(s)
Muramidase/chemistry , Receptors, Formyl Peptide/chemistry , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/chemistry , Viral Proteins/chemistry , Amino Acid Sequence , Bacteriophage T4/chemistry , Circular Dichroism , Detergents/chemistry , Gene Expression , HEK293 Cells , Humans , Models, Molecular , Molecular Sequence Data , Muramidase/genetics , Muramidase/isolation & purification , Phosphorylcholine/analogs & derivatives , Phosphorylcholine/chemistry , Protein Engineering , Protein Folding , Protein Structure, Secondary , Receptors, Formyl Peptide/genetics , Receptors, Formyl Peptide/isolation & purification , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/genetics , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/isolation & purification , Viral Proteins/genetics , Viral Proteins/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) participate in a wide range of vital regulations of our physiological actions. They are also of pharmaceutical importance and have become many therapeutic targets for a number of disorders and diseases. Purified GPCR-based approaches including structural study and novel biophysical and biochemical function analyses are increasingly being used in GPCR-directed drug discovery. Before these approaches become routine, however, several hurdles need to be overcome; they include overexpression, solubilization, and purification of large quantities of functional and stable receptors on a regular basis. Here we report milligram production of a human formyl peptide receptor 3 (FPR3). FPR3 comprises a functionally distinct GPCR subfamily that is involved in leukocyte chemotaxis and activation. The bioengineered FPR3 was overexpressed in stable tetracycline-inducible mammalian cell lines (HEK293S). After a systematic detergent screening, fos-choline-14 (FC-14) was selected for subsequent solubilization and purification processes. A two-step purification method, immunoaffinity using anti-rho-tag monoclonal antibody 1D4 and gel filtration, was used to purify the receptors to near homogeneity. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that expressed FPR3 was predominantly displayed on cellular membrane. Secondary structural analysis using circular dichroism showed that the purified FPR3 receptor was correctly folded with >50% α-helix, which is similar to other known GPCR secondary structures. Our method can readily produce milligram quantities of human FPR3, which would facilitate in developing human FPR as therapeutic drug targets.
Subject(s)
Bioengineering/methods , Receptors, Formyl Peptide/biosynthesis , Cell Membrane/drug effects , Cell Membrane/metabolism , Chromatography, Affinity , Chromatography, Gel , Circular Dichroism , Detergents/pharmacology , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , HEK293 Cells , Humans , Protein Structure, Secondary , Protein Transport/drug effects , Receptors, Formyl Peptide/isolation & purification , Solubility/drug effectsABSTRACT
The N-formyl peptide receptor (FPR), a G protein-coupled receptor that binds proinflammatory chemoattractant peptides, serves as a model receptor for leukocyte chemotaxis. Recombinant histidine-tagged FPR (rHis-FPR) was purified in lysophosphatidyl glycerol (LPG) by Ni(2+)-NTA agarose chromatography to >95% purity with high yield. MALDI-TOF mass analysis (>36% sequence coverage) and immunoblotting confirmed the identity as FPR. The rHis-FPR served as an immunogen for the production of 2 mAbs, NFPR1 and NFPR2, that epitope map to the FPR C-terminal tail sequences, 305-GQDFRERLI-313 and 337-NSTLPSAEVE-346, respectively. Both mAbs specifically immunoblotted rHis-FPR and recombinant FPR (rFPR) expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. NFPR1 also recognized recombinant FPRL1, specifically expressed in mouse L fibroblasts. In human neutrophil membranes, both Abs labeled a 45-75 kDa species (peak M(r) approximately 60 kDa) localized primarily in the plasma membrane with a minor component in the lactoferrin-enriched intracellular fractions, consistent with FPR size and localization. NFPR1 also recognized a band of M(r) approximately 40 kDa localized, in equal proportions to the plasma membrane and lactoferrin-enriched fractions, consistent with FPRL1 size and localization. Only NFPR2 was capable of immunoprecipitation of rFPR in detergent extracts. The recognition of rFPR by NFPR2 is lost after exposure of cellular rFPR to f-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLF) and regained after alkaline phosphatase treatment of rFPR-bearing membranes. In neutrophils, NFPR2 immunofluorescence was lost upon fMLF stimulation. Immunoblotting approximately 60 kDa species, after phosphatase treatment of fMLF-stimulated neutrophil membranes, was also enhanced. We conclude that the region 337-346 of FPR becomes phosphorylated after fMLF activation of rFPR-expressing Chinese hamster ovary cells and neutrophils.
