8M Urea Research Articles

Recombinant acetylated trypsin demonstrates superior stability and higher activity than commercial products in quantitative proteomics studies.

Trypsin is an important digestive enzyme in peptide sample preparation for proteomics. It digests proteins at the C-terminal of Arg or Lys residues. The majority of commercial products are obtained from animal sources. In a previous study, we reported the production process for recombinant trypsin (r-trypsin) and acetylated trypsin (r-Ac-trypsin). In this paper, we want to evaluate whether the r-trypsin and r-Ac-trypsin are suitable for proteomics research. The trypsins used in this research were first normalized to the same concentration and used for further evaluation. The stability and buffer compatibility (2M urea, 0.1% SDS and 10% acetonitrile) were compared and visualized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The digestion efficiency and specificity were compared based on a simple protein substrate, human serum albumin (HSA) and a complex proteomic sample, yeast lysate. The acquisition of proteomics data was achieved by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) connected to an LTQ Orbitrap Velos mass spectrometer. r-Ac-trypsin demonstrated similar tolerance to 2 M urea and 10% acetonitrile but weaker 0.1% SDS tolerance than commercial trypsins. Based on simple protein sample HSA, the activity and specificity of r-Ac-trypsin were similar to that of commercial trypsins. However, it demonstrated superior activity and specificity on complicated samples like yeast lysate. More interestingly, the newly developed r-Ac-trypsin was more resistant to autolysis, which enabled more complete digestion of proteomic samples. The r-Ac-trypsin described here is a recombinant product. In addition it showed similar or superior properties such as stability activity and specificity to commercial products. It can be used in peptide sample preparation in proteomics studies.

Anti-coagulant Activity of Isolated and Partially Characterized Proteoglycans and Glycosaminoglycans from African Night Crawler (Eudrilus eugeniae Kinberg)

Proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans were isolated from African night crawler (Eudrilus eugeniae Kinberg) and partially characterized proteoglycans (3.04 % of lyophilized worm) were liberated from the defatted and depurinated worm samples by dissociative method using 4M urea in acetate buffer. Glycosaminoglycans (12.47% of proteoglycan extract) were extracted using enzymatic hydrolysis of the proteoglycan extract with papain. Gel filtration chromatography using Sepharose CL-4B was used to purify and estimate the molecular weights of the proteoglycan and glycosaminoglycan fractions. Three proteoglycan fractions PGF1, PGF2 and PGF3 with estimated molecular weigths 860 kDa, 181 kDa and 3 kDa, respectively were identified as monitored by the Bradford and modified carbazole assay. Two glycosaminoglycan fractions - GF1 (MW = 860 kDa) and GF2 (MW=140 kDa) were identified using the modified carbazole assay. Infrared spectroscopy of the GF1 and GF2 showed the possible identities of the fractions. GF1 may be a hyaluronic acid and GF2 is possibly chondroitin. Anti-coagulant assay for the extracts and fractions revealed that the glycosaminoglycan isolate has anti-coagulant activity but not the GF1 and GF2 fractions individually.

Cloning, Expression, and Purification of Hyperthermophile α-Amylase from Pyrococcus woesei

ObjectivesIn an attempt α-amylase gene from Pyrococcus woesei was amplified and cloned into a pTYB2 vector to generate the recombinant plasmid pTY- α-amylase. MethodsEscherichia coli BL21 used as a host and protein expression was applied using IPTG. SDS-PAGE assay demonstrated the 100 kDa protein. Amylolytic activity of proteins produced by transformed E. coli cells was detected by zymography, and the rate of active α-amylase with and without the intein tag in both soluble conditions and as inclusion bodies solubilized by 4M urea were measured. ResultsAmylolytic activity of ∼185,000 U/L of bacterial culture was observed from the soluble form of the protein using this system. ConclusionThese results indicate that this expression system was appropriate for the production of thermostable α-amylase.

