Glutathione-functionalized two-dimensional cobalt sulfide nanosheets for rapid and highly efficient enrichment of N-glycopeptides.

Protein glycosylation plays pivotal role in a variety of biological processes and has association with many diseases. The highly efficient glycopeptide enrichment is essential for the mass spectrometry-based glycoproteome research to reduce interference from non-glycopeptides. In this study, novel glutathione-functionalized two-dimensional cobalt sulfide nanosheets (Co-S@Au-GSH) were synthesized for rapid and highly effective enrichment of glycopeptides. By using this nanomaterial, 34 and 21 N-glycopeptides were effectively captured from human serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) digests, respectively. In addition, the Co-S@Au-GSH showed remarkable performance in N-glycopeptide extraction with high selectivity (HRP: BSA = 1:500), low limit of detection (0.5 fmol/µL), high binding capacity (150 mg/g), good reusability, and great robustness. Moreover, it was successfully applied in complex serum samples, demonstrating its excellent enrichment performance. These results indicated that this nanomaterial has great potential in complicated practice samples in glycoproteome determination.

AFM and FTIR Investigation of the Effect of Water Flow on Horseradish Peroxidase.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based fishing is a promising method for the detection of low-abundant proteins. This method is based on the capturing of the target proteins from the analyzed solution onto a solid substrate, with subsequent counting of the captured protein molecules on the substrate surface by AFM. Protein adsorption onto the substrate surface represents one of the key factors determining the capturing efficiency. Accordingly, studying the factors influencing the protein adsorbability onto the substrate surface represents an actual direction in biomedical research. Herein, the influence of water motion in a flow-based system on the protein adsorbability and on its enzymatic activity has been studied with an example of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme by AFM, attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and conventional spectrophotometry. In the experiments, HRP solution was incubated in a setup modeling the flow section of a biosensor communication. The measuring cell with the protein solution was placed near a coiled silicone pipe, through which water was pumped. The adsorbability of the protein onto the surface of the mica substrate has been studied by AFM. It has been demonstrated that incubation of the HRP solution near the coiled silicone pipe with flowing water leads to an increase in its adsorbability onto mica. This is accompanied by a change in the enzyme's secondary structure, as has been revealed by ATR-FTIR. At the same time, its enzymatic activity remains unchanged. The results reported herein can be useful in the development of models describing the influence of liquid flow on the properties of enzymes and other proteins. The latter is particularly important for the development of biosensors for biomedical applications-particularly for serological analysis, which is intended for the early diagnosis of various types of cancer and infectious diseases. Our results should also be taken into account in studies of the effects of protein aggregation on hemodynamics, which plays a key role in human body functioning.

A new approach for affinity-based purification of horseradish peroxidase.

We have developed efficient procedure for isolation of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) using aminobenzohydrazide-based affinity chromatography. Sepharose 4B-bounded aminobenzohydrazides are suitable for long-term use and large-scale purification. In this study, 26 aminobenzohydrazide derivatives were synthesized, characterized and defined as new HRP inhibitors. In addition, detailed inhibition effects of these molecules on HRP enzyme were investigated. Affinity matrix was formed by bonding aminobenzohydrazides, which exhibited inhibitory activity to sepharose-4B-l-tyrosine. HRP was isolated from crude homogenate in single step and purification factors were recorded as 1,151-fold (recovery of 8.5%) with 4-amino 3-bromo benzohydrazide and as 166.16-fold (recovery of 16.67 %) with 3-amino 4-chloro benzohydrazide.

Molecularly imprinted polyaniline for detection of horseradish peroxidase.

