Expression and purification of the minor histocompatibility antigen, HA-1H generated in Escherichia coli

Protein Expr Purif. 2007 Jul;54(1):176-82. doi: 10.1016/j.pep.2007.02.011. Epub 2007 Feb 27.

Abstract

The minor histocompatibility antigen HA-1H is a potential immunotherapeutic molecule. It can be used as a target for graft versus leukaemia reactions to eliminate residual HA-1H expressing leukaemic cells in patients following haemopoietic stem cell transplantation, whereby HA-1H primed donor cells can be transferred into a patient via adoptive immunotherapy. However, thus far only synthetic peptides corresponding to a HLA-A *0201 restricted HA-1H epitope have been used to generate HA-1H specific T cells. We are the first laboratory to clone, express and purify a region of HA-1H using an Escherichia coli expression system. The recombinant HA-1H protein was purified under denaturing conditions and the affinity purification tag removed using thrombin to remove non-specific amino acids. The 92 amino acid recombinant protein was characterised by mass spectrometry. Our rationale is that by using a recombinant HA-1H protein rather than peptide, HA-1H specific T cells may be generated from presentation of multiple HA-1H epitopes complexed in different HLA molecules. A multi-epitope approach may have wider applicability and maybe more effective at leukaemia control. The recombinant HA-1H protein may also be used as a research tool to identify novel CD4(+) helper T cell and CD8(+) cytotoxic T cell epitopes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Histidine / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Minor Histocompatibility Antigens / biosynthesis*
  • Minor Histocompatibility Antigens / chemistry
  • Minor Histocompatibility Antigens / isolation & purification*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oligopeptides / biosynthesis*
  • Oligopeptides / chemistry
  • Oligopeptides / isolation & purification*
  • Recombinant Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / isolation & purification*
  • Sequence Analysis, Protein

Substances

  • HA-1 antigen
  • Minor Histocompatibility Antigens
  • Oligopeptides
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Histidine