ABSTRACT
Objective To analyze the enzymatic activity of Leptospira interrogans ( L. interrogans) LA_2144 gene product to hydrolyze platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase ( PAF-AH) and phosphatidase A2(PLA2). Methods Bioinformatic softwares were used to predict transmembrane regions, signal peptides and domains of the LA_2144 gene of L. interrogans strain Lai. A prokaryotic expression system for signal peptide-free LA_2144 gene was established. The expressed target recombinant protein rLep2144 was extrac-ted by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and then renatured. Spectrometry was used to detect the activity of rLep2144 to hydrolyze PAF-AH substrate 2-thio PAF and the Km and Kcat values as well as the activity to hy-drolyze PLA2 substrate arachidonoyl 2-thio PC. Real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot were performed to detect the transcription, protein expression and secretion of LA_2144 gene during infection of human and mouse vascular endothelial cells ( HUVEC and EOMA) with L. interrogans. Results L. interrogans LA_2144 gene contained a signal peptide and a domain belonging to SGNH hydrolase super-family, but no transmembrane regions. The established prokaryotic expression system for signal peptide-free LA_2144 gene could efficiently express rLep2144. The extracted rLep2144 was shown as a single protein fragment in separation gel and then successfully renatured. rLep2144 had a stronger PAF-AH activity with the Km and Kcat values of 688. 235 μmol/L and 0. 976/s, but its PLA2 activity was relatively weak. Expres-sion of the LA_2144 gene at mRNA and protein levels in HUVEC and EOMA was rapidly increased after the cells were infected with L. interrogans (P<0. 05) and the secretion of LA_2144 gene product could be detec-ted. Conclusions L. interrogans LA_2144 gene product had a stronger PAF-AH and a certain PLA2 activi-ty, which might involve in the hemorrhage and inflammatory response in leptospirosis.
ABSTRACT
Platelet activating factor (PAF; 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) is a potent lipid mediator in a variety of physiological events. PAF is also involved in various pathological events including allergy and inflammation. PAF-acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) hydrolyzes PAF to produce inactive lyso-PAF. Thus, overproduction of PAF-AF will be useful for the therapeutic valuation of the enzyme. In this study, we established an overproduction method of bovine PAF-AH in Escherichia coli system. We used bovine mammary gland for cDNA cloning. The cDNA had two mismatches of amino acid sequences (Thr-247 to Met and Ile-431 to Thr) compared with the previously reported PAF-AH cDNA (bovine spleen, NM_174578). The recombinant PAF-AH of 43 kDa in molecular size reacted with human PAF-AH polyclonal antibody and showed a strong PAF-AH enzyme activity in an in vitro assay system. The recombinant PAF-AH produced by this study can be applied for various experiments including in vivo models to test its protective activity against PAF-related diseases.