Deletion of hydrophobic domains of viral glycoproteins increases the level of their production in Escherichia coli.

Overexpression of glycoprotein-encoding genes in Escherichia coli sometimes results in toxicity to the host and low protein yields. One possible explanation for this phenomenon is the presence of hydrophobic amino acid (aa) domains approx. 15-20 aa in length in the overproduced protein. As an initial test of this hypothesis, regions of hydrophobicity located within the envelope glycoproteins of HIV-1 and HTLV-1 were identified by computer analysis, and subsequently deleted by site-directed mutagenesis. The parent and modified envelope genes were expressed in bacteria using both lambda pL and T7 inducible expression systems. Removal of the hydrophobic domains reduced the apparent toxicity and significantly increased the accumulation of recombinant protein from undetectable levels to approx. 10-15% of total cellular protein.

High-level synthesis of biologically active human plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) in Escherichia coli.

Segments of a cDNA encoding human plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) were subcloned into a highly regulated and inducible Escherichia coli expression system. A plasmid encoding the mature form of human endothelial PAI-1 produced a functional recombinant molecule, as indicated by its ability to inhibit tissue plasminogen activator's enzymatic activity. In contrast to PAI-1 isolated from human fibrosarcoma cells, the biological activity of the recombinant PAI-1 was not dependent on pretreatment with denaturing agents. A construct encoding a polypeptide lacking the first 80 amino acids of PAI-1 also produced elevated levels of the truncated recombinant protein. However, this truncated product was functionally inactive, indicating that an intact N terminus is required for activity.

Detection of heterologous fusion proteins in Escherichia coli with a monoclonal antibody.

Several laboratories have constructed expression vectors for the production of heterologous fusion proteins containing the N-terminal 13 amino acids of the bacteriophage lambda cII-coded protein in Escherichia coli. We have prepared a monoclonal antibody to a synthetic peptide having this CII amino acid sequence and have found that this antibody reacts with authentic CII protein in Western blot tests and with most CII peptide-containing fusion proteins in both radioimmunoprecipitation and Western blot assays. However, there are some CII-hybrid protein species with which the antibody does not react. Our findings indicate that this antibody is a valuable tool for detecting and purifying expressed proteins and in studying their structure and function.

A plasmid vector for cloning and expression of gene segments: expression of an HTLV-I envelope gene segment.

We describe a cloning-expression vector system for selecting DNA fragments containing open reading frames (ORFs) and expressing them as beta-galactosidase (beta Gal) hybrid fusion proteins. The plasmid vector, pWS50, utilizes the very strong and easily regulated bacteriophage lambda promoter pL, and the efficient translation initiation signals of the N-terminal segment of the lambda cII gene. Fused distally to and out of translational phase with cII is the E. coli lacZ gene, lacking its own transcriptional and translational initiating signals. A unique restriction enzyme site (NruI) is located between the upstream regulatory sequences and the lacZ gene, which provides a cloning site for the insertion of blunt ended DNA fragments. In addition, there are two other unique restriction sites (NheI and BamHI) located in this region which can also be used as closing sites. If a DNA fragment does not contain any translation termination codons (i.e., an ORF), and is inserted correctly into the vector, the translational reading frame between cII and lacZ can be restored. Colonies containing these recombinants can be easily screened as LacZ+ on lactose indicator media. The beta-galactosidase fusion proteins produced from the LacZ+ recombinants are identified on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels by their large size and high level of production. To test the ORF cloning-expression system, a segment of the human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type I envelope gene was cloned and expressed at high levels. The envelope-beta Gal fusion protein was recognized by antibodies in serum from a patient with adult T-cell leukemia.

Bacteriophage lambda cloning system for the construction of directional cDNA libraries.

We have developed a bacteriophage lambda cloning vector, lambda ORF8, that can be used for the construction of cDNA libraries. The wild-type lambda genome contains five BamHI, five EcoRI, and seven HindIII restriction sites that have all been removed from the genome of lambda ORF8. Sites for these endonucleases are present within the multiple cloning site of lambda ORF8. We report a method for preparing cDNAs that can be cloned in a single orientation in our phage vector. The method utilizes the synthesis of double-stranded cDNA, including priming of first-strand synthesis by oligo(dT). After completion of second-strand synthesis, a bifunctional oligodeoxynucleotide linker is ligated to the cDNA fragments. This linker, which contains a BamHI restriction site, will create a HindIII restriction site when ligated to the 3' end of cDNA fragments. Subsequent treatment of methylated cDNA with HindIII and BamHI endonucleases allows these fragments to be cloned directionally into lambda ORF8. To demonstrate the utility of this cloning system, we prepared a library from 5 micrograms of mRNA isolated from phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human peripheral blood lymphocytes. The primary library contained 2 X 10(8) plaque-forming phage, at least 80% of which contain inserts. A portion of the library was examined for the presence of gamma-interferon-related clones to verify the method had generated a library that was representative of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes. This simple and efficient cDNA cloning system significantly reduces the amount of RNA and effort required for the preparation of large directionally cloned libraries.

Purification and characterization of recombinant plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 from Escherichia coli.

