Using Cell-Free Expression to Create Light-Activated Proteins In Situ in Droplet Interface Bilayer Networks

2015 ◽  
Vol 1720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham J. Taylor ◽  
Stephen A. Sarles
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Direct Detection ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Transmembrane Proteins ◽  
Free Expression ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Droplet Interface Bilayer

ABSTRACTDroplet interface bilayers (DIBs) are physical lipid bilayers that mimic real membranes in living cells, and they are formed quickly using droplets of water and lipids in oil (Fig. 1A). DIBs allow biomolecular sensing and direct detection of transmembrane proteins or peptides and small molecules such as drugs, anesthetics, or even ions. Cell-free expression systems allow in vitro protein synthesis using actual natural machinery extracted from organisms (Fig. 1B). Previous attempts to combine DIBs with cell-free extracts (CFE) encountered bilayer destabilization due to components in the expression system. This study evaluates incorporation of Promega’s T7 S30 High Yield (HY) Expression system with DIBs to pave the way for future in situ expression of light-activated bacteriorhodopsin (BR) and other complex transmembrane proteins in DIBs. A secondary output includes establishing a method for real-time monitoring and modeling of CF expression reactions using minimal volume. The ability to quantify CF output in such small volumes reduces cost per reaction from $20 to around $0.40, and synthesized protein levels reach tens to hundreds of micrograms per milliliter in less than 1 hour at 37°C.

scholarly journals HIGH-YIELD PREPARATION OF ISOLATED RAT LIVER PARENCHYMAL CELLS

1969 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 506-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. N. Berry ◽  
D. S. Friend
Keyword(s):  
Gap Junctions ◽  
Rat Liver ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Cell Injury ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Isolated Cells ◽  
Nylon Mesh ◽  
Parenchymal Cells

A new technique employing continuous recirculating perfusion of the rat liver in situ, shaking of the liver in buffer in vitro, and filtration of the tissue through nylon mesh, results in the conversion of about 50% of the liver into intact, isolated parenchymal cells. The perfusion media consist of: (a) calcium-free Hanks' solution containing 0.05% collagenase and 0.10% hyaluronidase, and (b) magnesium and calcium-free Hanks' solution containing 2 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetate. Biochemical and morphologic studies indicate that the isolated cells are viable. They respire in a medium containing calcium ions, synthesize glucose from lactate, are impermeable to inulin, do not stain with trypan blue, and retain their structural integrity. Electron microscopy of biopsies taken during and after perfusion reveals that desmosomes are quickly cleaved. Hemidesmosome-containing areas of the cell membrane invaginate and appear to pinch off and migrate centrally. Tight and gap junctions, however, persist on the intact, isolated cells, retaining small segments of cytoplasm from formerly apposing parenchymal cells. Cells which do not retain tight and gap junctions display swelling of Golgi vacuoles and vacuoles in the peripheral cytoplasm. Cytoplasmic vacuolization in a small percentage of cells and potassium loss are the only indications of cell injury detected. By other parameters measured, the isolated cells are comparable to normal hepatic parenchymal cells in situ in appearance and function.

scholarly journals Efficacy of a Potential Trivalent Vaccine Based on Hc Fragments of Botulinum Toxins A, B, and E Produced in a Cell-Free Expression System

2010 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 784-792 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Zichel ◽  
A. Mimran ◽  
A. Keren ◽  
A. Barnea ◽  
I. Steinberger-Levy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Expression System ◽  
Free Expression ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Botulinum Toxins ◽  
Free System ◽  
Toxin Complex ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Cell Free Expression System