Efficient refolding of the bifunctional therapeutic fusion protein VAS-TRAIL by a triple agent solution

VAS-TRAIL is a bifunctional fusion protein that combines anti-angiogenic activity with tumor-selective apoptotic activity for enhanced anti-tumor efficacy. VAS-TRAIL is expressed as inclusion body in Escherichia coli, but protein refolding is difficult to achieve and results in low yields of bioactive protein. In this study, we describe an efficient method for VAS-TRAIL refolding. The solubilization of aggregated VAS-TRAIL was achieved by a triple agent solution, which consists of an alkaline solution (pH 11.5) containing 0.4M l-arginine and 2M urea. The solubilized protein showed high purity and preserved secondary structure according to fluorescence properties. VAS-TRAIL refolding was performed through stepwise dialysis and resulted in more than 50% recovery of the soluble protein. The function of l-arginine was additive with alkaline pH, as shown by the significant improvement in refolding yield (≈30%) by l-arginine-containing solubilization solutions compared with alkaline solubilization solutions without l-arginine. The refolded VAS-TRAIL also showed β-sheet structures and the propensity for oligomerization. Bioassays showed that the refolded fusion protein exhibited the expected activities, including its apoptotic activities toward tumor and endothelial cells, which proposed its promising therapeutic potential.

High-specificity quantification method for almond-by-products, based on differential proteomic analysis

A highly specific competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) protocol has been developed to identify and classify almond products based on differential proteomic analysis. We applied two-dimensional electrophoresis to compare the differences between almond and apricot kernels to search for almond-specific proteins. The amino acid of apricot Pru-1 was sequenced and aligned to almond Pru-1. One peptide, RQGRQQGRQQQEEGR, which exists in almond but not in apricot, was used as hapten to prepare monoclonal antibody against almond Pru-1. An optimized ELISA method was established using this antibody. The assay did not exhibit cross-reactivity with the tested apricot kernels and other edible plant seeds. The limit of detection (LOD) was 2.5–100μg/g based on different food samples. The recoveries of fortified samples at levels of twofold and eightfold LOD ranged from 82% to 96%. The coefficients of variation were less than 13.0%. Using 7M urea as extracting solution, the heat-treated protein loss ratios were 2%, 5% and 15% under pasteurization (65°C for 30min), baking (150°C for 30min) and autoclaved sterilization (120°C for 15min), respectively.

Improved reconstitution of Trizol derived protein extracts provides high quality samples for comprehensive proteomic characterization of cell cultures

Background: The study of RNA, DNA, and protein from the same sample is a great advantage but can be challenging. Using Trizol, one can simultaneously extract RNA, DNA, and protein, leading to efficient sample use and more comprehensive analysis. Although it is used routinely for RNA extraction, the frequency of use of Trizol extracts for proteomics applications is low. The aim of our study was to evaluate the results of a simple modification to the Trizol protocol in terms of extraction and protein recovery efficacy and compatibility of the extracts with proteomics technologies in comparison to our standard extraction protocol including freeze/thaw cycles in urea/ thiourea. Method: We used the human airway epithelial cell line S9 and extracted proteins either with a modified Trizol protocol or by freeze/thaw cycles in 8M urea/ 2M thiourea. Extracted proteins were quantified and subjected to 1D- and 2D-gel electrophoresis, Western Blotting and LC-coupled tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Results: Compared to urea/ thiourea extraction, the Trizol-extracted proteins exhibited a similar protein composition and identification rate in LC-coupled tandem mass spectrometry experiments. 1D- and 2D-PAGE of Trizol-extracted proteins revealed excellent protein resolution with better coverage of proteins in the low MW range than urea/ thiourea extraction. Conclusion: The modified Trizol-protocol enabled excellent protein extraction from cell culture samples and high compatibility with proteomics technologies, especially with LC-tandem mass spectrometry.

