Expression, purification, and antibacterial activity of bovine lactoferrampin-lactoferricin in Pichia pastoris

Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2012 Feb;166(3):640-51. doi: 10.1007/s12010-011-9455-0. Epub 2011 Nov 23.

Abstract

Bovine lactoferrampin (LFA) and bovine lactoferricin (LFC) are two antimicrobial peptides located in the N(1) domain of bovine lactoferrin. The bactericidal activity of the fused peptide LFA-LFC is stronger than that of either LFA or LFC. The high cost of peptide production from either native digestion or chemical synthesis limits the clinical application of antimicrobial peptides. The expression of recombinant peptides in yeast may be an effective alternative. In the current study, the expression, purification, and antibacterial activity of LFA-LFC using the Pichia pastoris expression system are reported. The linearized expression vector pPICZaA-LFA-LFC was transformed into P. pastoris KM71 by electroporation, and positive colonies harboring the target genes were screened out and used for fermentation. The recombinant LFA-LFC peptide was purified via two-step column chromatography and identified by tricine-sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The results indicate that P. pastoris is a suitable system for secreting LFA-LFC. The fermentation supernate and the purified LFA-LFC show high antimicrobial activities. The current study is the first to report on the expression and purification of LFA-LFC in P. pastoris and may have potential practical applications in microbial peptide production.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / genetics*
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / isolation & purification
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / pharmacology
  • Cattle
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Electroporation
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects*
  • Escherichia coli / growth & development
  • Lactoferrin / chemistry
  • Lactoferrin / genetics*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry
  • Peptide Fragments / genetics*
  • Pichia / genetics*
  • Pichia / metabolism
  • Plasmids
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / pharmacology
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
  • Transfection

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • lactoferrampin
  • lactoferricin B
  • Lactoferrin