Fos Leucine Zippers Research Articles

Sequence edition of single domains modulates the final immune and antimicrobial potential of a new generation of multidomain recombinant proteins

Combining several innate immune peptides into a single recombinant antimicrobial and immunomodulatory polypeptide has been recently demonstrated. However, the versatility of the multidomain design, the role that each domain plays and how the sequence edition of the different domains affects their final protein activity is unknown. Parental multidomain antimicrobial and immunomodulatory protein JAMF1 and several protein variants (JAMF1.2, JAMF2 and AM2) have been designed and recombinantly produced to explore how the tuning of domain sequences affects their immunomodulatory potential in epithelial cells and their antimicrobial capacity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The replacement of the sequence of defensin HD5 and phospholipase sPLA2 by shorter active fragments of both peptides improves the final immunomodulatory (IL-8 secretion) and antimicrobial function of the multidomain protein against antimicrobial-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterococcus spp. Further, the presence of Jun and Fos leucine zippers in multidomain proteins is crucial in preventing toxic effects on producer cells. The generation of antimicrobial proteins based on multidomain polypeptides allows specific immunomodulatory and antimicrobial functions, which can be easily edited by modifying of each domain sequence.

Exploring the use of leucine zippers for the generation of a new class of inclusion bodies for pharma and biotechnological applications

BackgroundInclusion bodies (IBs) are biologically active protein aggregates forming natural nanoparticles with a high stability and a slow-release behavior. Because of their nature, IBs have been explored to be used as biocatalysts, in tissue engineering, and also for human and animal therapies. To improve the production and biological efficiency of this nanomaterial, a wide range of aggregation tags have been evaluated. However, so far, the presence in the IBs of bacterial impurities such as lipids and other proteins coexisting with the recombinant product has been poorly studied. These impurities could strongly limit the potential of IB applications, being necessary to control the composition of these bacterial nanoparticles. Thus, we have explored the use of leucine zippers as alternative tags to promote not only aggregation but also the generation of a new type of IB-like protein nanoparticles with improved physicochemical properties.ResultsThree different protein constructs, named GFP, J-GFP-F and J/F-GFP were engineered. J-GFP-F corresponded to a GFP flanked by two leucine zippers (Jun and Fos); J/F-GFP was formed coexpressing a GFP fused to Jun leucine zipper (J-GFP) and a GFP fused to a Fos leucine zipper (F-GFP); and, finally, GFP was used as a control without any tag. All of them were expressed in Escherichia coli and formed IBs, where the aggregation tendency was especially high for J/F-GFP. Moreover, those IBs formed by J-GFP-F and J/F-GFP constructs were smaller, rougher, and more amorphous than GFP ones, increasing surface/mass ratio and, therefore, surface for protein release. Although the lipid and carbohydrate content were not reduced with the addition of leucine zippers, interesting differences were observed in the protein specific activity and conformation with the addition of Jun and Fos. Moreover, J-GFP-F and J/F-GFP nanoparticles were purer than GFP IBs in terms of protein content.ConclusionsThis study proved that the use of leucine zippers strategy allows the formation of IBs with an increased aggregation ratio and protein purity, as we observed with the J/F-GFP approach, and the formation of IBs with a higher specific activity, in the case of J-GFP-F IBs. Thus, overall, the use of leucine zippers seems to be a good system for the production of IBs with more promising characteristics useful for pharma or biotech applications.

Partial oncogenic transformation of chicken embryo fibroblasts by Jun dimerization protein 2, a negative regulator of TRE- and CRE-dependent transcription.