High-level expression of pseudolysin, the extracellular elastase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in Escherichia coli and its purification

Pseudolysin is the extracellular elastase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and belongs to the thermolysin-like family of metallopeptidases. Pseudolysin has been identified as a robust drug target and a biotechnologically important enzyme in the tanning industry. Previous attempts to purify active pseudolysin from P. aeruginosa or by expression in Escherichia coli yielded low quantities. Considerable expression and purification of secreted pseudolysin from Pichia pastoris has been reported but it is time-consuming and not cost-effective. We report the successful large-scale expression of pseudolysin in E. coli and purification of the correctly folded and active protein. The lasB gene that codes for the enzymatically active mature 33-kilodalton pseudolysin was expressed with a histidine tag under the control of the T7 promoter. Pseudolysin expressed highly in E. coli and was solubilized and purified in 8M urea by metal affinity chromatography. The protein was simultaneously further purified, refolded and buffer-exchanged on a preparative Superdex 200 column by a modified urea reverse-gradient size exclusion chromatography. Using this technique, precipitation of pseudolysin was completely eliminated. Refolded pseudolysin was found to be active as assessed by its ability to hydrolyze N-succinyl-ala-ala-ala-p-nitroanilide. The purification scheme yielded approximately 40mg of pseudolysin per liter of expression culture and specific activity of 3.2U/mg of protein using N-succinyl-ala-ala-ala-p-nitroanilide as substrate. This approach provides a reproducible strategy for high-level expression and purification of active metallopeptidases and perhaps other inclusion body-forming and precipitation-prone proteins.

Efficient In Vitro Refolding and Characterization of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I-Related Chain Molecules A (MICA) and Natural Killer Group 2 Member D (NKG2D) Expressed in E. coli.

Major Histocompatibility Complex class I-related chain molecules A (MICA) and receptor Natural killer group 2 member D (NKG2D) are important membrane proteins with immunosurveillance properties which could serve as therapeutic targets for immunotherapy. However, expression of MICA and NKG2D in E. coli often leads to the formation of inclusion bodies. Here, we present simple, inexpensive and convenient protocol for the solubilization and refolding of inclusion bodies of MICA and NKG2D expressed in E. coli. The inclusion bodies were firstly dissolved in strong chaotropic reagent (8M urea) and subsequently purified by immobilized-metal affinity column. The denatured MICA/NKG2D was refolded by gradually removing both denaturant (8M urea) and imidazole via dialysis in dialysis buffer of pH 7.4. The appropriate pH of the dialysis buffer was selected based on the theoretical isoelectric points of MICA and NKG2D which were 5.0 and 5.2 respectively. The folded MICA and NKG2D demonstrated the capacity to bind to recombinant NKG2D and MICA respectively by ELISA, Western blot and Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) assays. Additionally, the folded MICA and NKG2D demonstrated significant binding to NKG2D-positive Human leukemic cell line U937 and MICA-positive Human pancreatic carcinoma, epithelial-like cell line (PANC-1) respectively, suggesting successful refolding. Successful refolding was further confirmed by Circular Dichroism spectroscopy (CD). We have successfully dissolved, refolded and characterized inclusion bodies of MICA/NKG2D expressed in E. coli using simple, inexpensive and convenient protocol which can be carried out in laboratories under-resourced.

Influence of chemical denaturants on the activity, fold and zinc status of anthrax lethal factor

Anthrax lethal factor (LF) is a zinc-dependent endopeptidase which, through a process facilitated by protective antigen, translocates to the host cell cytosol in a partially unfolded state. In the current report, the influence of urea and guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) on LF׳s catalytic function, fold and metal binding was assessed at neutral pH. Both urea and GdnHCl were found to inhibit LF prior to the onset of unfolding, with the inhibition by the latter denaturant being a consequence of its ionic strength. With the exception of demetallated LF (apoLF) in urea, unfolding, as monitored by tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy, was found to follow a two-state (native to unfolded) mechanism. Analysis of the metal status of LF with 4-(2-pyridylazoresorcinol) (PAR) following urea or GdnHCl exposure suggests the enzyme to be capable of maintaining its metal ion passed the observed unfolding transition in a chelator-inaccessible form. Although an increase in the concentration of the denaturants eventually allowed the chelator access to the protein׳s zinc ion, such process is not correlated with the release of the metal ion. Indeed, significant dissociation of the zinc ion from LF was not observed even at 6M urea, and only high concentrations of GdnHCl (>3M) were capable of inducing the release of the metal ion from the protein. Hence, the current study demonstrates not only the propensity of LF to tightly bind its zinc ion beyond the spectroscopically determined unfolding transition, but also the utility of PAR as a structural probe.