A new facile and fast approach to the synthesis of polyaniline (PANi) molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) based on aniline oxidative chemical polymerization was proposed for protein recognition. For the first time, a surface imprinting strategy was implemented for the synthesis of PANi MIPs on the inner surface of soft glass polycapillaries (PC) with a large (2237) number of individual microcapillaries. Two different PANi layers-(i) PANi film and (ii) protein imprinted PANi nanowires-were synthesized sequentially. Uniform and highly stable PANi film was synthesized by oxidative polymerization at pH< 1. The synthesis of PANi MIPs on the PANi film pre-coated surface improved the reproducibility of PANi MIP formation. PANi MIP nanowires were synthesized at "mild" conditions (pH > 4.5) to preserve the protein template activity. The binding of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) molecules on the PANi MIP selective sites was confirmed by photometry (TMB chromogenic reaction), SEM images, and FTIR spectroscopy. The developed PANi MIPs enable HRP determination with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 1.00 and 0.07 ng mL-1 on the glass slips and PC, respectively. The PANi MIPs are characterized by high stability; they are reversible and selective to HRP. The proposed approach allows PANi MIPs to be obtained for proteins on different supports and to create new materials for separation and sensing. Graphical abstract.

Protein recognition by polydopamine-based molecularly imprinted hollow spheres.

A facile method to prepare hollow molecularly imprinted polymers (HMIPs) for specific recognition of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) from biological samples was proposed in this paper. The HMIPs was prepared using silica nanoparticles as the sacrificial matrix and dopamine as functional monomer. The thickness of polydopamine shells can be easily modulated by tuning the mass ratio of silica matrix and dopamine. The polymerization conditions and recognition behaviors of the HMIPs were investigated systematically. The results suggested that the hollow structure endowed the HMIPs with fast adsorption kinetics of 25 min, high binding capacity of 172.1 mg/g, and reusability of no less than four adsorption-regeneration cycles without apparent deterioration. Meanwhile, excellent binding specificity towards HRP was presented in the selectivity studies. Moreover, enriching of HRP from human serum sample by the obtained HMIPs was conducted. The HMIPs displayed satisfactory binding specificity to HRP, in spite of the complex composition of the human serum.

Alumina nanoparticle-assisted enzyme refolding: A versatile methodology for proteins renaturation.

We present a high-yield method for the renaturation of negatively charged enzymes. The approach is based on the use of alumina nanoparticles, which after electrostatic interaction with denatured protein molecules, prevent their aggregation and make the process of refolding controllable. The method, demonstrated by the renaturation of several enzymes, is efficient, rapid, employs a minimal amount of reagents and even can be applied to renature mixture of the denatured enzymes.

Armoring Enzymes by Metal-Organic Frameworks by the Coprecipitation Method.

Enzymatic processes have great potential for applications in industrial biocatalysis, biosensing, and biomedical engineering. However, poor stability and difficulty in the reuse of enzymes still create challenges for their use in catalysis and other applications. In recent years, enzyme-incorporated metal-organic frameworks (enzyme@MOF) have emerged as a new type of armored enzymes and are thought to be an appealing solution to the above challenges. To date, the preparation of enzyme-MOF composites can be divided into three categories, including physical adsorption, covalent conjugation, and coprecipitation. The coprecipitation method integrates the synthesis of MOFs and encapsulation of enzymes into one step, allowing common MOFs with regular pore sizes to be used as carriers for enzyme binding. In this chapter, we present a protocol for the synthesis of enzyme@MOF composites using the coprecipitation approach with particular details.

Biotechnological advances towards an enhanced peroxidase production in Pichia pastoris.

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is a high-demand enzyme for applications in diagnostics, bioremediation, biocatalysis and medicine. Current HRP preparations are isolated from horseradish roots as mixtures of biochemically diverse isoenzymes. Thus, there is a strong need for a recombinant production process enabling a steady supply with enzyme preparations of consistent high quality. However, most current recombinant production systems are limited at titers in the low mg/L range. In this study, we used the well-known yeast Pichia pastoris as host for recombinant HRP production. To enhance recombinant enzyme titers we systematically evaluated engineering approaches on the secretion process, coproduction of helper proteins, and compared expression from the strong methanol-inducible PAOX1 promoter, the strong constitutive PGAP promoter, and a novel bidirectional promoter PHTX1. Ultimately, coproduction of HRP and active Hac1 under PHTX1 control yielded a recombinant HRP titer of 132mg/L after 56h of cultivation in a methanol-independent and easy-to-do bioreactor cultivation process. With regard to the many versatile applications for HRP, the establishment of a microbial host system suitable for efficient recombinant HRP production was highly overdue. The novel HRP production platform in P. pastoris presented in this study sets a new benchmark for this medically relevant enzyme.

