scholarly journals DNA-FACE™ - An Escherichia coli-based DNA Amplification-Expression Technology for Automatic Assembly of Concatemeric ORFs and Proteins

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr M. Skowron ◽  
Agnieszka Zylicz-Stachula

DNA-FACE™ (DNA Fragment Amplification & Concatemeric Expressed Nucleic Acids and Proteins) is a universal biotechnological platform, developed as Escherichia coli (E. coli) system. It is based on the ordered, head-to-tail directional ligation of the amplified DNA fragments. The technology enables the construction of targeted biomolecules - genetically programmed, concatemeric DNA, RNA, and proteins, designed to fit a particular task. The constructed, “artificial” (never seen in Nature) tandem repeat macromolecules, with specialized functions, may contain up to 500 copies of monomeric units. The technology greatly exceeds the current capabilities of chemical gene synthesis. The vector-enzymatic DNA fragment amplification assembles the DNA segments, forming continuous Open Reading Frames (ORFs). The obtained ORFs are ready for high-level expression in E. coli without a need for subcloning. The presented method has potential applications in pharmaceutical industry and tissue engineering, including vaccines, biological drugs, drug delivery systems, mass-production of peptide-derived biomaterials, industrial and environmental processes. The technology has been patented worldwide and used successfully in the construction of anti-HBV vaccines, pro-regenerative biological drugs and, recently, the anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, developed using the DNA-FACE™ technology, is nontoxic and induces strong immunological response to recombinant human spike and nucleocapsid proteins, as shown in animal studies.

2013 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 1146-1152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Chang Cai ◽  
Rong Zhang ◽  
Yan Yan Hu ◽  
Hong Wei Zhou ◽  
Gong-Xiang Chen

ABSTRACTTwenty-two KPC-2-producingEscherichia coliisolates were obtained from three hospitals in Hangzhou, China, from 2007 to 2011. One isolate, with OmpC porin deficiency, exhibited high-level carbapenem resistance. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that few isolates were indistinguishable or closely related. Multilocus sequence typing indicated that sequence type 131 (ST131) was the predominant type (9 isolates, 40.9%), followed by ST648 (5 isolates), ST405 (2 isolates), ST38 (2 isolates), and 4 single STs, ST69, ST2003, ST2179, and ST744. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that 9 group B2 isolates belonged to ST131, and 5 of 11 group D isolates belonged to ST648. Only one group B1 isolate and one group A isolate were identified. A representative plasmid (pE1) was partially sequenced, and a 7,788-bp DNA fragment encoding Tn3transposase, Tn3resolvase, ISKpn8transposase, KPC-2, and ISKpn6-like transposase was obtained. TheblaKPC-2-surrounding sequence was amplified by a series of primers. The PCR results showed that 13 isolates were consistent with the genetic environment in pE1. It is the first report of rapid emergence of KPC-2-producingE. coliST131 in China. TheblaKPC-2gene of most isolates was located on a similar genetic structure.


2009 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. 2272-2284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chantal Peigne ◽  
Philippe Bidet ◽  
Farah Mahjoub-Messai ◽  
Céline Plainvert ◽  
Valérie Barbe ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT A new Escherichia coli virulent clonal group, O45:K1, belonging to the highly virulent subgroup B21 was recently identified in France, where it accounts for one-third of E. coli neonatal meningitis cases. Here we describe the sequence, epidemiology and function of the large plasmid harbored by strain S88, which is representative of the O45:K1 clonal group. Plasmid pS88 is 133,853 bp long and contains 144 protein-coding genes. It harbors three different iron uptake systems (aerobactin, salmochelin, and the sitABCD genes) and other putative virulence genes (iss, etsABC, ompT P, and hlyF). The pS88 sequence is composed of several gene blocks homologous to avian pathogenic E. coli plasmids pAPEC-O2-ColV and pAPEC-O1-ColBM. PCR amplification of 11 open reading frames scattered throughout the plasmid was used to investigate the distribution of pS88 and showed that a pS88-like plasmid is present in other meningitis clonal groups such as O18:K1, O1:K1, and O83:K1. A pS88-like plasmid was also found in avian pathogenic strains and human urosepsis strains belonging to subgroup B21. A variant of S88 cured of its plasmid displayed a marked loss of virulence relative to the wild-type strain in a neonatal rat model, with bacteremia more than 2 log CFU/ml lower. The salmochelin siderophore, a known meningovirulence factor, could not alone explain the plasmid's contribution to virulence, as a salmochelin mutant displayed only a minor fall in bacteremia (0.9 log CFU/ml). Thus, pS88 is a major virulence determinant related to avian pathogenic plasmids that has spread not only through meningitis clonal groups but also human urosepsis and avian pathogenic strains.