Jun dimerization protein 2 (JDP2) was identified as a bZIP protein that forms dimers with Jun proteins. JDP2 represses transcriptional activation of reporter constructs containing 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-responsive elements (TRE) or cyclic AMP responsive elements (CRE). JDP2, overexpressed by the avian retroviral vector RCAS, induces partial oncogenic transformation of chicken embryo fibroblasts. JDP2-expressing cells form multilayered foci in monolayer cultures but do not show anchorage-independent growth. Both the carboxyl and the amino terminus of JDP2 are required for the transforming activity. Chimeric constructs of JDP2 carrying the leucine zipper domain of Fos, GCN4 or EB1 fail to transform CEF. The leucine zipper of Fos mediates only heterodimerization; it cannot homodimerize. In contrast, the leucine zippers of GCN4 and of EB1 exclusively homodimerize and do not form dimers with other bZip proteins. The results with the JDP2 chimeras suggest that the JDP2 homodimer and the JDP2/Jun heterodimer (or other bZip heterodimers formed with the Fos leucine zipper) are nontransforming, leaving as possible transforming combination the JDP2/Fos heterodimer. The unexpected transforming activity of a negative regulator of TRE- and CRE-dependent transcription raises an important question concerning the mechanisms of transformation by the related bZIP proteins Jun and Fos that address the same target sequences.

11 Serological antigen selection of phage displayed colorectal tumour cDNA libraries

11 Serological antigen selection of phage displayed colorectal tumour cDNA libraries

A Dominant Negative to Activation Protein-1 (AP1) That Abolishes DNA Binding and Inhibits Oncogenesis

We describe a dominant negative (DN) to activation protein-1 (AP1) that inhibits DNA binding in an equimolar competition. AP1 is a heterodimer of the oncogenes Fos and Jun, members of the bZIP family of transcription factors. The DN, termed A-Fos, consists of a newly designed acidic amphipathic protein sequence appended onto the N-terminus of the Fos leucine zipper, replacing the normal basic region critical for DNA binding. The acidic extension and the Jun basic region form a heterodimeric coiled coil structure that stabilizes the complex over 3000-fold and prevents the basic region of Jun from binding to DNA. Gel shift assays indicate that A-Fos can inactivate the DNA binding of a Fos:Jun heterodimer in an equimolar competition. Transient transfection assays indicate that A-Fos inhibits Jun-dependent transactivation. Both the acidic extension and the Fos leucine zipper are critical for this inhibition. Expression of A-Fos in mouse fibroblasts inhibits focus formation more than colony formation, reflecting the ability of A-Fos to interfere with the AP1 biological functions in mammalian cells. This reagent is more potent than a deletion of either the Fos or Jun transactivation domain, which has been used previously as a dominant negative to AP1 activity.

Cloning Aspergillus fumigatus allergens by the pJuFo filamentous phage display system.

A cDNA library from Aspergillus fumigatus has been displayed on the surface of filamentous phage M13 and screened for gene products binding to human serum IgE. The physical linkage of cDNA gene products to the genetic information required for their production, achieved by exploiting the high-affinity interaction of the Jun and Fos leucine zippers, allows rapid and easier screening of large libraries in semifluid systems. The pJuFo cloning vector is designed to display proteins on the surface of phage and allows selective isolation of genes by gene product-ligand interaction. Thus the system is applicable to clone cDNA that encodes proteins for which a ligand is available. Herein we show that phage expressing IgE binding proteins from A. fumigatus can be enriched and separated from nonspecific phage by using serum IgE from A. fumigatus-allergic individuals coated to plastic dishes. Subsequently, the proteins can be produced in high amounts in Escherichia coli and purified for usage in allergy testing.

Multimer formation as a consequence of separate homodimerization domains: the human c-Jun leucine zipper is a transplantable dimerization module.

Human c-Jun and c-Fos leucine zipper domains were examined for their ability to serve as autonomous dimerization domains as part of a heterologous protein construct. Schistosoma japonicum glutathione S-transferase (GST) was fused to recombinant Jun leucine zipper (rJunLZ) and Fos leucine zipper (rFosLZ) domains. SDS-PAGE 'snapshot' analyses based on disulphide linkage of monomers demonstrated the ability of rJunLZ to function as a dimerization motif in a foreign protein environment. Steric hindrance prevented formation of rJunLZ-GST::rFosLZ-GST heterodimers whereas rJunLZ-GST::rFosLZ and rJunLZ:: rFosLZGST formed readily. Furthermore, rJunLZGST generated homodimers suggesting fusion protein heterodimers interact differently to homodimers. Gel filtration chromatography confirmed that GST is a dimer in solution and that attachment of a leucine zipper domain allows further interactions to take place. Sedimentation equilibrium analyses showed that GST is a stable dimer (K(a) > 10(6) M(-1)) with no higher multimeric forms. rFosLZ-GST weakly associates beyond a dimer (K(a) approximately 4 x 10(4) M(-1)) and rJunLZ-GST associates indefinitely (K(a) approximately 4 x 10(5) M(-1)) [corrected], consistent with an isodesmic model of association. The interaction of these leucine zippers independently of GST association demonstrates their utility in the modification of proteins when multimer formation is desired.

