Engineered mammalian vector to express EGFP-tagged proteins as biomarkers

Mol Biotechnol. 2012 Jun;51(2):119-27. doi: 10.1007/s12033-011-9444-0.

Abstract

Due to its specialized post-translational machinery, mammalian cells represent an interesting and not fully explored system to express snake toxins. Therefore, in this work, we built up a new mammalian expression vector that enhances the feasibility to use mammalian cells to express proteins as biomarkers. Among the modifications, an Igκ signal peptide and a 6xHis tag were inserted into this vector in order to drive the protein to the supernatant and simplify its purification, respectively. In addition, to facilitate selection of high producing clones and also tag proteins which may function as a biomarker, the sequence of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was added. The efficiency of the resulting vector (pToxEGFP) was tested by cloning and expressing the viper venom disintegrin echistatin (Ech) that due to its affinity to integrin αvβ3 was tested as a molecular marker. Expression of EGFP-Ech was achieved in CHO-DXB11 cells resulting in a yield of 22 mg/L. The binding activity of this chimera protein was successfully achieved on human umbilical vein endothelial cells which highly express αvβ3. The results indicate that pToxEGFP may constitute an efficient and versatile expression vector to express tagged proteins with potential biomarker activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers / chemistry
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • CHO Cells
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Cricetinae
  • Cricetulus
  • Endopeptidases / metabolism
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / chemistry
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Integrin alphaVbeta3 / metabolism
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / genetics
  • Peptides / isolation & purification
  • Peptides / metabolism*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Transfection
  • Viper Venoms / biosynthesis*
  • Viper Venoms / chemistry
  • Viper Venoms / genetics
  • Viper Venoms / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Integrin alphaVbeta3
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Peptides
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Viper Venoms
  • enhanced green fluorescent protein
  • echistatin
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Endopeptidases
  • TEV protease