Effects of thioredoxin: SUMO and intein on soluble fusion expression of an antimicrobial peptide OG2 in Escherichia coli

Protein Pept Lett. 2013 Jan;20(1):54-60.

Abstract

OG2 is a modified antimicrobial peptide of Palustrin-OG1 (OG1), which is derived from Odorrana grahami frog. OG2 has shown much higher selective antimicrobial activity and lower hemolytic activity than OG1, indicating OG2 may be a promising antimicrobial agent. In this study, we investigated three fusion partners, including thioredoxin, Mxe GyrA intein, and small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO), each fused with OG2, and examined their effects on the expression level and solubility of OG2 in Escherichia coli. The codon-optimized OG2 gene was cloned into pET32a (+) and pTWIN1 for fusion with thioredoxin and Mxe GyrA intein, respectively. In addition, the SUMO-OG2 gene was amplified by splice overlap extension PCR method and was cloned into pET30a (+). All recombinant plasmids were then transformed into E. coli BL21(DE3)pLysS, and the expressed fusion proteins were verified. Upon isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) induction, OG2 fused with thioredoxin (Trx-OG2) showed the highest yield as a soluble fusion protein (50 mg/L), followed by Mxe GyrA intein (44 mg/L) and SUMO (11 mg/L). The thioredoxin-fused protein (Trx-OG2) was then purified by nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid chromatography and desalted by Sephadex G25. The OG2 released by both tobacco etch virus protease and enterokinase from Trx-OG2 showed strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Infective Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Anti-Infective Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / chemical synthesis*
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / pharmacology
  • Erythrocytes / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects*
  • Hemolytic Agents / pharmacology
  • Inteins*
  • Ranidae
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / pharmacology*
  • Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier Proteins / pharmacology*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects*
  • Swine
  • Thioredoxins / chemistry*
  • Thioredoxins / pharmacology

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
  • Hemolytic Agents
  • OG2 peptide
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier Proteins
  • palustrin-OG1, Odorrana grahami
  • Thioredoxins