METHOD FOR ENHANCING WATER SOLUBILITY OF TARGET PROTEIN BY WHEP DOMAIN FUSION
20230041904 · 2023-02-09
Assignee
Inventors
- Baik Lin Seong (Seoul, KR)
- Jin Hee Lee (Seoul, KR)
- Young Seok KIM (Seoul, KR)
- Yu Cheol CHEONG (Seoul, KR)
Cpc classification
C07K2319/35
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
C12N2770/24122
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
C07K2319/40
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
C12N15/70
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
C12N2770/18022
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
C12N2760/18522
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
International classification
C12N9/00
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
Abstract
The present invention relates to a fusion protein for enhancing expression efficiency of a target protein. More specifically, the present invention relates to a glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetase from human (hEPRS) WHEP domain (including WHEP domains TRS-1, TRS-2, and TRS-3 which locate at middle sites of the EPRS protein, and linkers connecting the three domains therethrough). When used as a fusion protein for expressing a target protein in E. coli, the hEPRS WHEP domain according to the present invention enhanced water solubility of the target protein.
Claims
1. A peptide for enhancing the expression efficiency of a target protein, comprising the sequence of a domain isolated from human glutamyl-prolyl tRNA synthetase (hEPRS).
2. The peptide of claim 1, wherein the domain includes TRS-1 (SEQ ID NO: 1) and TRS-2 (SEQ ID NO: 2).
3. The peptide of claim 2, wherein the domain further includes TRS-3 (SEQ ID NO: 3).
4. The peptide of claim 1, further comprising linkers for connecting the sequences of the domains.
5. The peptide of claim 4, wherein the linker sequence is represented by SEQ ID NO: 4 or 5.
6. The peptide of claim 1, further comprising a tag sequence for improving the expression efficiency of a target protein.
7. The peptide of claim 1, wherein the target protein includes one or more selected from the group consisting of an antigen, an antibody, a cell receptor, an enzyme, a structural protein, serum, and a cell protein.
8. The peptide of claim 7, wherein the antigen includes one or more selected from the group consisting of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), the hemagglutinin (HA) of influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and Nipah virus.
9. A polynucleotide encoding the peptide according to claim 1.
10. An expression vector, comprising: a polynucleotide encoding a target protein; and a polynucleotide encoding a peptide according to claim 1 binding to the 5′-end of the polynucleotide encoding the target protein.
11. A host cell transformed with the expression vector of claim 10.
12. The host cell of claim 11, which is E. coli.
13. A method of producing a soluble target protein, comprising: (A) preparing an expression vector including a polynucleotide encoding a target protein and a nucleotide encoding the peptide of claim 1 binding to the 5′ end of the polynucleotide; (B) preparing a transformant by introducing the expression vector into host cells; and (C) culturing the transformant to induce the expression of a recombinant target protein and obtaining the target protein.
Description
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
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MODES OF THE INVENTION
[0031] The inventors confirmed that, among the fusion proteins including WHEP domains of hEPRS, EPRS most greatly contributes to the increase in solubility, and the present invention was completed.
[0032] The present invention provides a peptide capable of improving the solubility and folding of a target protein using a WHEP domain as a fusion partner, and an expression vector or gene construct for producing a recombinant protein.
[0033] The “vector” used herein refers to DNA that can introduce a target DNA fragment into host bacteria to proliferate in a DNA recombination experiment and is also referred to as a cloning vehicle. The vector DNA undergoes ring opening by cleavage with a restriction enzyme, and a target DNA fragment is introduced into the host bacteria by insertion and linkage to the vector DNA. The vector DNA in which the target DNA fragment is linked is replicated as the host bacteria are proliferated, and distributed to each cystic cell along with bacterial division, thereby maintaining the target DNA fragment for generations, and the vector DNA may be, for example, a plasmid or a phage chromosome.
[0034] Methods such as the selection, construction and transformation of the vector, and the expression of a recombinant protein may be easily performed by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs, and some modifications in conventional methods are also included in the present invention.
[0035] The “transformation” used herein refers to a genetic change in the trait of an individual or cell by DNA, which is the genetic material given from the outside.