PJuFo: a phagemid for display of cDNA libraries on phage surface suitable for selective isolation of clones expressing allergens.

We have developed a phagemid vector (pJuFo) for the selective isolation of genes encoding proteins for which a ligand is available. The physical linkage of cDNA-encoded proteins to the genetic information required for their production was achieved by exploiting the high affinity interaction of the Jun and Fos leucine zippers. The gene encoding Jun preceeded by the pelB leader sequence placed under control of a lac promoter/operator element was cloned as N-terminal fusion to the minor viral coat protein gIII. The Jun/gIII fusion protein become structurally incorporated into phage particles during infection with helper phage. The gene encoding Fos, proceeded by the pelB leader sequence was coexpressed from a second lac promoter/operator as N-terminal fusion peptide to cDNA encoded proteins. The resulting Fos-fusions secreted into the periplasmic space of E. coli could become associated with Jun-decorated phage particles and thus displayed on phage surface. To avoid dissociation of the Jun/Fos heterodimeres cysteines were engineered at the N- and C-termini of both leucine zippers providing a covalent link of the cDNA gene products to the genetic information required for their production. The vector allows the construction of phage display cDNA expression libraries which can be screened by biopanning in microtiter plates coated with a ligand exhibiting affinity to the gene products of interest. The expression products from a cDNA library from Aspergillus fumigatus, a mold known to produce more than 40 IgE binding proteins, have been displayed on the surface of phage Ml3 using pJuFo. Phage displaying IgE-binding proteins were selectively enriched over non-specific phage by consecutive rounds of growth and selection in a microtiter plate coated with serum IgE from allergic individuals. A vast variety of phage encoding and displaying different IgE-binding proteins with an apparent molecular mass ranging from 20 to > 40 kDa were isolated from this library.KeywordscDNA LibraryPhage DisplayPhage ParticlePhage Display LibrarySelective IsolationThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Fos Leucine Zipper Variants with Increased Association Capacity

The Fos wild-type leucine zipper is unable to support homodimerization. This finding is generally explained by the negative net charge of the Fos zipper leading to the electrostatic repulsion of two monomers. Using a LexA-dependent in vivo assay in Escherichia coli, we show here that additional antideterminants for Fos zipper association are the residues in position a within the Fos zipper interface. If the wild-type Fos zipper is fused to the DNA binding domain of the LexA repressor (LexA-DBD), no excess repression is observed as compared with the LexA-DBD alone, in agreement with the incapacity of the wild-type Fos zipper to promote homodimerization. If hydrophobic amino acids (Ile, Leu, Val, Phe, Met) are inserted into the five a positions of a LexA-Fos zipper fusion protein, substantial transcriptional repression is recovered showing that Fos zipper homodimerization is not only limited by the repulsion of negatively charged residues but also by the nonhydrophobic nature of the a positions. The most efficient variants (harboring Ile or Leu in the five a positions) show an about 80-fold increase in transcriptional repression as compared with the wild-type Fos zipper fusion protein. In the case of multiple identical substitutions, the overall improvement is correlated with the hydrophobicity of the inserted side chains, i.e. Ile Leu > Val > Phe > Met. However at least for Val, Phe, and Met the impact of a given residue type on the association efficiency depends strongly on the heptad, i.e. on the local environment of the a residue. This is particularly striking for the second heptad of the Fos zipper, where Val is less well tolerated than Phe and Met. Most likely the a1 residue modulates the interhelical repulsion between two glutamic acid side chains in positions g1 and e2. Most of the hydrophobic Fos zipper variants are also improved in heteroassociation with a Jun leucine zipper, such that roughly half of the additional free energy of homodimerization is imported into the heterodimer. A few candidates (including the Fos wild-type zipper) deviate from this correlation, showing considerable excess heteroassociation.