Highly active antibody-modified magnetic polyelectrolyte capsules.

Polyelectrolyte hollow capsules are versatile platforms typically used for encapsulation of a wide variety of macromolecules in their cavity. The polymer shell of these capsules as composed by alternating layers of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes also allows for adding additional functionalities. The properties of the shell can be for example engineered by trapping different nanoparticles in-between the shell layers and/or by attaching bioactive molecules such as antibodies to the outermost layer. Herein, iron oxide NPs were inmobilized into the shell of polyelectrolyte capsules and the outermost layer of the shell was covalently modified with anti peroxidase antibodies. These capsules act as prototype model system, aiming to obtain a microstructure with the potential capability to specifically recognize and separate macromolecules. Due to the magnetic nanoparticles in the capsule shell, the capsules together with the attached target might be extracted by magnetic field gradients. Here we verified this approach by extracting horseradish peroxidase from a solution through magnetic separation with capsules bearing antibodies against horseradish peroxidase. The bioactivity of the capsules and the high degree of specific antibody functionalization were confirmed and quantified through an enzymatic reaction mediated by the extracted horseradish peroxidase.

Recombinant horseradish peroxidase variants for targeted cancer treatment.

Cancer is a major cause of death. Common chemo- and radiation-therapies damage healthy tissue and cause painful side effects. The enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) has been shown to activate the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) to a powerful anticancer agent in in vitro studies, but gene directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT) studies showed ambivalent results. Thus, HRP/IAA in antibody directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT) was investigated as an alternative. However, this approach has not been intensively studied, since the enzyme preparation from plant describes an undefined mixture of isoenzymes with a heterogenic glycosylation pattern incompatible with the human system. Here, we describe the recombinant production of the two HRP isoenzymes C1A and A2A in a Pichia pastoris benchmark strain and a glyco-engineered strain with a knockout of the α-1,6-mannosyltransferase (OCH1) responsible for hypermannosylation. We biochemically characterized the enzyme variants, tested them with IAA and applied them on cancer cells. In the absence of H2 O2 , HRP C1A turned out to be highly active with IAA, independent of its surface glycosylation. Subsequent in vitro cytotoxicity studies with human T24 bladder carcinoma and MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cells underlined the applicability of recombinant HRP C1A with reduced surface glycoslyation for targeted cancer treatment. Summarizing, this is the first study describing the successful use of recombinantly produced HRP for targeted cancer treatment. Our findings might pave the way for an increased use of the powerful isoenzyme HRP C1A in cancer research in the future.

Detection of a single enzyme molecule based on a solid-state nanopore sensor.

The nanopore sensor as a high-throughput and low-cost technology can detect a single molecule in a solution. In the present study, relatively large silicon nitride (Si3N4) nanopores with diameters of ∼28 and ∼88 nm were fabricated successfully using a focused Ga ion beam. We have used solid-state nanopores with various sizes to detect the single horseradish peroxidase (HRP) molecule and for the first time analyzed single HRP molecular translocation events. In addition, a real-time monitored single enzyme molecular biochemical reaction and a translocation of the product of enzyme catalysis substrates were investigated by using a Si3N4 nanopore. Our nanopore system showed a high sensitivity in detecting single enzyme molecules and a real-time monitored single enzyme molecular biochemical reaction. This method could also be significant for studying gene expression or enzyme dynamics at the single-molecule level.

Cryogels with affinity ligands as tools in protein purification.

Affinity chromatography is one of the well-known separation techniques especially if high purity is desired. Introducing ligands on monolithic structure gives the possibility for purifying complex media such as plasma and crude extract. This chapter is focusing on the preparation of cryogels as monolithic column and immobilization of concanavalin A on its surface as ligand for capturing the glycoprotein horseradish peroxidase.

