Effects Of Molecular Chaperones Research Articles

Enhanced production of recombinant proteins in Corynebacterium glutamicum using a molecular chaperone.

Protein synthesis in Corynebacterium glutamicum is critical for applications in biotechnology and medicine. However, the use of C. glutamicum for protein production is limited by its low expression and aggregation. To overcome these limitations, a molecular chaperone plasmid system was developed in this study to improve the efficiency of recombinant protein synthesis in C. glutamicum. The effect of molecular chaperones on target protein synthesis (Single-chain variable fragment, Scfv) under three different promoter strengths was tested. In addition, the plasmid containing the molecular chaperone and target protein was verified for growth stability and plasmid stability. This expression model was further validated using two recombinant proteins, human interferon-beta (Hifn) and hirudin variant III (Rhv3). Finally, the Rhv3 protein was purified, and analysis of Rhv3 activity confirmed that the use of a molecular chaperone led to an improvement in test protein synthesis. Thus, the use of molecular chaperones is believed to will improve recombinant proteins synthesis in C. glutamicum.

Influence of Chaperones on Amyloid Formation of Аβ Peptide.

An extensive study of the folding and stability of proteins and their complexes has revealed a number of problems and questions that need to be answered. One of them is the effect of chaperones on the process of fibrillation of various proteins and peptides. We studied the effect of molecular chaperones, such as GroEL and α-crystallin, on the fibrillogenesis of the Aβ(1-42) peptide using electron microscopy and surface plasmon resonance. Recombinant GroEL and Aβ(1-42) were isolated and purified. It was shown that the assembly of GroEL occurs without the addition of magnesium and potassium ions, as is commonly believed. According to the electron microscopy results, GroEL insignificantly affects the fibrillogenesis of the Aβ(1-42) peptide, while α-crystallin prevents the elongation of the Aβ(1-42) peptide fibrils. We have demonstrated that GroEL interacts nonspecifically with Aβ(1-42), while α-crystallin does not interact with Aβ(1-42) at all using surface plasmon resonance. The data obtained will help us understand the process of amyloid formation and the effect of various components on it.

Effect of Molecular Chaperone on the Soluble Expression of Recombinant Fab Fragment in E. coli

Molecular chaperones are folding modulators that play a pivotal role in conformational quality control of proteome and assist proper protein folding upon translation. In this study, the effects of cytoplasmic chaperones on the production of anti-TNF-α Fab antibody in Escherichia coli were investigated. To increase the solubility of anti-TNF-α Fab, different chaperone plasmids including pG-KJE8 (GroELS and DnaKJE), pGro7 (GroELS), pKJE7 (DnaKJE), pG-Tf2 (GroELS and TF) and pTf16 (TF) co-expressed in BL21 cells containing pET-22b-Fab construct were used. The solubility of recombinant anti-TNF-α Fab was analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The reactivity of the recombinant protein was tested by ELISA and dot blot assays. SDS-PAGE analysis of the expressed Fab revealed that chaperone coexpression increased the solubility of the Fab antibody. Among the chaperone sets co expressed with Fab construct, the dnaK/dnaJ/grpE chaperones showed the highest effect on soluble expression with producing about 23.2% soluble Fab antibody. ELISA test results showed, the pKJE7 chaperone led to an approximately sevenfold increase in the activity of produced Fab fragment. Dot blot test results revealed reactivity of recombinant Fab to both transmembrane and soluble form of TNF-α. Our results demonstrated the significant advantage of molecular chaperones in improvement of the soluble expression of Fab antibody in E. coli.

Effect of molecular chaperones on aberrant protein oligomers in vitro: super-versus sub-stoichiometric chaperone concentrations.

