Hyper-enhanced production of foreign recombinant protein by fusion with the partial polyhedrin of nucleopolyhedrovirus

PLoS One. 2013 Apr 9;8(4):e60835. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060835. Print 2013.

Abstract

To enhance the production efficiency of foreign protein in baculovirus expression systems, the effects of polyhedrin fragments were investigated by fusion expressing them with the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Recombinant viruses were generated to express EGFP fused with polyhedrin fragments based on the previously reported minimal region for self-assembly and the KRKK nuclear localization signal (NLS). Fusion expressions with polyhedrin amino acids 19 to 110 and 32 to 110 lead to localization of recombinant protein into the nucleus and mediate its assembly. The marked increase of EGFP by these fusion expressions was confirmed through protein and fluorescence intensity analyses. The importance of nuclear localization for enhanced production was shown by the mutation of the NLS within the fused polyhedrin fragment. In addition, when the polyhedrin fragment fused with EGFP was not localized in the nucleus, some fragments increased the production of protein. Among these fragments, some degradation of only the fused polyhedrin was observed in the fusion of amino acids 19 to 85 and 32 to 85. The fusion of amino acids 32 to 85 may be more useful for the enhanced and intact production of recombinant protein. The production of E2 protein, which is a major antigen of classical swine fever virus, was dramatically increased by fusion expression with polyhedrin amino acids 19 to 110, and its preliminary immunogenicity was verified using experimental guinea pigs. This study suggests a new option for higher expression of useful foreign recombinant protein by using the partial polyhedrin in baculovirus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies / blood
  • Antibodies / immunology
  • Cell Line
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Order
  • Genetic Vectors / genetics
  • Guinea Pigs
  • Nucleopolyhedroviruses / genetics*
  • Nucleopolyhedroviruses / metabolism*
  • Occlusion Body Matrix Proteins
  • Protein Transport
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / immunology
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Viral Structural Proteins / genetics*
  • Viral Structural Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Occlusion Body Matrix Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Viral Structural Proteins
  • polyhedrin protein, Nucleopolyhedrovirus

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grant from the Next-Generation BioGreen 21 Program (number PJ007995), and BioGreen 21 Project (number 20070401034002), Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.