Urea enhances the photodynamic efficiency of methylene blue

Methylene blue (MB) is a well-known photosensitizer used mostly for antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (APDT). MB tends to aggregate, interfering negatively with its singlet oxygen generation, because MB aggregates lean towards electron transfer reactions, instead of energy transfer with oxygen. In order to avoid MB aggregation we tested the effect of urea, which destabilizes solute–solute interactions. The antimicrobial efficiency of MB (30μM) either in water or in 2M aqueous urea solution was tested against a fungus (Candida albicans). Samples were kept in the dark and irradiation was performed with a light emitting diode (λ=645nm). Without urea, 9min of irradiation was needed to achieve complete microbial eradication. In urea solution, complete eradication was obtained with 6min illumination (light energy of 14.4J). The higher efficiency of MB/urea solution was correlated with a smaller concentration of dimers, even in the presence of the microorganisms. Monomer to dimer concentration ratios were extracted from the absorption spectra of MB solutions measured as a function of MB concentration at different temperatures and at different concentrations of sodium chloride and urea. Dimerization equilibrium decreased by 3 and 6 times in 1 and 2M urea, respectively, and increased by a factor of 6 in 1M sodium chloride. The destabilization of aggregates by urea seems to be applied to other photosensitizers, since urea also destabilized aggregation of Meso-tetra(4-n-methyl-pyridyl)porphyrin, which is a positively charged porphyrin. We showed that urea destabilizes MB aggregates mainly by causing a decrease in the enthalpic gain of dimerization, which was exactly the opposite of the effect of sodium chloride. In order to understand this phenomenon at the molecular level, we computed the free energy for the dimer association process (ΔGdimer) in aqueous solution as well as its enthalpic component in aqueous and in aqueous/urea solutions by molecular dynamics simulations. In 2M-urea solution the atomistic picture revealed a preferential solvation of MB by urea compared with MB dimers while changes in ΔHdimer values demonstrated a clear shift favoring MB monomers. Therefore, MB monomers are more stable in urea solutions, which have significantly better photophysics and higher antimicrobial activity. This information can be of use for dental and medical professionals that are using MB based APDT protocols.

Effect of Bonding Forces on Corn Starch Isolation

Chemical treatments with a number of low‐toxicity or nontoxic reagents were applied to corn slurry to investigate the disruption or weakening of common bonding forces between corn starch and proteins, such as hydrogen bonds, disulfide bonds, electrostatic interactions, or combinations thereof, to improve the corn starch isolation process. Starch and proteins could be easily separated by disrupting disulfide bonds with 1% l‐cysteine (w/v). The most effective reagents for hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions were 3M urea and pH 7.5 separately. The sequence treatment of hydrogen bonds, disulfide bonds, and electrostatic interactions (namely, sequence treatment of 1M urea, 1% l‐cysteine, and pH 7.5) led to the highest amount of starch in corn slurry and facilitated the corn starch isolation.

