ABCA1 and metabolic syndrome; a review of the ABCA1 role in HDL-VLDL production, insulin-glucose homeostasis, inflammation and obesity.

ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) is an integral cell-membrane protein that mediates the rate-limiting step of high density lipoprotein (HDL) biogenesis and suppression of inflammation by triggering a number of signaling pathways via interacting with an apolipoprotein acceptor. The hepatic ABCA1 is involved in regulation of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) production by affecting the apolipoprotein B trafficking and lipidation of VLDL particles. This protein is involved in protecting the function of pancreatic ß-cells and insulin secretion by cholesterol homeostasis. Adipose tissue lipolysis is associated with ABCA1 activity. This transporter is involved in controlling obesity and insulin sensitivity by regulating triglyceride (TG) lipolysis and influencing on adiponectin, visfatin, leptin, and GLUT4 genes expression. The ABCA1 of skeletal muscle cells play a role in increasing the glucose uptake by enhancing the Akt phosphorylation and transferring GLUT4 to the plasma membrane. Abnormal status of ABCA1-regulated phenotypes is observed in metabolic syndrome. This syndrome is associated with the occurrence of many diseases. This review is a summary of the role of ABCA1 in HDL and VLDL production, homeostasis of insulin and glucose, suppression of inflammation and obesity controlling to provide a better insight into the association of this protein with metabolic syndrome.

Association of ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter A1 (ABCA1)-565 C/T Gene Polymorphism with Hypoalphalipoproteinemia and Serum Lipids, IL-6 and CRP Levels.

BACKGROUND: ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) is a membrane integral protein which plays a vital role in High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism and exerts a protective effect against Hypoalphalipoproteinemia (HA) by mediation of rate-limiting step in HDL biogenesis. In addition, this protein possesses anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the production of some inflammatory cytokines in macrophages. This study investigated the association of ABCA1-565 C/T gene polymorphism with HA and serum lipids, IL-6 and CRP levels. METHODS: A population which consisted of 101 HA and 95 normal subjects were genotyped for ABCA1-565C/T polymorphism by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The serum concentrations of lipids, IL-6 and high sensitive-CRP (hs-CRP) were measured by the relevant methods. RESULTS: The frequency of T allele was significantly higher in the HA group than the controls (31.7 vs. 19.5%, p=0.002). Thus, carriers of the T allele (CT and TT genotypes) had a higher risk for HA (p=0.016, OR=2.04, 95% CI=1.14-3.63). T allele carriers demonstrated decreased HDL-C and increased triglyceride, IL-6 and CRP levels than those with the CC genotype. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the-565 C/T polymorphism of ABCA1 gene is associated with an increased risk of HA, decreased HDL-C and increased TG, IL-6 and CRP.

Cloning and Optimization of Soluble Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor165 Expression in Escherichia coli.

BACKGROUND: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is a coordinate regulator of physiological angiogenesis during embryogenesis, skeletal growth and reproductive functions. There are several types of VEGF, including VEGF165. VEGFs stimulate endothelial cell growth, angiogenesis, and capillary permeability. Low induction temperature is a major factor for expression of the recombinant VEGF165 in soluble form. The purpose of this study was cloning and optimization of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor165 expression in Escherichia coli (E. coli). METHODS: In this study, total RNA of HeLa cell [cervix epithelium] was extracted. The VEGF165 gene was amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR), and then VEGF165 was subcloned into prokaryotic expression vectors pET-32a(+) and transformed into BL21 (DE3) E. coli strain. VEGF165 expression was optimized by fine adjustments such as induction time and incubation temperature. VEGF165 was analyzed by DNA sequencing prior to expression and the protein was further characterized by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting using His•tag specific polyclonal antibody. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that VEGF165 was successfully cloned and expressed in pET-32a(+) vector. Optimization of the expression procedure showed that, induction by 1 mM IPTG at OD600=0.7 and overnight incubation at 22°C resulted in the highest expression levels of soluble VEGF165. CONCLUSION: In this study, the expression of VEGF165 in a high soluble level was successfully cloned and optimized.

Development of an immunoaffinity method for purification of streptokinase.