Living systems protect themselves from aberrant proteins by a network of chaperones. We have tested in vitro the effects of different concentrations, ranging from 0 to 16 μm, of two molecular chaperones, namely αB-crystallin and clusterin, and an engineered monomeric variant of transthyretin (M-TTR), on the morphology and cytotoxicity of preformed toxic oligomers of HypF-N, which represent a useful model of misfolded protein aggregates. Using atomic force microscopy imaging and static light scattering analysis, all were found to bind HypF-N oligomers and increase the size of the aggregates, to an extent that correlates with chaperone concentration. SDS-PAGE profiles have shown that the large aggregates were predominantly composed of the HypF-N protein. ANS fluorescence measurements show that the chaperone-induced clustering of HypF-N oligomers does not change the overall solvent exposure of hydrophobic residues on the surface of the oligomers. αB-crystallin, clusterin and M-TTR can diminish the cytotoxic effects of the HypF-N oligomers at all chaperone concentration, as demonstrated by MTT reduction and Ca2+ influx measurements. The observation that the protective effect is primarily at all concentrations of chaperones, both when the increase in HypF-N aggregate size is minimal and large, emphasizes the efficiency and versatility of these protein molecules.

Purification and Aggregation of the Amyloid Precursor Protein Intracellular Domain

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a type I transmembrane protein associated with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). APP is characterized by a large extracellular domain and a short cytosolic domain termed the APP intracellular domain (AICD). During maturation through the secretory pathway, APP can be cleaved by proteases termed α, β, and γ-secretases. Sequential proteolytic cleavage of APP with β and γ-secretases leads to the production of a small proteolytic peptide, termed Aβ, which is amyloidogenic and the core constituent of senile plaques. The AICD is also liberated from the membrane after secretase processing, and through interactions with Fe65 and Tip60, can translocate to the nucleus to participate in transcription regulation of multiple target genes. Protein-protein interactions involving the AICD may affect trafficking, processing, and cellular functions of holo-APP and its C-terminal fragments. We have recently shown that AICD can aggregate in vitro, and this process is inhibited by the AD-implicated molecular chaperone ubiquilin-1. Consistent with these findings, the AICD has exposed hydrophobic domains and is intrinsically disordered in vitro, however it obtains stable secondary structure when bound to Fe65. We have proposed that ubiquilin-1 prevents inappropriate inter- and intramolecular interactions of AICD, preventing aggregation in vitro and in intact cells. While most studies focus on the role of APP in the pathogenesis of AD, the role of AICD in this process is not clear. Expression of AICD has been shown to induce apoptosis, to modulate signaling pathways, and to regulate calcium signaling. Over-expression of AICD and Fe65 in a transgenic mouse model induces Alzheimer's like pathology, and recently AICD has been detected in brain lysates by western blotting when using appropriate antigen retrieval techniques. To facilitate structural, biochemical, and biophysical studies of the AICD, we have developed a procedure to produce recombinantly large amounts of highly pure AICD protein. We further describe a method for inducing the in vitro thermal aggregation of AICD and analysis by atomic force microscopy. The methods described are useful for biochemical, biophysical, and structural characterization of the AICD and the effects of molecular chaperones on AICD aggregation.

1B1510 再構築型生体外タンパク質合成系を用いた分子シャペロンによる凝集抑制効果の大規模解析(蛋白質-構造機能相関I,口頭発表,日本生物物理学会第50回年会(2012年度))

1B1510 再構築型生体外タンパク質合成系を用いた分子シャペロンによる凝集抑制効果の大規模解析(蛋白質-構造機能相関I,口頭発表,日本生物物理学会第50回年会(2012年度))

Amino acid sequence determinants and molecular chaperones in amyloid fibril formation

Amyloid consists of cross-β-sheet fibrils and is associated with about 25 human diseases, including several neurodegenerative diseases, systemic and localized amyloidoses and type II diabetes mellitus. Amyloid-forming proteins differ in structures and sequences, and it is to a large extent unknown what makes them convert from their native conformations into amyloid. In this review, current understanding of amino acid sequence determinants and the effects of molecular chaperones on amyloid formation are discussed. Studies of the nonpolar, transmembrane surfactant protein C (SP-C) have revealed amino acid sequence features that determine its amyloid fibril formation, features that are also found in the amyloid β-peptide in Alzheimer’s disease and the prion protein. Moreover, a proprotein chaperone domain (CTC Brichos) that prevents amyloid-like aggregation during proSP-C biosynthesis can prevent fibril formation also of other amyloidogenic proteins.