Examining the freezing process of an intermediate bulk containing an industrially relevant protein.

Numerous biopharmaceuticals are produced in recombinant microorganisms in the controlled environment of a bioreactor, a process known as Upstream Process. To minimize product loss due to physico-chemical and enzymatic degradation, the Upstream Process should be directly followed by product purification, known as Downstream Process. However, the Downstream Process can be technologically complex and time-consuming which is why Upstream and Downstream Process usually have to be decoupled temporally and spatially. Consequently, the product obtained after the Upstream Process, known as intermediate bulk, has to be stored. In those circumstances, a freezing procedure is often performed to prevent product loss. However, the freezing process itself is inseparably linked to physico-chemical changes of the intermediate bulk which may in turn damage the product. The present study analysed the behaviour of a Tris-buffered intermediate bulk containing a biopharmaceutically relevant protein during a bottle freezing process. Major damaging mechanisms, like the spatiotemporal redistribution of ion concentrations and pH, and their influence on product stability were investigated. Summarizing, we show the complex events which happen in an intermediate bulk during freezing and explain the different causes for product loss.

Techno-economic analysis of horseradish peroxidase production using a transient expression system in Nicotiana benthamiana.

Despite the advantages of plant-based transient expression systems relative to microbial or mammalian cell systems, the commercial production of recombinant proteins using plants has not yet been achieved to any significant extent. One of the challenges has been the lack of published data on the costs of manufacture for products other than biopharmaceuticals. In this study, we report on the techno-economic analysis of the production of a standard commercial enzyme, namely, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), using a transient expression system in Nicotiana benthamiana. Based on the proven plant yield of 240 mg HRP/kg biomass, a biomass productivity of 15-kg biomass/m(2)/year and a process yield of 54 % (mg HRP product/mg HRP in biomass), it is apparent that HRP can be manufactured economically via transient expression in plants in a large-scale facility (>5 kg HRP/year). At this level, the process is competitive versus the existing technology (extraction of the enzyme from horseradish), and the product is of comparable or improved activity, containing only the preferred isoenzyme C. Production scale, protein yield and biomass productivity are found to be the most important determinants of overall viability.

Click synthesis of glucose-functionalized hydrophilic magnetic mesoporous nanoparticles for highly selective enrichment of glycopeptides and glycans.

Selective enrichment of glycopeptides from complex biological samples is essential for MS-based glycoproteomics, but challenges still remain. In this work, glucose-functionalized magnetic mesoporous nanoparticles (MMNs), which hold the attractive features of well-defined core/shell structure, high specific surface area (324m(2)/g), narrow pore size distribution (2.2nm) and high magnetic responsivity (69.1emug(-1)), were synthesized via click chemistry and applied to enrich glycopeptides and glycans. Taking advantages of the size-exclusive effect of mesopore against proteins and the hydrophilic interaction between glycans and glucose, the hydrophilic MMNs possessed high selectivity for glycopeptides at the digested mixtures of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), myoglobin and ß-casein at molar ratio of 1:1:10, large enrichment capacity (as high as 250mg/g), high sensitivity (50fmol), excellent speed (5min for enrichment) and high recovery of glycopeptides (as high as 94.6%). Additionally, the MMNs exhibited excellent performance in enrichment of N-linked glycans from the digested human serum that are made up of peptides, large proteins and other compounds. These outstanding features will give the hydrophilic MMNs high benefit for MS analysis of low-abundance glycopeptides/glycans.

[Irreversible chemical AFM-fishing for the detection of low-copied proteins].

The atomic-force microscopy-based method of irreversible chemical AFM-fishing (AFM-IF(Ch)) has been developed for the detection of proteins at ultra-low concentrations in solution. Using this method, a very low concentration of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) protein (10(-17) M) was detected in solution. A theoretical model that allows the description of obtained experimental data, is proposed. This model takes into consideration both the transport of the protein from the bulk solution onto the AFM-chip surface and its irreversible binding to the activated area.