Urea treated subtilisin as a biocatalyst for transformations in organic solvents

Subtilisin lyophilized from its solution in aqueous buffer in the presence of 6M urea showed up to 50-fold increase (as compared to lyophilized subtilisin not subjected to urea treatment) in its initial rate of a transesterification reaction in anhydrous n-hexane. The lyophilization time controlling the extent of ‘drying’ was an important parameter. The urea treated subtilisin had five times shorter half life during heating at 100°C in hexane. The change in conformation was also reflected in its 92-fold higher activity at 15°C as compared to merely 28-fold higher activity at 45°C. The comparative enantioselectivity of urea treated subtilisin during kinetic resolution of 1-phenylethanol was expectedly lower. Its enantioselectivity during kinetic resolution of a natural substrate N-acetyl-(R,S)-phenylalanine ethyl ester in hexane was higher. Urea treated subtilisin also showed higher catalytic promiscuity during an aldol condensation. CD studies in both far UV and near UV region were also carried out to compare the two structures.

Development of an avidity assay for detection of recent HIV infections

HIV avidity can measure the incidence of recent infections within the population. The aim of this study was to evaluate an HIV avidity assay, initially from a clinically defined group of patients and then apply the assay to a prospective study to determine the false recency rate and mean duration of recency for the assay. The assay is a commercial ELISA modified with 7M urea. The validation of the assay used plasma from patients split into Group 1 (recently infected N=25) and group 2 (established infection N=301). The prospective study tested 178 newly diagnosed HIV patients for avidity. A total of 326 retrospective samples of known HIV status were collected and tested. The initial evaluation gave a sensitivity 100% (CI 86.16–100%) and specificity of 98.65% (95% CI 97.05–99.78%). The prospective study incorporating 178 newly diagnosed patients found 22 patients with low avidity. Follow-up samples obtained from low avidity patients determined the estimated mean duration of recency to be between 3 and 4 months with a false recency rate of 0.89% (CI: 0.24–2.3%). The assay described here compares well in sensitivity, specificity and false recency rate with that of other published avidity assays.

Recombinant production of biologically active giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) growth hormone from inclusion bodies of Escherichia coli by fed-batch culture

Growth hormone (GH) performs important roles in regulating somatic growth, reproduction, osmoregulation, metabolism and immunity in teleosts, and thus, it has attracted substantial attention in the field of aquaculture application. Herein, giant grouper GH (ggGH) cDNA was cloned into the pET28a vector and expressed in Shuffle® T7 Competent Escherichia coli. Recombinant N-terminal 6× His-tagged ggGH was produced mainly in insoluble inclusion bodies; the recombinant ggGH content reached 20% of total protein. For large-scale ggGH production, high-cell density E. coli culture was achieved via fed-batch culture with pH-stat. After 30h of cultivation, a cell concentration of 41.1g/l dry cell weight with over 95% plasmid stability was reached. Maximal ggGH production (4.0g/l; 22% total protein) was achieved via mid-log phase induction. Various centrifugal forces, buffer pHs and urea concentrations were optimized for isolation and solubilization of ggGH from inclusion bodies. Hydrophobic interactions and ionic interactions were the major forces in ggGH inclusion body formation. Complete ggGH inclusion body solubilization was obtained in PBS buffer at pH 12 containing 3M urea. Through a simple purification process including Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and refolding, 5.7mg of ggGH was obtained from 10ml of fed-batch culture (45% recovery). The sequence and secondary structure of the purified ggGH were confirmed by LC–MS/MS mass spectrometry and circular dichroism analysis. The cell proliferation-promoting activity was confirmed in HepG2, ZFL and GF-1 cells with the WST-1 colorimetric bioassay.