A recombinant form of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (rPAI-1) has been purified from lysates of pCE1200, a bacterial expression vector containing the full length PAI-1 gene, by utilizing sequential anion exchange and cation exchange chromatography on Q-Sepharose and S-Sepharose columns. Approximately 140 mg of rPAI-1, estimated at 98% purity on the basis of analytical high performance liquid chromatography, could be obtained from 200 g wet weight of cells. The purified protein exhibited a single Coomassie Blue-stainable band at the region of Mr = 42,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and an NH2-terminal amino acid sequence consistent with the expected translation product of the pCE1200 PAI-1 insert. The rPAI-1 rapidly inhibited single- and two-chain tissue plasminogen activators, as well as urokinase, with apparent second order rate constants in the range of 2-5 x 10(7) M-1 s-1. A specific activity measurement of 250,000 units/mg was calculated for the rPAI-1 based on its ability to inhibit the enzymatic activity of a single-chain tissue plasminogen activator. Stability studies showed that the activity of the rPAI-1 was very stable when stored at temperatures of 25 degrees C or lower, but decayed within hours when stored at 37 degrees C. Sodium dodecyl sulfate treatment, which partially activates the latent form of natural PAI-1, inactivated rPAI-1. These results show that the purified rPAI-1 produced from pCE1200 displays many of the properties associated with the biologically active form of natural PAI-1.

High-level expression and purification of secreted forms of herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoprotein gD synthesized by baculovirus-infected insect cells.

Two forms of herpes simplex virus glycoprotein gD were recombined into Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (baculovirus) and expressed in infected Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells. Each protein was truncated at residue 306 of mature gD. One form, gD-1(306t), contains the coding sequence of Patton strain herpes simplex virus type 1 gD; the other, gD-1(QAAt), contains three mutations which eliminate all signals for addition of N-linked oligosaccharides. Prior to recombination, each gene was cloned into the baculovirus transfer vector pVT-Bac, which permits insertion of the gene minus its natural signal peptide in frame with the signal peptide of honeybee melittin. As in the case with many other baculovirus transfer vectors, pVT-Bac also contains the promoter for the baculovirus polyhedrin gene and flanking sequences to permit recombination into the polyhedrin site of baculovirus. Each gD gene was engineered to contain codons for five additional histidine residues following histidine at residue 306, to facilitate purification of the secreted protein on nickel-containing resins. Both forms of gD-1 were abundantly expressed and secreted from infected Sf9 cells, reaching a maximum at 96 h postinfection for gD-1(306t) and 72 h postinfection for gD-1(QAAt). Secretion of the latter protein was less efficient than gD-1(306t), possibly because of the absence of N-linked oligosaccharides from gD-1(QAAt). Purification of the two proteins by a combination of immunoaffinity chromatography, nickel-agarose chromatography, and gel filtration yielded products that were > 99% pure, with excellent recovery. We are able to obtain 20 mg of purified gD-1(306t) and 1 to 5 mg of purified gD-1(QAAt) per liter of infected insect cells grown in suspension. Both proteins reacted with monoclonal antibodies to discontinuous epitopes, indicating that they retain native structure. Use of this system for gD expression makes crystallization trials feasible.

Multivalent ligand-receptor binding interactions in the fibroblast growth factor system produce a cooperative growth factor and heparin mechanism for receptor dimerization.

The binding interactions for the three primary reactants of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) system, basic FGF (bFGF), an FGF receptor, FGFR1, and the cofactor heparin/heparan sulfate (HS), were explored by isothermal titrating calorimetry, ultracentrifugation, and molecular modeling. The binding reactions were first dissected into three binary reactions: (1) FGFR1 + bFGF<==>FGFR1/bFGF, K1 = 41 (+/- 12) nM; (2) FGFR1 + HS<==>FGFR1/HS, K2 = 104 (+/- 17) microM; and (3) bFGF + HS<==>bFGF/HS, K3 = 470 (+/- 20) nM, where HS = low MW heparin, approximately 3 kDa. The first, binding of bFGF to FGFR1 in the absence of HS, was found to be a simple binary binding reaction that is enthalpy dominated and characterized by a single equilibrium constant, K1. The conditional reactions of bFGF and FGFR1 in the presence of heparin were then examined under conditions that saturate only the bFGF heparin site (1.5 equiv of HS/bFGF) or saturate the HS binding sites of both bFGF and FGFR1 (1.0 mM HS). Both 3-and 5-kDa low MW heparins increased the affinity for FGFR1 binding to bFGF by approximately 10-fold (Kd = 4.9 +/- 2.0 nM), relative to the reaction with no HS. In addition, HS, at a minimum of 1.5 equiv/bFGF, induced a second FGFR1 molecule to bind to another lower affinity secondary site on bFGF (K4 = 1.9 +/- 0.7 microM) in an entropy-dominated reaction to yield a quaternary complex containing two FGFR1, one bFGF, and at least one HS. Molecular weight estimates by analytical ultracentrifugation of such fully bound complexes were consistent with this proposed composition. To understand these binding reactions in terms of structural components of FGFR1, a three-dimensional model of FGFR1 was constructed using segment match modeling. Electrostatic potential calculations confirmed that an elongated cluster, approximately 15 x 35 A, of nine cationic residues focused positive potential (+2kBT) to the solvent-exposed beta-sheet A, B, E, C' surface of the D(II) domain model, strongly implicating this locus as the HS binding region of FGFR1. Structural models for HS binding to FGFR1, and HS binding to bFGF, were built individually and then assembled to juxtapose adjacent binding sites for receptor and HS on bFGF, against matching proposed growth factor and HS binding sites on FGFR1. The calorimetric binding results and the molecular modeling exercises suggest that bFGF and HS participate in a concerted bridge mechanism for the dimerization of FGFR1 in vitro and presumably for mitogenic signal transduction in vivo.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)