Display of Expression Products of cDNA Libraries on Phage Surfaces

Techniques for cloning cDNAs from bacteriophage libraries immobilised on solid supports are well established. However, these techniques do not allow selective enrichment of clones expressing proteins of interest. Screening of cDNA libraries would be simplified if the proteins encoded by cDNAs could be expressed on the surface of phage. Phage carrying genes encoding proteins for which a ligand is available can be selected directly by affinity interaction [Crameri, R. & Suter, M. (1993) Gene (Amst.) 137, 69–75]. The expression products from a cDNA library from Aspergillus fumigatus have been displayed on the surface of the filamentous phage M13 and screened for gene products binding to human serum IgE. The physical linkage of cDNA‐encoded proteins to the genetic information required for their production, achieved by exploiting the high‐affinity interaction of the Jun and Fos leucine zippers, allows screening of up to 1 × 1010 independent clones in 50‐μl aliquots applied to a well of a microtiter plate coated with the ligand. Phage displaying IgE‐binding proteins were selectively enriched 105–106‐fold over non‐specific phage after six rounds of growth and selection. The apparent molecular mass of the proteins selected from the cDNA library was in the range 20–40 kDa. Restriction enzyme analysis and preliminary sequence determination of 12 selected inserts revealed different sequences. The ability of the proteins to bind to human serum IgE was corroborated by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and by Western‐blot analysis. The developed cloning strategy allows isolation of cDNAs encoding proteins for which a ligand is available and circumvents immobilisation of the libraries on solid‐phase supports which hamper selective enrichment of clones expressing the desired protein.

Display of expression products of cDNA libraries on phage surfaces. A versatile screening system for selective isolation of genes by specific gene-product/ligand interaction.

Techniques for cloning cDNAs from bacteriophage libraries immobilised on solid supports are well established. However, these techniques do not allow selective enrichment of clones expressing proteins of interest. Screening of cDNA libraries would be simplified if the proteins encoded by cDNAs could be expressed on the surface of phage. Phage carrying genes encoding proteins for which a ligand is available can be selected directly by affinity interaction [Crameri, R. & Suter, M. (1993) Gene (Amst.) 137, 69-75]. The expression products from a cDNA library from Aspergillus fumigatus have been displayed on the surface of the filamentous phage M13 and screened for gene products binding to human serum IgE. The physical linkage of cDNA-encoded proteins to the genetic information required for their production, achieved by exploiting the high-affinity interaction of the Jun and Fos leucine zippers, allows screening of up to 1 x 10(10) independent clones in 50-microliters aliquots applied to a well of a microtiter plate coated with the ligand. Phage displaying IgE-binding proteins were selectively enriched 10(5)-10(6)-fold over non-specific phage after six rounds of growth and selection. The apparent molecular mass of the proteins selected from the cDNA library was in the range 20-40 kDa. Restriction enzyme analysis and preliminary sequence determination of 12 selected inserts revealed different sequences. The ability of the proteins to bind to human serum IgE was corroborated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and by Western-blot analysis. The developed cloning strategy allows isolation of cDNAs encoding proteins for which a ligand is available and circumvents immobilisation of the libraries on solid-phase supports which hamper selective enrichment of clones expressing the desired protein.

Two pairs of oppositely charged amino acids from Jun and Fos confer heterodimerization to GCN4 leucine zipper.