Na,K-ATPase structure/function relationships probed by the denaturant urea

Urea interacts with the Na,K-ATPase, leading to reversible as well as irreversible inhibition of the hydrolytic activity. The enzyme purified from shark rectal glands is more sensitive to urea than Na,K-ATPase purified from pig kidney. An immediate and reversible inhibition under steady-state conditions of hydrolytic activity at 37°C is demonstrated for the three reactions studied: the overall Na,K-ATPase activity, the Na-ATPase activity observed in the absence of K+ as well as the K+-dependent phosphatase reaction (K-pNPPase) seen in the absence of Na+. Half-maximal inhibition is seen with about 1M urea for shark enzyme and about 2M urea for pig enzyme. In the presence of substrates there is also an irreversible inhibition in addition to the reversible process, and we show that ATP protects against the irreversible inhibition for both the Na,K-ATPase and Na-ATPase reaction, whereas the substrate paranitrophenylphosphate leads to a slight increase in the rate of irreversible inhibition of the K-pNPPase. The rate of the irreversible inactivation in the absence of substrates is much more rapid for shark enzyme than for pig enzyme. The larger number of potentially urea-sensitive hydrogen bonds in shark enzyme compared to pig enzyme suggests that interference with the extensive hydrogen bonding network might account for the higher urea sensitivity of shark enzyme. The reversible inactivation is interpreted in terms of domain interactions and domain accessibilities using as templates the available crystal structures of Na,K-ATPase. It is suggested that a few interdomain hydrogen bonds are those mainly affected by urea during reversible inactivation.

Improved Production and Characterization of Recombinant Human Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor from E. coli under Optimized Downstream Processes

This work reports the upstream and downstream process of recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3)pLysS. The fed batch mode was selected for the maximum output of biomass (6.4g/L) and purified rhG-CSF (136mg/L) under suitable physicochemical environment. The downstream processing steps viz., recovery, solubilization, refolding and concentration were optimized in this study. The maximum rhG-CSF inclusion bodies recovery yield (97%) was accomplished with frequent homogenization and sonication procedure. An efficient solubilization (96%) of rhG-CSF inclusion bodies were observed with 8M urea at pH 9.5. Refolding efficiency studies showed maximum refolding ⩾86% and ⩾84% at 20°C and pH 9 respectively. The renatured protein solution was concentrated, clarified and partially purified (⩾95%) by the cross flow filtration technique. The concentrated protein was further purified by a single step size exclusion chromatography with ⩾98% purity. The characterization of purified rhG-CSF molecular mass as evidenced by SDS–PAGE, western blot and LC/MS analysis was shown to be 18.8kDa. The secondary structure of rhG-CSF was evaluated by the CD spectroscopic technique based on the helical structural components. The biological activity of the purified rhG-CSF showed a similar activity of cell proliferation with the standard rhG-CSF. Overall, the results demonstrate an optimized downstream process for obtaining high yields of biologically active rhG-CSF.

RP-HPLC and spectroscopic characterization of Suwannee River water NOM after concentrated urea treatment and dialysis

Suwannee River natural organic matter (SRNOM) was treated by 7M urea and then purified by dialysis on 10 kDa membrane. The untreated SRNOM and treated (USRNOM) samples were examined using UV–visible and fluorescence spectroscopies and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) with online absorbance and fluorescence detection. USRNOM was 1.5-fold more absorbing at 280nm than SRNOM and four fold less fluorescent than SRNOM upon excitation at 270 nm. RP-HPLC analyses of the two samples revealed that USRNOM was somewhat more hydrophobic than SRNOM and both samples contained at least two groups of HS-like fluorophores with different hydrophobicity and protein-like fluorophore(s). Data indicate that protein-like fluorophores were not lost during dialysis. They showed hydrophobic properties and seemed highly fluorescent. HS-like and protein-like fluorophores from water NOM could be successfully separated by RP-HPLC. This raises the prospect of their further research and identification and could be significant for future NOM chemical structure characterization.

Optimizing Primary Recovery and Refolding of Human Interferon-b from Escherichia coli Inclusion Bodies