ABSTRACT Botulinum toxins produced by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum are the most potent biological toxins in nature. Traditionally, people at risk are immunized with a formaldehyde-inactivated toxin complex. Second generation vaccines are based on the recombinant carboxy-terminal heavy-chain (Hc) fragment of the neurotoxin. However, the materialization of this approach is challenging, mainly due to the high AT content of clostridial genes. Herein, we present an alternative strategy in which the native genes encoding Hc proteins of botulinum toxins A, B, and E were used to express the recombinant Hc fragments in a cell-free expression system. We used the unique property of this open system to introduce different combinations of chaperone systems, protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), and reducing/oxidizing environments directly to the expression reaction. Optimized expression conditions led to increased production of soluble Hc protein, which was successfully scaled up using a continuous exchange (CE) cell-free system. Hc proteins were produced at a concentration of more than 1 mg/ml and purified by one-step Ni+ affinity chromatography. Mice immunized with three injections containing 5 μg of any of the in vitro-expressed, alum-absorbed, Hc vaccines generated a serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) titer of 105 against the native toxin complex, which enabled protection against a high-dose toxin challenge (103 to 106 mouse 50% lethal dose [MsLD50]). Finally, immunization with a trivalent HcA, HcB, and HcE vaccine protected mice against the corresponding trivalent 105 MsLD50 toxin challenge. Our results together with the latest developments in scalability of the in vitro protein expression systems offer alternative routes for the preparation of botulinum vaccine.

scholarly journals Mouse spleen lymphoblasts generated in vitro. Their replication and differentiation in vitro

1978 ◽  
Vol 147 (2) ◽  
pp. 297-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
RM Steinman ◽  
BG Machtinger ◽  
J Fried ◽  
ZA Cohn
Keyword(s):  
Proliferative Activity ◽  
Plasma Cells ◽  
Calf Serum ◽  
Mouse Spleen ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Short Life Span ◽  
Bovine Plasma ◽  
Flow Microfluorometry

Mouse spleen lymphoblasts induced with lipopolysaccharide and fetal calf serum were obtained in high yield and purity in their first proliferative cell cycle by floatation in dense bovine plasma albumin columns (3). The blasts were maintained in vitro for 3 more days. The cultures were examined in bulk on each day, and in addition, those cells in S phase initially were tagged with [(3)H]thymidine and followed continuously in vitro. Grain count dilution data indicated that most blasts divided but twice over a 2- to 3-day interval in vitro. [(3)H]Thymidine pulse radiolabeling and flow microfluorometry suggested that at least 50-70 percent of the proliferating blasts withdrew from proliferative activity after 2-3 days of culture. Morphologic studies demonstrated that lymphoblasts persisted as such for 1-2 days in vitro and then matured into typical plasma cells. Many of the blastprogeny had small nuclei and considerable basophilic cytoplasm on Giemsa-stained cell smears; abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum by electron microscopy; and readily detectable cytoplasmic Ig by immunocytochemistry. Reversion of blasts to small lymphocytes could not be detected; however, some blasts persisted even after 3 days of culture. The viability of the cultured lymphoblast was followed by initially tagging the cells with [(3)H]thymidine as well as several other techniques. Little cell death was documented during the first day of culture. The number of labeled progeny increased twofold whereas the grain count halved. But 40- 50 percent of the cell-associated label was lost during each of the second and third days, and fewer labeled progeny than predicted by grain count dilution were identified. The culture medium could not be implicated in this loss of lymphoblast progeny, and we suggest that the maturation of the lymphoblast to a short-lived plasma cell was responsible. Therefore mitogen-stimulated B blasts seem to mature into typical plasma cells after just two cycles of cell division. The plasma cells resemble those produced in situ during an immune response in their cytologic features, withdrawal from active proliferative activity, and short life-span.

scholarly journals A synthetic biology platform for the reconstitution and mechanistic dissection of LINC complex assembly

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sagardip Majumder ◽  
Patrick T. Willey ◽  
Maxwell S. DeNies ◽  
Allen P. Liu ◽  
G.W. Gant Luxton
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Experimental System ◽  
Free Expression ◽  
Supported Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Linc Complex ◽  
Complex Assembly ◽  
Complex Core