[0036] The delivery (introduction) of the vector into a host cell may use a delivery method well known in the art. As a delivery method, for example, a microinjection method, a calcium phosphate precipitation method, an electroporation method, a liposome-mediated transfection method, or a gene bombardment method may be used, but the present invention is not limited thereto. A chemical treatment method such as PEG or a gene gun may be used.
[0037] Culture conditions in the culture of a transformant may be appropriately selected and used depending on a host cell. Conditions such as a temperature, the pH of a medium and incubation time may be appropriately adjusted to be suitable for cell growth and mass production of a protein during culture.
[0038] The host cell in the present invention may be a host cell conventionally used in the art, and preferably, E. coli.
[0039] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The advantages and features of the present invention and the methods of accomplishing the same may be clearly understood with reference to the detailed description of exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments disclosed below, and may be embodied in many different forms. These exemplary embodiments are merely provided to complete the disclosure of the present invention and fully convey the scope of the present invention to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the present invention should be defined by only the accompanying claims. Throughout the specification, like reference numerals denote like elements.
[0040] Unless defined otherwise, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used in a sense that is commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Also, generally used predefined terms are not ideally or excessively interpreted unless explicitly defined otherwise. The terms used herein are for describing embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. Herein, singular forms include plural forms unless specifically stated otherwise.
EXAMPLE 1
Example 1-1. Construction of Protein Expression Vector
[0041] As a protein expression vector, a pGE-LysRS expression vector was used (Choi S I et al., Protein solubility and folding enhancement by interaction with RNA, PLoS ONE (2008), 3: e2677). A pGE-TRS-1, pGE-TRS-2, or pGE-EPRS expression vector was manufactured by adjusting the expression of pGE-LysRS by a T7 promoter, cleaving the LysRS gene at one of cleavage sites in Ndel and MCS (Kpn1-BamH1-EcoRV-Sal1-Hind3), and inserting TRS-1, TRS-2, or EPRS into the site. In addition, a TRS-1, TRS-2 or EPRS-fused target protein expression vector was manufactured by inserting a target protein into a C-terminus site of each expression vector (
Example 1-2. Protein Expression and Confirmation of Purification Pattern Through SDS-PAGE
[0042] The manufactured protein expression vector was transformed into BL21(DE3)-pLysS or SHuffle® T7 competent cells and cultured. All transformed E. coli were cultured in an LB medium containing 50 μg/mL of ampicillin, pLysS-containing E. coli was cultured in a medium supplemented with 34 μg/mL of chloramphenicol. A culture temperature is different for each protein, and culture was performed at 16 to 37° C. When the OD600 value of E. coli became 0.5 or more, 0 μM to 1 mM of IPTG was added to activate the T7 promoter, and in order to sufficiently produce a protein, after the IPTG addition, the E. coli was cultured at 16 to 37° C. for approximately 3 hours, at 25° C. for approximately 5 hours, and 16 to 24° C. for approximately 16 hours. The sufficiently cultured E. coli was centrifuged to remove a supernatant, and then stored. Afterward, 0.3 mL of PBS was added to harvested E. coli corresponding to 5 mL of the LB medium for ultrasonication, thereby obtaining a lysate. In addition, the lysate was centrifuged and divided into a soluble fraction and a pellet fraction, and each of the total lysate, the soluble fraction and the pellet fraction was analyzed by SDS-PAGE.
Example 1-3. Protein Expression and Purification
[0043] Each of the manufactured pGE-GFP, pGE-TRS-1-GFP, pGE-TRS-2-GFP, pGE-EPRS-GFP, pGE-IFN-β, pGE-EPRS-IFN-β, pGE-Tev, and pGE-EPRS-Tev expression vectors was transformed into BL21(DE3)-pLysS competent cells and cultured. All transformed E. coli were cultured in LB containing 50 μg/mL of ampicillin and 34 μg/mL of chloramphenicol. When the OD600 value of E. coli became 0.5 or more, 1 mM IPTG was added to activate a T7 promoter, and in order to sufficiently produce a protein, after the IPTG addition, the E. coli was cultured at 30° C. for approximately 6 hours. The sufficiently cultured E. coli was centrifuged to remove a supernatant, and stored.