BACKGROUND: Streptokinase is a potent activator of plasminogen to plasmin, the enzyme that can solubilize the fibrin network in blood clots. Streptokinase is currently used in clinical medicine as a thrombolytic agent. It is naturally secreted by ß-hemolytic streptococci. METHODS: To reach an efficient method of purification, an immunoaffinity chromatography method was developed that could purify the streptokinase in a single step with high yield. At the first stage, a CNBr-Activated sepharose 4B-Lysine column was made to purify the human blood plasminogen. The purified plasminogen was utilized to construct a column that could purify the streptokinase. The rabbit was immunized with the purified streptokinase and the anti-streptokinase (IgG) purified on another streptokinase substituted sepharose-4B column. The immunoaffinity column was developed by coupling the purified anti-Streptokinase (IgG) to sepharose 6MB-Protein A. The Escherichia coli (E.coli) BL21 (DE3) pLysS strain was transformed by the recombinant construct (cloned streptokinase gene in pGEX-4T-2 vector) and gene expression was induced by IPTG. The expressed protein was purified by immunoaffinity chromatography in a single step. RESULTS: The immunoaffinity column could purify the recombinant fusion GST-SK to homogeneity. The purity of streptokinase was confirmed by SDS-PAGE as a single band of about 71 kD and its biological activity determined in a specific streptokinase assay. The yield of the purification was about 94%. CONCLUSION: This method of streptokinase purification is superior to the previous conventional methods.

Production and purification of streptokinase by protected affinity chromatography.

Streptokinase is an extracellular protein, extracted from certain strains of beta hemolytic streptococcus. It is a non-protease plasminogen activator that activates plasminogen to plasmin, the enzyme that degrades fibrin cloth through its specific lysine binding site; it is used therefore as a drug in thrombolytic therapy. The rate of bacterial growth and streptokinase production was studied in condition of excess glucose addition to culture media and its pH maintenance. The streptokinase product of the bacterial culture was preliminary extracted by salt precipitation and then purified by affinity chromatography on plasminogen substituted sepharose-4B in a condition that the plasminogen active site was protected from streptokinase-induced activation. The purity of streptokinase was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and its biological activity determined in a specific streptokinase assay. The results showed that in the fed-batch culture, the rate of streptokinase production increased over two times as compared with the batch culture while at the same time, shortening the streptokinase purification to a single step increased the yield over 95% at the chromatography stage.

Detection of Legionella pneumophila by PCR-ELISA method in industrial cooling tower water.

Water supply and Cooling Tower Water (CTW) are among the most common sources of Legionella pneumophila (LP) contamination. A nonradio active method is described to detect LP in industrial CTW samples. DNA was purified and amplified by nested -PCR with amplimers specific for the 16s rRNA gene of LP. The 5' end biotinylated oligomer probe was immobilized on sterptavidin B coated microtiter plates. The nested-PCR product was labeled with digoxigenin and then hybridized with 5'-biotinylated probes. The amplification products were detected by using proxidase-labled anti dioxygenin antibody in a colorimetric reaction. The assay detected LP present in 1 L of 5 CTW samples examined. All of the samples were Legionella positive in both culture and PCR-ELISA methods. The PCR-ELISA assay appears to exhibit high specificity and is a more rapid technique in comparison with bacterial culture method. Thus could prove suitable for use in the routine examination of industrial CTW contamination.

Cloning and overexpression of active recombinant fusion streptokinase: a new approach to facilitate purification.

Streptokinase is a common fibrinolytic drug and included in the World Health Organization (WHO) Model List of Essential Medicines. Comparative clinical trails such as cost-effectiveness suggest that streptokinase can be the drug of choice for thrombolytic therapy. To reach the highest amount of the protein and production of active form of streptokinase in bacteria need to modify and optimize methods. In the present study, chromosomal DNA was extracted from S. equisimilis H46A and used for amplification of streptokinase gene (skc) (mature section: 1245 bp) by cloning into pGEX-4T-2 vector which contains a tac promoter. The cloning results were controlled by PCR, double digestion and sequencing. The expression level of the protein in different strain of E. coli was optimized and reached up to 50% of the total cell protein. The function of the fusion protein as active fibrinolytic protein was confirmed by plasmin hydrolysis of chromogenic peptidyl anilide substrate assay.