The preferential assembly of Jun and Fos into heterodimers has been shown to be mainly driven by 16 amino acids (8 from each protein) situated in positions e and g of the leucine zipper coiled-coil structures of the two proteins (O'Shea, E. K., Rutkowski, R., and Kim, P. S. (1992) Cell 68, 699-708). Using a similar approach, we show that among these residues two pairs of oppositely charged amino acids account in fact for most of the additional free energy of heterodimerization in this system. These residues are 2 glutamic acid side chains in positions g1 and e2 of the Fos leucine zipper and 2 lysine residues in the equivalent positions of the Jun zipper. These amino acids were placed in the context of a GCN4 leucine zipper using peptide synthesis. These peptides contain unique cysteine residues enabling the formation of covalent dimers. The gain in heterodimer free energy has been determined both by cysteine-linked dimer formation under redox conditions and by thermal melting experiments of covalent dimers using circular dichroism experiments. The two pairs of oppositely charged residues (Glu,Glu and Lys,Lys) in positions g1 and e2 contribute at least -1.9 kcal/mol of additional free energy, accounting for a 50-fold excess of the heterodimer with respect to one of the homodimers. Thermal denaturation studies as a function of pH and ionic strength suggest that electrostatic effects should indeed be a major driving force for heterodimerization. On the contrary, peptides harboring the 12 amino acids from Jun and Fos in the other e and g positions (i.e. in e1, g2, e3, g3, e4, and g4) show only a moderate tendency to form heterodimers.

Cloning, expression, and spectroscopic studies of the Jun leucine zipper domain

Association of the human c-Jun and c-Fos proteins depends upon interactions involving their leucine zipper domains. We are interested in elucidating the tertiary structure of the Jun and Fos leucine zipper domains with a view to understanding the precise intermolecular interactions which govern the affinity and specificity of interaction in these proteins, which have the unusual capacity to form either homodimeric or heterodimeric zipper pairs. With this goal in mind, we have developed a bacterial expression system for the efficient production of both unlabelled and isotopically labelled c-Jun leucine zipper domain. A synthetic junLZ gene was created by annealing, ligation, and polymerase-chain-reaction amplification of overlapping synthetic oligonucleotides which comprised 132 bp of coding sequence encompassing residues Arg276-Asn314 of c-Jun plus a total of five engineered non-native residues at the N- and C-termini. The junLZ gene was cloned into the pGEX-2T vector from which recombinant c-Jun leucine zipper domain (rJunLZ; 46 residues, 5.1 kDa) was overexpressed (approximately 15% total cell protein) in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein of 31.4 kDa, consisting of rJunLZ fused to the carboxy-terminal portion of Schistosoma japonicum glutathione S-transferase. Two markedly different expression strategies have been devised which allow purification of rJunLZ from the soluble or inclusion-body fraction of induced cells. We have used these strategies to produce unlabelled and uniformly 15N-labelled rJunLZ for NMR studies which, in combination with circular dichroic measurements, reveal that rJunLZ most likely forms a symmetric coiled-coil of parallel alpha-helices. We also present 15N-NMR chemical shift assignments for the backbone and sidechain amide nitrogens of rJunLZ, which should assist in determination of a high-resolution structure of the homodimeric Jun leucine zipper using heteronuclear three-dimensional NMR spectroscopy.

Display of biologically active proteins on the surface of filamentous phages: a cDNA cloning system for selection of functional gene products linked to the genetic information responsible for their production

A cloning and expression system allowing display of functional cDNAs or other gene products on the surface of filamentous phage has been developed, exploiting the high-affinity interaction of the Jun and Fos leucine zippers. Gene jun was expressed from a lacZ promoter as a fusion protein with the viral coat protein, pill, thereby being structurally incorporated into phage particles during infection with a helper phage. Using a second lacZ promoter of the phagemid, gene fos was co-expressed as an N-terminal fusion peptide to cDNA library gene products, so that the resulting Fosfusion proteins could become associated with the Jun-decorated phage particles. To avoid interphage exchange of foscDNA fusion products, cysteines were engineered at the N- and C-termini of each of the leucine zippers, providing a covalent link of the cDNA gene product to the genetic instructions required for its production. Dissociation between phage and cDNA gene products was readily achieved using reducing agents. Phages displaying gene products covalently anchored on their surface via the modified leucine zippers can be selectively enriched 10 -–10 6-fold over nonspecific phages using antibodies. Thus, this cloning system allows rapid isolation of rare mRNA products from complex cDNA libraries by enrichment with appropriate ligands. This approach should allow the expression and cloning of dimeric proteins by cDNA shuffling.