[0044] PBS was added to the harvested E. coli for centrifugation, thereby obtaining a lysate. In addition, the lysate was centrifuged to obtain only a soluble fraction and then purified by Ni.sup.2+ chromatography, and the purified protein was subjected to dialysis in PBS and concentrated using Centriprep.
[0045] Example 1-4. Measurement of GFP Activity
[0046] An experiment was performed to measure the activity of a GFP protein produced per unit cell. After the completion of protein expression, PBS was added to a E. coli culture from which a supernatant was removed through centrifugation, and the resulting solution was subjected to ultrasonication, thereby obtaining a lysate. Afterward, the lysate was centrifuged to obtain only a soluble fraction, and then the actual activity of GFP was measured by measuring fluorescence with a spectrophotometer (
[0047] A green fluorescent protein (GFP) is known as a protein that is expressed in an insoluble form when expressed alone in E. coli. As a result of confirming the expression pattern after direct GFP expressed alone without a fusion protein and TRS-1-, TRS-2-, and EPRS-fused fusion proteins were expressed in E. coli, all of the fusion proteins showed an increase in soluble expression rate compared to the direct GFP, and it was confirmed that, particularly, the soluble expression rate of the EPRS-fused GFP was very highly increased.
[0048] As a result of measuring the activity of expressed GFP per culture dose, the TRS-2-fused GFP showed fluorescence activity similar to direct GFP, and TRS-1 and EPRS-fused GFPs showed higher fluorescent activity.
[0049] Therefore, it was confirmed that the soluble expression level of the target protein GFP is increased by TRS-1, TRS-2 and EPRS, and the produced proteins were active.
[0050] Example 1-5. Measurement of IFN-Beta Activity
[0051] The activity of IFN-beta expressed in E. coli was measured using HEK-Blue™ IFN-α/β cells (InvivoGen). The experiment was conducted according to the seller's protocol, and it is briefly summarized as follows. 180 μL of a suspension of HEK-Blue™ IFN-α/β cells modified to observe a signaling pathway by IFN-beta and 20 μL of an IFN-beta sample were added to a 96-well plate, and incubated in an incubator (37° C., 5% CO.sub.2) overnight. The next day, 20 μL of a supernatant in which a reaction occurred in HEK-Blue™ IFN-α/β cells and 180 μL of a QuantiBlue™ solution were mixed, and reacted at 37° C. for approximately 30 minutes to 3 hours. After the reaction was completed, a level was measured at a wavelength of 620 to 655 nm with a spectrophotometer (
[0052] Interferon-beta (IFN-β) is also a protein that is expressed insoluble in E. coli, and direct IFN-β having no fusion protein shows a characteristic of a very low soluble expression rate in E. coli. When EPRS was used as a fusion protein, the fusion protein showed a high soluble expression rate.
[0053] When the activity of purified IFN-β was measured with HEK-Blue™ IFN-α/β cells (InvivoGen), the activity of commercial IFN-β expressed and purified in CHO cells was the highest, and the activity of the IFN-β fusion protein in which EPRS was fused was the next highest. Direct IFN-β showed the lowest activity.
[0054] Therefore, it was confirmed that the expression of soluble and active-form IFN-β was promoted by EPRS.
[0055] Example 1-6. Measurement of Tev Protease Activity
[0056] To measure the activity of TEV protease expressed in E. coli, a SensoLyte® 520 TEV Activity Assay Kit (*Fluorimetric* kit) was used. The experiment was conducted according to the seller's protocol, and simply summarized as follows. The TEV protease and 5-FAM/QXL® 520 TEV substrate for experimentation were put into a 96-well plate and fluorescence was measured every minute. Here, the measured fluorescence was Ex/Em=490/520 nm. As the substrate is cleaved by the TEV protease, fluorescence increased, and using this, the activity of the TEV protease was measured (
[0057] Tobacco Etch Virus (TEV) protease is a protein with high commercial demand, and a type of protein difficult to be obtained as a recombinant protein in E. coli. When there was no fusion protein, direct TEV protease showed a low soluble expression rate in E. coli, and when EPRS was fused, an effect of increasing the soluble expression rate was shown. When an expression temperature was lowered (20° C.) in E. coli culture, both of the direct TEV protease and the EPRS-TEV protease showed an increased soluble expression rate, and particularly, the EPRS-TEV protease showed a soluble expression rate of 90% or more.
