scholarly journals Fusion proteins with chromogenic and keratin binding modules

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Tinoco ◽  
Egipto Antunes ◽  
Madalena Martins ◽  
Filipa Gonçalves ◽  
Andreia C. Gomes ◽  
...  

Abstract The present research relates to a fusion protein comprising a chromogenic blue ultramarine protein (UM) bound to a keratin-based peptide (KP). The KP-UM fusion protein explores UM chromogenic nature together with KP affinity towards hair. For the first time a fusion protein with a chromogenic nature is explored as a hair coloring agent. The KP-UM protein colored overbleached hair, being the color dependent on the formulation polarity. The protein was able to bind to the hair cuticle and even to penetrate throughout the hair fibre. Molecular dynamics studies demonstrated that the interaction between the KP-UM protein and the hair was mediated by the KP sequence. All the formulations recovered the mechanical properties of overbleached hair and KP-UM proved to be safe when tested in human keratinocytes. Although based on a chromogenic non-fluorescent protein, the KP-UM protein presented a photoswitch phenomenon, changing from chromogenic to fluorescent depending on the wavelength selected for excitation. KP-UM protein shows the potential to be incorporated in new eco-friendly cosmetic formulations for hair coloration, decreasing the use of traditional dyes and reducing its environmental impact.

2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (12) ◽  
pp. 7748-7759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dagang Huang ◽  
Eric V. Shusta

ABSTRACT Fusion proteins comprised of a binding domain and green fluorescent protein (GFP) have the potential to act as one-step binding reagents. In this study, eight single-chain antibodies (scFv) and one single-chain T-cell receptor (scTCR) were secreted as fusions to GFP using a Saccharomyces cerevisiae expression system. Fusion protein secretion levels ranged over 3 orders of magnitude, from 4 μg/liter to 4 mg/liter, and correlated well with the secretion levels of the unfused scFv/scTCR. Three fusion types with various linker lengths and fusion orientations were tested for each scFv/scTCR. Although the fusion protein secretion levels were not significantly affected by the nature of the fusion construct, the properties of the fusion protein were clearly influenced. The fluorescence yield per fusion molecule was increased by separating the scFv/scTCR and GFP with an extended (GGGGS)3 linker, and fusions with scFv/scTCR at the carboxy-terminus were more resistant to degradation. By evaluating leader sequence processing and using GFP fluorescence to track intracellular processing, it was determined that the majority of fusion protein synthesized by the yeast was not secreted and in most cases was accumulating in an immature, although active, endoplasmic-reticulum (ER)-processed form. This contrasted with unfused scFv, which accumulated in both immature ER-processed and mature post-Golgi forms. The results indicated that yeast can be used as an effective host for the secretion of scFv/scTCR-GFP fusion proteins and that as a result of intracellular secretory bottlenecks, there is considerable yeast secretory capacity remaining to be exploited.


Microbiology ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 152 (11) ◽  
pp. 3271-3280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Hänisch ◽  
Marc Wältermann ◽  
Horst Robenek ◽  
Alexander Steinbüchel

In Ralstonia eutropha, the H16 phasin PhaP1 represents the major phasin that binds to the surface of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) inclusions. In this study, C-terminal fusions of PhaP1 with enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) and with Escherichia coli β-galactosidase (LacZ) were expressed separately in the triacylglycerol (TAG)-accumulating actinomycetes Rhodococcus opacus PD630 and Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155, employing the M. smegmatis acetamidase (ace) promoter of the Escherichia–Mycobacterium/Rhodococcus shuttle plasmid pJAM2. PhaP1 and the PhaP1 fusion proteins were expressed stably in the recombinant strains. Western blot analysis of cell fractions of Rh. opacus revealed that PhaP1 and the PhaP1–eGFP fusion protein were associated with the TAG inclusions, whereas no phasin or phasin fusion protein was detected in the soluble and membrane fractions. Additional electron microscopy/immunocytochemistry studies demonstrated that PhaP1 was mainly located on the surface of intracellular TAG inclusions; in addition, some PhaP1 also occurred at the plasma membrane. Fluorescence microscopic investigations of the subcellular distribution of the PhaP1–eGFP fusion protein in vivo and on isolated TAG inclusions revealed that the fusion protein was bound to TAG inclusions at all stages of their formation, and to some extent at the cytoplasmic membrane. The PhaP1–LacZ fusion protein also bound to the TAG inclusions, and could be separated together with the inclusions from Rh. opacus crude extracts, thus demonstrating the immobilization of β-galactosidase activity on the inclusions. This is believed to be the first report demonstrating the ability of PhaP1 to bind to lipid inclusions in addition to PHA inclusions. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that this non-specificity of PhaP1 can be utilized to anchor enzymically active fusion proteins to a matrix of bacterial TAG inclusions.


2005 ◽  
Vol 475-479 ◽  
pp. 3665-3668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Qing Lan ◽  
Decai Li ◽  
Si Wei Zhang

The mechanical properties of the molecular deposition film deposited on an Au substrate are studied in the theory for the first time. Firstly, the quantum mechanics have been used to calculate the structure parameters and potential parameters of the molecular deposition film. Secondly, molecular dynamics simulations have been used to study indent process of the molecular deposition film with the action of Au tip. The results showed that an obvious jump to contact appears during the Au tip approaches the molecular deposition film; furthermore, the tilt angle and load of the molecules near the tip have the same tendency of hysteresis, which may be caused by the adhesive force between the tip and the molecular deposition film.