Background: The refolding of proteins from inclusion bodies is affected by several factors, including solubilization of inclusion bodies by denaturants, removal of the denaturant, and assistance of refolding by small molecule additives. Objectives: The purpose of this study was optimization of recombinant human interferon-b purification in order to achieve higher efficiency, yield, and a product with a better and more suitable biological activity. Materials and Methods: Triton X-100 and sodium deoxycholate were used to wash the recombinant human interferon-b inclusion bodies prior to solubilization. The inclusion bodies solubilization process was performed by denaturants and reducing agents; guanidine-hydrochloride, urea, b-mercaptoethanol and dithiothritol. Results: The best recovery was obtained in the presence of 0.5% TritonX-100 (v/v). Low concentrations of urea only gave a marginal improvement on the refolding of recombinant human interferon-b. Successful refolding was achieved by gradient elution (decreasing the guanidine-hydrochloride concentration) in the presence of L-arginine. Partial purification was also achieved continuously, and recombinant human interferon-b was recovered with 93.5% purity. The interferon prepared in this project was biologically active and inhibited the replication of vesicular stomatitis virus in Hela cells, when compared to the standard interferon. Conclusions: In this research, the best recovery of inclusion bodies was found at a concentration 0.5 M of Triton X-100, the maximum efficiency of solubility was found in pH 10.5 and the maximum efficiency of refolding was achieved by final buffer containing 2M urea and 0.6 M L-Arg. Conclusion: In this research, the best recovery of inclusion bodies was found at a concentration 0.5 M of Triton X-100, the maximum efficiency of solubility was found in pH = 10.5 and the maximum efficiency of refolding was achieved by final buffer containing 2M urea and 0.6 M L-Arg.

Biochemical and pharmacological characterization of three toxic phospholipase A2s from Daboia russelii snake venom

Three isoenzymes of phospholipase A2 (PLA2), VRV-PL-IIIc, VRV-PL-VII, and VRV-PL-IX were isolated from Daboia russelii snake venom. The venom, upon gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 column, resolved into six peaks (DRG75 I–VI). The VRV-PL-IIIc was purified by subjecting DRG75II to homogeneity by rechromatography in the presence of 8M urea on Sephadex G-75 column. The other two isoenzymes VRV-PL-VII and VRV-PL-IX were purified by subjecting DRG75III to ion exchange chromatography on CM-Sephadex C-25 column. Mol wt. for the three PLA2s, VRV-PL-IIIc, VRV-PL-VII, and VRV-PL-IX are 13.003kDa, 13.100kDa and 12.531kDa respectively. The VRV-PL-IIIc is not lethal to mice up to 14mg/kg body weight but it affects blood sinusoids and causes necrosis of the hepatocytes in liver. It causes hemorrhage in kidney and shrinkage of renal corpuscles and renal tubules. The LD50s for VRV-PL-VII and VRV-PL-IX are 7 and 7.5mg/kg body weight respectively. They induced neurotoxic symptoms similar to VRV-PL-V. All the three PLA2s are anticoagulant and induced varying degree of edema in the foot pads of mice. VRV-PL-V and VRV-PL-VII are shown to act as pre and post synaptic toxins, while VRV-PL-IX acts as presynaptic toxin. This is evident from experiments conducted on cultured hippocampal neurons by patch clamp electrophysiology.

Expression, purification and renaturation of truncated human integrin β1 from inclusion bodies of Escherichia coli

Integrins are a family of transmembrane receptors and among their members, integrin β1 is one of the best known. It plays a very important role in cell adhesion/migration and in cancer metastasis. Preparation of integrin β1 has a great potential value especially in studies focused on its function. To this end, recombinant plasmids were constructed containing DNA segments representing 454 amino acids of the N-terminal of integrin β1. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into Escherichiacoli BL21 (DE3) cells and after induction by isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG), the recombinant protein (molecular weight: 53kD) was expressed, mainly in the form of inclusion bodies. The inclusion bodies were solubilized by 8M urea solution then purified by nickel affinity chromatography. The recombinant protein was renatured by a stepwise dialysis and finally dissolved in phosphate buffered saline. The final yield was approximately 5.4mg/L of culture and the purity of the renatured recombinant protein was greater than 98% as assessed by SDS–PAGE. The integrity of the protein was shown by Western blot using monoclonal antibodies against his-tag and integrin β1. Its secondary structure was verified as native by circular dichroism spectra and the bioactivity of the recombinant protein was displayed through the conformation switch under Mn2+ stimulation.