[0058] As a result of confirming the activity of purified TEV proteases with a SensoLyte® 520 TEV Activity Assay Kit, even with the same amount, the direct TEV protease showed lower activity, and the structure showing the steepest enzymatic activity was EPRS-fused EPRS-TEV.
[0059] Therefore, the soluble and active-form expression of TEV protease, caused by EPRS, was confirmed.
EXAMPLE 2
[0060] Example 2-1. Protein Expression and Confirmation of Solubility By SDD-PAGE
[0061] Vectors manufactured using a receptor-binding domain (RBD) and relatively large spike subunit 1 (S1) of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) as target proteins are pGE-EPRS-RBD and pGE-EPRS-S1.
[0062] Each of the manufactured protein expression vectors was transformed into BL21 or HMS174 competent cells and cultured. All transformed E. coli were cultured in an LB medium containing 50 μg/mL of ampicillin. When the OD600 value of the E. coli became 0.5 or more, to activate a T7 promoter, 0.5 mM IPTG was added, and then incubated at 16° C. for 16 hours. The cultured E. coli was centrifuged to remove a supernatant, and stored at −80° C. Afterward, 0.3 mL of lysis buffer [50 mM Tris-Cl (pH 7.5), 300 mM NaCl, 10% glycerol, 2 mM beta-mercaptoethanol, 0.1% Tween-20] was added to the harvested E. coli corresponding to 5 mL of the LB medium and subjected to ultrasonication, thereby obtaining a lysate. In addition, the lysate was centrifuged and divided into a soluble fraction and a pellet fraction, and SDS-PAGE was used to analyze the total lysate, the soluble fraction, and the pellet fraction. The sizes of RBD and S1 were 27 kDa and 73 kDa, respectively, and the sizes of EPRS-fused RBD and S1 were 49 kDa and 95 kDa, respectively (see
[0063] A vector manufactured using a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fusion (F) protein as a target protein and bacterioferritin as a scaffold protein for nanoparticles is pGE-EPRS-RSV F-bacterioferritin.
[0064] The manufactured protein expression vector was transformed into Shuffle T7 competent cells and cultured. All transformed E. coli were cultured in an LB medium containing 50 μg/mL of ampicillin. When the OD600 value of the E. coli is 0.5 or more, to activate a T7 promoter, 0.5 mM IPTG was added, and then incubated at 20° C. for approximately 6 hours. The cultured E. coli was centrifuged to remove a supernatant, and stored at −80° C. Afterward, 0.3 mL of lysis buffer [50 mM Tris-Cl (pH7.5), 200 mM NaCl, 10% glycerol, 0.1% Tween-20] was added to the harvested E. coli corresponding to 5 mL of the LB medium and subjected to ultrasonication, thereby obtaining a lysate. In addition, the lysate was centrifuged and divided into a soluble fraction and a pellet fraction, and SDS-PAGE was used to analyze the total lysate, the soluble fraction, and the pellet fraction. The size of RSV F-bacterioferritin was 70 kDa, and the size of the EPRS-fused RSV F-bacterioferritin was 92 kDa (see
[0065] A vector, which is manufactured with the domain III (ED3) of an envelope protein that is present in the form of a pentamer with 5 axes in the Japanese encephalitis virus structure and is known to play an important role in immune induction as a target protein and the heat-labile toxin B subunit (LTB) as a pentameric scaffold, is pGE-EPRS-LTB-JEVED3.