Author(s):  
Toshihiro Kaneko ◽  
Kenji Yasuoka ◽  
Ayori Mitsutake ◽  
Xiao Cheng Zeng

Multicanonical molecular dynamics simulations are applied, for the first time, to study the liquid-solid and solid-solid transitions in Lennard-Jones (LJ) clusters. The transition temperatures are estimated based on the peak position in the heat capacity versus temperature curve. For LJ31, LJ58 and LJ98, our results on the solid-solid transition temperature are in good agreement with previous ones. For LJ309, the predicted liquid-solid transition temperature is also in agreement with previous result.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 131-140
Author(s):  
Federica Cappelletti ◽  
Marta Rossi ◽  
Michele Germani ◽  
Mohammad Shadman Hanif

AbstractDe-manufacturing and re-manufacturing are fundamental technical solutions to efficiently recover value from post-use products. Disassembly in one of the most complex activities in de-manufacturing because i) the more manual it is the higher is its cost, ii) disassembly times are variable due to uncertainty of conditions of products reaching their EoL, and iii) because it is necessary to know which components to disassemble to balance the cost of disassembly. The paper proposes a methodology that finds ways of applications: it can be applied at the design stage to detect space for product design improvements, and it also represents a baseline from organizations approaching de-manufacturing for the first time. The methodology consists of four main steps, in which firstly targets components are identified, according to their environmental impact; secondly their disassembly sequence is qualitatively evaluated, and successively it is quantitatively determined via disassembly times, predicting also the status of the component at their End of Life. The aim of the methodology is reached at the fourth phase when alternative, eco-friendlier End of Life strategies are proposed, verified, and chosen.


Author(s):  
Marcelo Lopes Pereira Junior ◽  
Wiliam Ferreira da Cunha ◽  
Douglas Soares Galvão ◽  
Luiz Antonio Ribeiro Junior

Recently, laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition has been used to synthesize a free-standing, continuous, and stable monolayer amorphous carbon (MAC).


BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen-Chen Huang ◽  
Fang-Rui Liu ◽  
Qiang Feng ◽  
Xin-Yan Pan ◽  
Shu-Ling Song ◽  
...  

Abstract Background We prepared an anti-p21Ras scFv which could specifically bind with mutant and wild-type p21Ras. However, it cannot penetrate the cell membrane, which prevents it from binding to p21Ras in the cytoplasm. Here, the RGD4C peptide was used to mediate the scFv penetration into tumor cells and produce antitumor effects. Methods RGD4C-EGFP and RGD4C-p21Ras-scFv recombinant expression plasmids were constructed to express fusion proteins in E. coli, then the fusion proteins were purified with HisPur Ni-NTA. RGD4C-EGFP was used as reporter to test the factors affecting RGD4C penetration into tumor cell. The immunoreactivity of RGD4C-p21Ras-scFv toward p21Ras was identified by ELISA and western blotting. The ability of RGD4C-p21Ras-scFv to penetrate SW480 cells and colocalization with Ras protein was detected by immunocytochemistry and immunofluorescence. The antitumor activity of the RGD4C-p21Ras-scFv was assessed with the MTT, TUNEL, colony formation and cell migration assays. Chloroquine (CQ) was used an endosomal escape enhancing agent to enhance endosomal escape of RGD4C-scFv. Results RGD4C-p21Ras-scFv fusion protein were successfully expressed and purified. We found that the RGD4C fusion protein could penetrate into tumor cells, but the tumor cell entry of was time and concentration dependent. Endocytosis inhibitors and a low temperature inhibited RGD4C fusion protein endocytosis into cells. The change of the cell membrane potential did not affect penetrability. RGD4C-p21Ras-scFv could penetrate SW480 cells, effectively inhibit the growth, proliferation and migration of SW480 cells and promote this cells apoptosis. In addition, chloroquine (CQ) could increase endosomal escape and improve antitumor activity of RGD4C-scFv in SW480 cells. Conclusion The RGD4C peptide can mediate anti-p21Ras scFv entry into SW480 cells and produce an inhibitory effect, which indicates that RGD4C-p21Ras-scFv may be a potential therapeutic antibody for the treatment of ras-driven cancers.


Author(s):  
Yoshino Tanaka ◽  
Yoshihiko Nanasato ◽  
Kousei Omura ◽  
Keita Endoh ◽  
Tsuyoshi Kawano ◽  
...  

Abstract Polyhistidine peptides (PHPs), sequences comprising only histidine residues (>His8), are effective cell-penetrating peptides for plant cells. Using PHP-fusion proteins, we aimed to deliver proteins into cultured plant cells from Nicotiana tabacum, Oryza sativa, and Cryptomeria japonica. Co-cultivation of cultured cells with fusion proteins combining maltose-binding protein (MBP), red fluorescent protein (RFP), and various PHPs (MBP-RFP-His8–His20) in one polypeptide showed the cellular uptake of fusion proteins in all plant cell lines. Maximum intracellular fluorescence was shown in MBP-RFP-His20. Further, adenylate cyclase (CyaA), a synthase of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) activated by cytosolic calmodulin, was used as a reporter for protein delivery in living cells. A fusion protein combining MBP, RFP, CyaA, and His20 (MBP-RFP-CyaA-His20) was delivered into plant cells and increased intracellular fluorescence and cAMP production in all cell lines. The present study demonstrates that PHPs are effective carriers of proteins into the intracellular space of various cultured plant cells.


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