The Effect of Molecular Chaperone, Alpha-Crystallin, on the Heat-Induced Aggregation of Beta-lactoglobulin

Aggregation of beta-lactoglobulin occurs mainly via intermolecular disulphide bond exchange. Upon heating, beta-lactoglobulin aggregated which increased with increasing pH. The presence of DTT led to more rapid aggregation and precipitation of beta-lactoglobulin. Alpha-Crystallin prevented the aggregation of heat-stressed beta-lactoglobulin and was a more efficient chaperone at higher pH values. In the presence of DTT, however, alpha-crystallin was a less efficient chaperone due to faster aggregation of heated and reduced beta-lactoglobulin.

Effect of molecular chaperones on the soluble expression of alginate lyase inE. coli

When the alginate lyase gene (aly) fromPseudoalteromonas elyakovii was expressed inE. coli, most of the gene product was organized as aggregated insoluble particles known as inclusion bodies. To examine the effects of chaperones on soluble and nonaggregated form of alginate lyase inE. coli, we constructed plasmids designed to permit the coexpression ofaly and the DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE or GroEL/ES chaperones. The results indicate that coexpression ofaly with the Dnak/DnaJ/GrpE chaperone together had a marked effect on the yield alginate lyase as a soluble and active form of the enzyme. It is speculated this result occurs through facilitation of the correct folding of the protein. The optimal concentration ofl-arabinose required for the induction of the DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE chaperone was found to be 0.05 mg/mL. An analysis of the protein bands on SDS-PAGE gel indicated that at least 37% of total alginate lyase was produced in the soluble fraction when the DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE chaperone was coexpressed.

Polyglutamine diseases and molecular chaperones.

The polyglutamine diseases, a group of diseases currently thought to consist of nine inherited neurodegenerative diseases, are caused by the expansion of unstable CAG trinucleotide repeats that code for polyglutamine tracts in the responsible genes. These diseases are now recognized as being of a type with conformationally abnormal or amyloid-related proteins, and thus are called 'conformational diseases'. Recently, many studies using cell cultures and model organisms have suggested that the two major machineries for protein quality control (the molecular chaperone and the protein degradation machineries) play important roles in the pathogenesis of the polyglutamine diseases. Interestingly, molecular chaperones have been shown to behave in totally different ways in these studies, namely in suppressing as well as enhancing neurodegeneration or cell death. These apparently opposite actions of molecular chaperones suggest that a certain balance between the activities of molecular chaperones and the expression level of polyglutamine is an important determinant of the pathogenesis. In this review, we summarize recent findings on such ambiguous effects of molecular chaperones on polyglutamine diseases, and discuss possible mechanisms by which molecular chaperones, especially VCP, are involved in the pathogenesis.

Functional production and characterization of a fibrin-specific single-chain antibody fragment from Bacillus subtilis: effects of molecular chaperones and a wall-bound protease on antibody fragment production.

To develop an ideal blood clot imaging and targeting agent, a single-chain antibody (SCA) fragment based on a fibrin-specific monoclonal antibody, MH-1, was constructed and produced via secretion from Bacillus subtilis. Through a systematic study involving a series of B. subtilis strains, insufficient intracellular and extracytoplasmic molecular chaperones and high sensitivity to wall-bound protease (WprA) were believed to be the major factors that lead to poor production of MH-1 SCA. Intracellular and extracytoplasmic molecular chaperones apparently act in a sequential manner. The combination of enhanced coproduction of both molecular chaperones and wprA inactivation leads to the development of an engineered B. subtilis strain, WB800HM[pEPP]. This strain allows secretory production of MH-1 SCA at a level of 10 to 15 mg/liter. In contrast, with WB700N (a seven-extracellular-protease-deficient strain) as the host, no MH-1 SCA could be detected in both secreted and cellular fractions. Secreted MH-1 SCA from WB800HM[pMH1, pEPP] could be affinity purified using a protein L matrix. It retains comparable affinity and specificity as the parental MH-1 monoclonal antibody. This expression system can potentially be applied to produce other single-chain antibody fragments, especially those with folding and protease sensitivity problems.