[0066] The manufactured protein expression vector was transformed into Shuffle T7 competent cells and cultured. All transformed E. coli were cultured in an LB medium containing 50 μg/mL of ampicillin. When the OD600 value of the E. coli became 0.5 or more, to activate a T7 promoter, 0.5 mM IPTG was added, and then incubated at 20° C. for approximately 6 hours. The cultured E. coli was centrifuged to remove a supernatant, and stored at −80° C. Afterward, 0.3 mL of lysis buffer [50 mM Tris-Cl(pH7.5), 300 mM NaCl, 10% glycerol] was added to the harvested E. coli corresponding to 5 mL of the LB medium and subjected to ultrasonication, thereby obtaining a lysate. In addition, the lysate was centrifuged and divided into a soluble fraction and a pellet fraction, and SDS-PAGE was used to analyze the total lysate, the soluble fraction, and the pellet fraction. The size of LTB-JEVED3 is 24 kDa, and the size of EPRS-fused LTB-JEVED3 is 46 kDa (see
Example 2-2. Protein Purification
[0067] The pGE-EPRS-LTB and pGE-EPRS-LTB-JEVED3 expression vectors transformed into Shuffle T7 competent cells were cultured in a LB medium containing 50 μg/mL of ampicillin. When the OD600 value of the E. coli became 0.5 or more, 1 mM of IPTG was added, and cultured at 20° C. for approximately 6 hours. The sufficiently cultured E. coli was centrifuged to remove a supernatant and stored at −80° C.
[0068] A buffer [50 mM Tris-Cl (pH7.5), 300 mM NaCl, 10% glycerol, 5 mM imidazole] was added to the cultured E. coli and centrifuged, thereby obtaining a lysate. In addition, the lysate was centrifuged to obtain only a soluble fraction, and then the fraction was purified by nickel chromatography. The purified protein was dialyzed in a storage buffer [50 mM Tris-Cl (pH7.5), 300 mM NaCl, 0.1 mM EDTA], and concentrated using Amicon.
Example 2-3. Confirmation of Pentamer Through Size-Exclusion Chromatography
[0069] To verify whether the purified EPRS-LTB and EPRS-LTB-JEVED3 proteins form a pentameric structure, size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) using a Superdex 200 Increase 10/300 column (GE Healthcare) was performed, and the size of each protein was measured by calibration with a marker protein with a known size. Here, the composition of a buffer used herein is [50 mM Tris-Cl (pH7.5), 300 mM NaCl]. Both of an EPRS-fused protein and an EPRS-removed protein obtained by being treated with TEV protease to cleave a Tev cleavage site between EPRS and a target protein were verified. A fraction with a peak at the pentamer size was verified again by SDS-PAGE.