Purification and basic biochemical characterization of 19 recombinant plant peroxidase isoenzymes produced in Pichia pastoris.

The plant enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is used in several important industrial and medical applications, of which especially biosensors and diagnostic kits describe an emerging field. Although there is an increasing demand for high amounts of pure enzyme preparations, HRP is still isolated from the plant as a mixture of different isoenzymes with different biochemical properties. Based on a recent next generation sequencing approach of the horseradish transcriptome, we produced 19 individual HRP isoenzymes recombinantly in the yeast Pichia pastoris. After optimizing a previously reported 2-step purification strategy for the recombinant isoenzyme HRP C1A by substituting an unfavorable size exclusion chromatography step with an anion exchange step using a monolithic column, we purified the 19 HRP isoenzymes with varying success. Subsequent basic biochemical characterization revealed differences in catalytic activity, substrate specificity and thermal stability of the purified HRP preparations. The preparations of the isoenzymes HRP A2A and HRP A2B were found to be highly interesting candidates for future applications in diagnostic kits with increased sensitivity.

Photopolymerized sol-gel monoliths for separations of glycosylated proteins and peptides in microfluidic chips.

Photopolymerized silica sol-gel monoliths, functionalized with boronic acid ligands, have been developed for protein and peptide separations in polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic devices. Pore size characterization of the monoliths was carried out with SEM, image analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry to evaluate both the micron-sized macropores and the nanometer-sized mesopores. Monoliths were functionalized with boronic acid using three different immobilization techniques. Batch experiments were conducted to determine the capacity of the monoliths and selectivity toward cis-diol-containing compounds. Conalbumin was used as a model glycoprotein, and a tryptic digest of the glycoprotein horseradish peroxidase was used as a peptide mixture to demonstrate proof-of-concept extraction of glycoproteins and glycopeptides by the monoliths formulated in polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic chips. For proteins, fluorescence detection was used, whereas the peptide separations employed off-line analysis using MALDI-MS.

A novel membrane-based process to isolate peroxidase from horseradish roots: optimization of operating parameters.

The optimization of operating parameters for the isolation of peroxidase from horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) roots with ultrafiltration (UF) technology was systemically studied. The effects of UF operating conditions on the transmission of proteins were quantified using the parameter scanning UF. These conditions included solution pH, ionic strength, stirring speed and permeate flux. Under optimized conditions, the purity of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) obtained was greater than 84 % after a two-stage UF process and the recovery of HRP from the feedstock was close to 90 %. The resulting peroxidase product was then analysed by isoelectric focusing, SDS-PAGE and circular dichroism, to confirm its isoelectric point, molecular weight and molecular secondary structure. The effects of calcium ion on HRP specific activities were also experimentally determined.

Purification of a recombinant plant peroxidase produced in Pichia pastoris by a simple 2-step strategy.

The enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP), which is frequently applied in industry and medicine, is primarily isolated from plant. This purification procedure is costly and the obtainable amount of HRP from the horseradish root is low. However, recombinant HRP (rHRP) produced in yeast is hyperglycosylated rendering the subsequent purification cumbersome and the recombinant production of HRP in yeast not competitive. In this study, we screened different common techniques to develop a fast and efficient purification strategy for hyperglycosylated rHRP expressed in Pichia pastoris. We demonstrated that the extensive glycosylation pattern on the surface of rHRP masked its physico-chemical properties, which is why standard purification strategies were rather unsuccessful. Only switching the strategies to a flowthrough mode gave satisfactory results. After determining the optimal operation conditions in a multivariate Design of Experiments approach, we present a simple 2-step strategy for the purification of hyperglycosylated rHRP. Combining a hydrophobic charge induction chromatography operated in flowthrough mode and a size-exclusion chromatography, we were able to purify rHRP more than 12-fold from a specific activity of 80U/mg to more than 1000U/mg.