ABSTRACTThe linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) is a conserved nuclear envelope-spanning molecular bridge that is responsible for the mechanical integration of the nucleus with the cytoskeleton. LINC complexes are formed by a transluminal interaction between the outer and inner nuclear membrane KASH and SUN proteins, respectively. Despite recent structural insights, our mechanistic understanding of LINC complex assembly remains limited by the lack of an experimental system for its in vitro reconstitution and manipulation. Here, we describe artificial nuclear membranes (ANMs) as a synthetic biology platform based on mammalian cell-free expression for the rapid reconstitution of SUN proteins in supported lipid bilayers. We demonstrate that SUN1 and SUN2 are oriented in ANMs with solvent-exposed C-terminal KASH-binding SUN domains. We also find that SUN2 possesses a single transmembrane domain, while SUN1 possesses three. Finally, SUN protein-containing ANMs bind synthetic KASH peptides, thereby reconstituting the LINC complex core. This work represents the first in vitro reconstitution of KASH-binding SUN proteins in supported lipid bilayers using cell-free expression, which will be invaluable for testing proposed models of LINC complex assembly and its regulation.

scholarly journals Synthetic logic circuits using RNA aptamer against T7 RNA polymerase

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jongmin Kim ◽  
Juan F Quijano ◽  
Enoch Yeung ◽  
Richard M Murray
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Logic Circuits ◽  
T7 Rna Polymerase ◽  
Free Expression ◽  
Rna Aptamer ◽  
Cell Free Expression System

Recent advances in nucleic acids engineering introduced several RNA-based regulatory components for synthetic gene circuits, expanding the toolsets to engineer organisms. In this work, we designed genetic circuits implementing an RNA aptamer previously described to have the capability of binding to the T7 RNA polymerase and inhibiting its activity in vitro. Using in vitro transcription assays, we first demonstrated the utility of the RNA aptamer in combination with programmable synthetic transcription networks. As a step to quickly assess the feasibility of aptamer functions in vivo, a cell-free expression system was used as a breadboard to emulate the in vivo conditions of E. coli. We tested the aptamer and its three sequence variants in the cell-free expression system, verifying the aptamer functionality in the cell-free testbed. In vivo expression of aptamer and its variants demonstrated control over GFP expression driven by T7 RNA polymerase with different response curves, indicating its ability to serve as building blocks for both logic circuits and transcriptional cascades. This work elucidates the potential of RNA-based regulators for cell programming with improved controllability leveraging the fast production and degradation time scales of RNA molecules.

scholarly journals Preparation of a recombinant chimaera of insulin-like growth factor II and interleukin 3 with high proliferative potency for haemopoietic cells

1997 ◽  
Vol 326 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos R. DIFALCO ◽  
L. Fernando CONGOTE
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Insect Cells ◽  
Human Peripheral Blood ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Expression System ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Insulin Like Growth Factor ◽  
Interleukin 3 ◽  
Factor Ii

We have found that a slightly modified insulin-like growth factor II (IGF II) consisting of a chimaera of bombyxin and human IGF II (BOMIGF) is properly secreted in insect cells by using the baculovirus expression system. Human interleukin 3 (IL-3) was attached to the C-terminal amino acid residue of BOMIGF with peptide linkers containing five or twelve residues. Only the chimaera with the 12-residue linker had biological activities of both IGF II and IL-3. The chimaera had a significantly higher mitogenic activity than IL-3 in cell cultures of the human haemopoietic cell line TF-1 and its effect could be observed even at femtomolar concentrations. It was also able to stimulate thymidine incorporation in IGF II-dependent bovine fetal erythroid cells. The chimaera significantly increased the number of macroscopic haemopoietic colonies in cultures of human peripheral blood in comparison with IL-3 or mixtures of IL-3 and BOMIGF in vitro. Subcutaneous injection of a BOMIGF–mouse IL-3 chimaera in normal C57BL/6 mice resulted in a significant increase of the number of spleen stem cells producing macroscopic haemopoietic colonies. This new system for the biosynthesis of IGF–cytokine fusion proteins in insect cells might prove advantageous for the low-cost and high-yield production of molecules with complementary or synergistic biological activities.

