A novel self-cleaving phasin tag for purification of recombinant proteins based on hydrophobic polyhydroxyalkanoate nanoparticles

Lab Chip. 2008 Nov;8(11):1957-62. doi: 10.1039/b807762b. Epub 2008 Aug 29.

Abstract

A novel protein purification method was developed using microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) granule-associated protein phasin, a pH-inducible self-cleaving intein and PHA nanoparticles. Genes for the target proteins to be produced and purified were fused to genes of intein and phasin, the genes were jointly over-expressed in vivo, such as in E. coli cells in this study. The fused proteins containing target protein, intein and phasin produced by the recombinant E. coli were released together with all other E. coli proteins via a bacterial lysis process. They were then adsorbed in vitro to the surfaces of the hydrophobic polymer nanoparticles incubated with the cell lysates. The nanoparticles attached with the fused proteins were concentrated via centrifugation. Then, the reasonably purified target protein was released by self-cleavage of intein and separated with nanoparticles by a simple centrifugation process. Using this system, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), maltose binding protein (MBP) and beta-galactosidase were successfully purified in their active forms with reasonable yields, respectively, demonstrating the effectiveness and reliability of this purification system. This method allows the production and purification of high value added proteins in a continuous way with low cost.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Carboxylic Acids / chemistry*
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry
  • Carrier Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Chromatography, Affinity / methods*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / chemistry*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / chemistry
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Inteins
  • Maltose-Binding Proteins
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry*
  • Recombinant Proteins / isolation & purification*
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • beta-Galactosidase / chemistry
  • beta-Galactosidase / isolation & purification
  • beta-Galactosidase / metabolism

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Carboxylic Acids
  • Carrier Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Maltose-Binding Proteins
  • PHAP protein, Bacteria
  • Polymers
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • beta-Galactosidase