[0070] As a result, each protein showed a peak at an expected pentamer size (see
TABLE-US-00001 TRS-1 SEQ ID NO: 1 LYNRVAVQGDVVRELKAKKAPKEDVDAAVKQLLSLKAEYKEKTGQEYKP GNPP TRS-2 SEQ ID NO: 2 LYDEVAAQGEVVRKLKAEKSPKAKINEAVECLLSLKAQYKEKTGKEYIP GQPP TRS-3 SEQ ID NO: 3 LFDKVASQGEVVRKLKTEKAPKDQVDIAVQELLQLKAQYKSLIGVEYKP SEQ ID NO: 4 AEIGQNISSNSSASILESKS SEQ ID NO: 5 LSQSSDSSPTRNSEPAGLETPEAKV EPRS sequence SEQ ID NO: 6 LYNRVAVQGDVVRELKAKKAPKEDVDAAVKQLLSLKAEYKEKTGQEYKP GNPPAEIGQNISSNSSASILESKSLYDEVAAQGEVVRKLKAEKSPKAKI NEAVECLLSLKAQYKEKTGKEYIPGQPPLSQSSDSSPTRNSEPAGLETP EAKVLFDKVASQGEVVRKLKTEKAPKDQVDIAVQELLQLKAQYKSLIGV EYKP COVID-19 RBD SEQ ID NO: 7 FTVEKGIYQTSNFRVQPTESIVRFPNITNLCPFGEVFNATRFASVYAWN RKRISNCVADYSVLYNSASFSTFKCYGVSPTKLNDLCFTNVYADSFVIR GDEVRQIAPGQTGKIADYNYKLPDDFTGCVIAWNSNNLDSKVGGNYNYL YRLFRKSNLKPFERDISTEIYQAGSTPCNGVEGFNCYFPLQSYGFQPTN GVGYQPYRVVVLSFELLHAPATVCGPKKSTNLVKNKCVNFNF COVID-19 S1 SEQ ID NO: 8 QCVNLTTRTQLPPAYTNSFTRGVYYPDKVFRSSVLHSTQDLFLPFFSNV TWFHAIHVSGTNGTKRFDNPVLPFNDGVYFASTEKSNIIRGWIFGTTLD SKTQSLLIVNNATNVVIKVCEFQFCNDPFLGVYYHKNNKSWMESEFRVY SSANNCTFEYVSQPFLMDLEGKQGNFKNLREFVFKNIDGYFKIYSKHTP INLVRDLPQGFSALEPLVDLPIGINITRFQTLLALHRSYLTPGDSSSGW TAGAAAYYVGYLQPRTFLLKYNENGTITDAVDCALDPLSETKCTLKSFT VEKGIYQTSNFRVQPTESIVRFPNITNLCPFGEVFNATRFASVYAWNRK RISNCVADYSVLYNSASFSTFKCYGVSPTKLNDLCFTNVYADSFVIRGD EVRQIAPGQTGKIADYNYKLPDDFTGCVIAWNSNNLDSKVGGNYNYLYR LFRKSNLKPFERDISTEIYQAGSTPCNGVEGFNCYFPLQSYGFQPTNGV GYQPYRVVVLSFELLHAPATVCGPKKSTNLVKNKCVNFNFNGLTGTGVL TESNKKFLPFQQFGRDIADTTDAVRDPQTLEILDITPCSFGGVSVITPG TNTSNQVAVLYQDVNCTEVPVAIHADQLTPTWRVYSTGSNVFQTRAGCL IGAEHVNNSYECDIPIG Heat-labile toxin B subunit(LTB) SEQ ID NO: 9 APQTITELCSEYRNTQIYTINDKILSYTESMAGKREMVIITFKSGETFQ VEVPGSQHIDSQKKAIERMKDTLRITYLTETKIDKLCVWNNKTPNSIAA ISMKN Bacterioferritin SEQ ID NO: 10 MKGDTKVINYLNKLLGNELVAINQYFLHARMFKNWGLKRLNDVEYHESI DEMKHADRYIERILFLEGLPNLQDLGKLNIGEDVEEMLRSDLALELDGA KNLREAIGYADSVHDYVSRDMMIEILRDEEGHIDWLETELDLIQKMGLQ NYLQAQIREEG RSV F SEQ ID NO: 11 QNITEEFYQSTCSAVSKGYLSALRTGWYTSVITIELSNIKENKCNGTDA KVKLIKQELDKYKNAVTELQLLMQSTPPTNNRARRGGSGGSGGSGFLGF LLGVGSAIASGVAVCKVLHLEGEVNKIKSALLSTNKAVVSLSNGVSVLT FKVLDLKNYIDKQLLPILNKQSCSISNIETVIEFQQKNNRLLEITREFS VNAGVTTPVSTYMLTNSELLSLINDMPITNDQKKLMSNNVQIVRQQSYS IMCIIKEEVLAYVVQLPLYGVIDTPCWKLHTSPLCTTNTKEGSNICLTR TDRGWYCDNAGSVSFFPQAETCKVQSNRVFCDTMNSLTLPSEINLCNVD IFNPKYDCKIMTSKTDVSSSVITSLGAIVSCYGKTKCTASNKNRGIIKT FSNGCDYVSNKGMDTVSVGNTLYYVNKQEGKSLYVKGEPIINFYDPLVF PSDEFDASISQVNEKINQSLAFIRKSDELL JEV Envelope domain III(ED3) SEQ ID NO: 12 KGTTYGMCTEKFSFAKNPADTGHGTVVIELSYSGSDGPCKIPIVSVASL NDMTPVGRLVTVNPFVATSSANSKVLVEMEPPFGDSYIVVGRGDKQINH HWHKAG