scholarly journals Generation of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-IV-Inhibiting Peptides fromβ-Lactoglobulin Secreted byLactococcus lactis

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suguru Shigemori ◽  
Kazushi Oshiro ◽  
Pengfei Wang ◽  
Yoshinari Yamamoto ◽  
Yeqin Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Dipeptidyl Peptidase ◽  
Dipeptidyl Peptidase Iv ◽  
Delivery Vehicle ◽  
Dpp Iv

Previous studies showed that hydrolysates ofβ-lactoglobulin (BLG) prepared using gastrointestinal proteases strongly inhibit dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) activityin vitro. In this study, we developed a BLG-secretingLactococcus lactisstrain as a delivery vehicle andin situexpression system. Interestingly, trypsin-digested recombinant BLG fromL. lactisinhibited DPP-IV activity, suggesting that BLG-secretingL. lactismay be useful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Indipendent and Tandem Expression of a Novel Antimicrobial Peptides Plectasin in Escherichia coli

2011 ◽  
Vol 345 ◽  
pp. 134-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Hui Lv ◽  
Xue Gang Luo ◽  
Meng Ni ◽  
Xiao Lan Jing ◽  
Nan Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽  
Expression System ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Gene Synthesis ◽  
Post Translational Modification ◽  
Iptg Induction ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Conventional Antibiotics

Plectasin, a novel antimicrobial peptide, is isolated from a saprophytic fungus Pseudoplectania nigrella. Plectasin showed potent antibacterial activity in vitro against Gram-positive, especially the Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pneumoniae, including strains resistant to conventional antibiotics. In our previous study, plectasin had been expressed at a high yield as a thioredoxin (Trx) – fused protein in Escherichia coli. However, it couldn’t exhibit the antimicrobial activity unless the Trx-tag had been cleaved, which made the producing process be complicated. Concerning that plectasin has no complex post-translational modification and toxicity on E. coli, on the basis of the former works, we further establish the independent and tandem expression system of plectasin in E. coli. In the present study, the coding sequence of plectasin was obtained from pET32a-PLEC with four primers to amplify the independent and tandem plectasin fragments by overlapping PCR-based gene synthesis, and then cloned into pET22b (+) vector. The recombinant protein was expressed successfully in E. coli with IPTG induction. These works might throw light on the production or study of plectasin, and contribute to the development of novel anti-infectious drugs in the future.

scholarly journals Tetracycline-regulated expression enables purification and functional analysis of recombinant connexin channels from mammalian cells

2004 ◽  
Vol 383 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina V. KOREEN ◽  
Wafaa A. ELSAYED ◽  
Yu J. LIU ◽  
Andrew L. HARRIS
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Messenger Molecules ◽  
One Step ◽  
Cellular Control

Intercellular coupling mediated by gap junction channels composed of connexin protein underlies numerous physiological processes, such as cellular differentiation, tissue synchronization and metabolic homoeostasis. The distinct molecular permeability of junctional channels composed of different connexin isoforms allows cellular control of coupling via regulation of isoform expression. However, the permeability properties of most connexin isoforms have not been well characterized due to the difficulty of manipulating and measuring the diffusible concentrations of cytoplasmic messenger molecules and metabolites, and to a lack of control over channel isoform composition, in vivo. Here we present a method to express and purify active connexin hemichannels of a single isoform or a consistent ratio of two isoforms from cultured cells using the Tet-On inducible expression system and one-step anti-haemagglutinin immunoaffinity purification. The procedure yields 10–20 μg of pure connexin protein from 2.5×108 HeLa cells. The purified channels are shown to be useful for in vitro permeability analysis using well established techniques. This method has substantial advantages over existing methods for heterologous connexin expression, such as the ease of co-expression of two isoforms at a constant ratio, consistently high expression levels over many passages, and the ability to study channel properties in situ as well as in purified form. Furthermore, the generic cloning site of the new pBI-GT vector and the commercial availability of anti-haemagglutinin (clone HA-7)–agarose make this affinity tagging and purification procedure easily applicable to other proteins.

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