A novel system for stable, high-level expression from the T7 promoter.

BACKGROUND: The most widespread, efficient prokaryotic protein-producing system is one where the T7 phage polymerase recognizes the T7 phage promoter (T7 p/p system). Unfortunately, in this system, target protein expression gradually declines and is often undetectable following 3 to 5 subcultures. Although a number of studies have attempted to stabilize the expression levels of the T7 p/p system, none has resolved the problem adequately and thus precludes the use of this system for the production of recombinant proteins on a large scale. RESULTS: We created an expression cassette enabling stable, high-level expression in the T7p/p system. The cassette was tested with two different vector backbones and two target proteins. In all experiments, the expression system using the new cassette exhibited high and stable protein expression levels when compared to the traditional system. CONCLUSIONS: Herein, we describe a universal expression cassette that enables high-level, stable target protein expression in T7 RNA polymerase-based expression systems. We also present the successful use of this cassette as a novel expression platform and demonstrate its ability to overcome the main deficiency of the T7 p/p system. Thus, we provide a method for using the T7 p/p system on an industrial scale.

Novel recombinant insulin analogue with flexible C-terminus in B chain. NMR structure of biosynthetic engineered A22G-B31K-B32R human insulin monomer in water/acetonitrile solution.

A tertiary structure of recombinant A22(G)-B31(K)-B32(R)-human insulin monomer (insulin GKR) has been characterized by (1)H, (13)C NMR at natural isotopic abundance using NOESY, TOCSY, (1)H/(13)C-GHSQC, and (1)H/(13)C-GHSQC-TOCSY spectra. Translational diffusion studies indicate the monomer structure in water/acetonitrile (65/35vol.%). CSI analysis confirms existence of secondary structure motifs present in human insulin standard (HIS). Both techniques allow to establish that in this solvent recombinant insulin GKR exists as a monomer. Starting from structures calculated by the program CYANA, two different refinement protocols used molecular dynamics simulated annealing with the program AMBER; in vacuum (AMBER_VC), and including a generalized Born solvent model (AMBER_GB). From these calculations an ensemble of 20 structures of lowest energy was chosen which represents the tertiary structure of studied insulin. Here we present novel insulin with added A22(G) amino acid which interacts with ß-turn environment resulting in high flexibility of B chain C-terminus.

Expression of yeast deubiquitination enzyme UBP1 analogues in E. coli.

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that proteins fused to ubiquitin undergo greater expression in E. coli and are easier to purify and renaturate than nonhybrid foreign proteins. However, there is no commercial source of large quantities of specific deubiquitinating proteases. This is the reason why hybrid proteins containing ubiquitin at their N-end cannot be used in large scale biotechnological processes. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: We have described the synthesis of the yeast deubiquination enzyme UBP1 muteins in E. coli. We have shown that an efficient overproduction of the enzyme in E. coli may be achieved after the introduction of several changes in the nucleotide sequence encoding UBP1. One of the conditions of an effective synthesis of the UBP1 muteins is the removal of the 5'-end sequence encoding the transmembrane region of the enzyme. The obtained variants of the enzyme may be successfully used for processing large amounts of hybrid proteins comprising ubiquitin or tagged ubiquitin at their N-ends.