An efficient screening assay for the rapid and precise determination of affinities between leucine zipper domains.

The protein products of the jun and fos oncogenes require a functional protein-protein interaction domain, called the "leucine zipper domain", to exert their transcriptional regulatory activity. A scintillation proximity assay was developed in which the biotinylated leucine zipper domain of the Jun protein (275-315) was immobilized on streptavidin-coated microfluorospheres and in which the leucine zipper domain of the Fos protein (160-200) was used as free, labeled ligand. The Fos leucine zipper peptide specifically bound to the Jun leucine zipper peptide, and for the first time, a dissociation constant (Kd = 110 +/- 12 nM in PBS/0.1% Tween) could be determined. Optimal heterodimer formation was reached at neutral pH. Both acidic and alkaline pH decreased the association of the peptides which was, furthermore, completely abolished by 500 mM NaCl, confirming that charged residues are critical for heterodimerization. A commercially obtained recombinant Jun protein competed as efficiently as the Jun leucine zipper peptide for binding to the Fos peptide, confirming the feasibility of using the two leucine zipper peptides to study the interactions between the two transcription factors. We also injected leucine zipper peptides individually into Xenopus oocytes to study whether they would interfere with the activity of the Fos/Jun heterodimer in vivo. Both peptides blocked selectively insulin-mediated oocyte maturation with an IC50 in the range of 15 ng per oocyte. In conclusion, the scintillation proximity assay described here may be used to investigate protein-protein interactions mediated by leucine zipper structures and to identify compounds that inhibit leucine zipper association.

Construction, purification, and characterization of a hybrid protein comprising the DNA binding domain of the LexA repressor and the Jun leucine zipper: a circular dichroism and mutagenesis study

An increasing number of eukaryotic transcription factors interacting specifically with DNA comprise a dimerization motif called the "leucine zipper". These leucine zipper proteins form homodimers and/or heterodimers with another protein containing a leucine zipper motif. The leucine zipper of the oncoprotein Jun is particular in that Jun may form homodimers as well as heterodimers with the oncoprotein Fos, which are however more stable than the Jun-Jun homodimers. Leucine zipper dimerization is thought to occur through a coiled-coil arrangement of parallel alpha-helices, but the rules governing the specificity of homo- and/or heterodimerization are still largely unknown. To address this question in the case of the Jun leucine zipper, we constructed a fusion protein containing the amino-terminal DNA binding domain of the LexA repressor from Escherichia coli fused to the Jun leucine zipper. This hybrid protein (LexA-JunZip) is stable in E. coli and confers much tighter repression in vivo than the DNA binding domain of LexA alone. DNA binding competition experiments with synthetic Jun and Fos leucine zipper peptides in vitro showed that the leucine zipper mediated dimerization of LexA-JunZip is essential for DNA binding of the fusion protein. The purified LexA-JunZip protein dimerizes in vitro with a dimerization constant of 2 x 10(7) M-1 at 5 degrees C. Dimerization is very sensitive to temperature, since the dimerization constant drops at 20 degrees C to 2 x 10(6) M-1 and at 30 degrees C to only 3 x 10(5) M-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Preferential Heterodimer Formation by Isolated Leucine Zippers from Fos and Jun

The products of the nuclear oncogenes fos and jun are known to form heterodimers that bind to DNA and modulate transcription. Both proteins contain a leucine zipper that is important for heterodimer formation. Peptides corresponding to these leucine zippers were synthesized. When mixed, these peptides preferentially form heterodimers over homodimers by at least 1000-fold. Both homodimers and the heterodimer are parallel alpha helices. The leucine zipper regions from Fos and Jun therefore correspond to autonomous helical dimerization sites that are likely to be short coiled coils, and these regions are sufficient to determine the specificity of interaction between Fos and Jun. The Fos leucine zipper forms a relatively unstable homodimer. Instability of homodimers provides a thermodynamic driving force for preferential heterodimer formation.