1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Macinga ◽  
Gregory M. Cook ◽  
Robert K. Poole ◽  
Philip N. Rather

ABSTRACT Providencia stuartii contains a chromosomal 2′-N-acetyltransferase [AAC(2′)-Ia] involved in the O acetylation of peptidoglycan. The AAC(2′)-Ia enzyme is also capable of acetylating and inactivating certain aminoglycosides and confers high-level resistance to these antibiotics when overexpressed. We report the identification of a locus in P. stuartii, designated aarF, that is required for the expression of AAC(2′)-Ia. Northern (RNA) analysis demonstrated thataac(2′)-Ia mRNA levels were dramatically decreased in aP. stuartii strain carrying anaarF::Cm disruption. TheaarF::Cm disruption also resulted in a deficiency in the respiratory cofactor ubiquinone. The aarF locus encoded a protein that had a predicted molecular mass of 62,559 Da and that exhibited extensive amino acid similarity to the products of two adjacent open reading frames of unknown function (YigQ and YigR), located at 86 min on the Escherichia coli chromosome. AnE. coli yigR::Kan mutant was also deficient in ubiquinone content. Complementation studies demonstrated that theaarF and the E. coli yigQR loci were functionally equivalent. The aarF or yigQRgenes were unable to complement ubiD and ubiEmutations that are also present at 86 min on the E. colichromosome. This result indicates that aarF(yigQR) represents a novel locus for ubiquinone production and reveals a previously unreported connection between ubiquinone biosynthesis and the regulation of gene expression.


1998 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 1612-1619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Tangney ◽  
John K. Brehm ◽  
Nigel P. Minton ◽  
Wilfrid J. Mitchell

ABSTRACT The gutD gene of Clostridium beijerinckiiNCIMB 8052 encoding glucitol 6-phosphate dehydrogenase was cloned on a 5.7-kbp chromosomal DNA fragment by complementing an Escherichia coli gutD mutant strain and selecting for growth on glucitol. Five open reading frames (ORFs) in the order gutA1 gutA2 orfX gutB gutD were identified in a 4.0-kbp region of the cloned DNA. The deduced products of four of these ORFs were homologous to components of the glucitol phosphotransferase system (PTS) and glucitol 6-phosphate dehydrogenase from E. coli, while the remaining ORF (orfX) encoded an enzyme which had similarities to members of a family of transaldolases. A strain in which gutD was inactivated by targeted integration lacked glucitol 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity. The gutA1 andgutA2 genes encoded two polypeptides forming enzyme IIBC of the glucitol PTS comprising three domains in the order CBC. Domain IIA of the glucitol PTS was encoded by gutB. Glucitol phosphorylation assays in which soluble and membrane fractions of cells grown on glucose (which did not synthesize the glucitol PTS) or cells grown on glucitol were used confirmed that there is a separate, soluble, glucitol-specific PTS component, which is the product of thegutB gene. The gut genes were regulated at the level of transcription and were induced in the presence of glucitol. Cells grown in the presence of glucose and glucitol utilized glucose preferentially. Following depletion of glucose, the glucitol PTS and glucitol 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were synthesized, and glucitol was removed from the culture medium. RNA analysis showed that thegut genes were not expressed until glucose was depleted.


2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (04) ◽  
pp. 387-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
XIUDONG SUN ◽  
XUECONG LI ◽  
JIANLONG ZHANG

Orientating manipulations of cylindrical particles were performed by optical tweezers. Vertical and horizontal manipulations of Escherichia coli (E. coli) were carried out by changing the trapping depth and the focused laser beam shape. It was found that carbon nanotubes bundles (CNTBs) could be rotated in the linear polarized optical trap until it orientated its long axis along the linear polarization direction of the laser beam. However, E.coli could not be orientated in this way. Corresponding mechanisms were discussed based on the anisomeric electric characters of CNTBs. These orientation technologies of cylindrical objects with optical trap have potential applications in assembling nano-electric devices.


1989 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. S. Grewal ◽  
P. J. Lowry ◽  
D. Savva

ABSTRACT A large portion of the human pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) peptide corresponding to amino acid residues 59–241 has been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. A 1·0 kb DNA fragment encoding this peptide was cloned into the expression vectors pUC8 and pUR291. Plasmid pJMBG51 (a pUC8 recombinant) was found to direct the expression of a 24 kDa peptide. The recombinant pUR291 (pJMBG52) was shown to produce a β-galactosidase fusion protein of 140 kDa. Western blot analysis showed that both the 24 kDa and 140 kDa peptides are recognized by antibodies raised against POMC-derived peptides. The β-galactosidase fusion protein has been partially purified from crude E. coli cell lysates using affinity chromatography on p-aminobenzyl-1-thio-β-d-galactopyranoside agarose.


2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (19) ◽  
pp. 5940-5950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadja Saile ◽  
Anja Voigt ◽  
Sarah Kessler ◽  
Timo Stressler ◽  
Jochen Klumpp ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTEnterohemorrhagicEscherichia coli(EHEC) O157:H7 strain EDL933 harbors multiple prophage-associated open reading frames (ORFs) in its genome which are highly homologous to the chromosomalnanSgene. The latter is part of thenanCMSoperon, which is present in mostE. colistrains and encodes an esterase which is responsible for the monodeacetylation of 5-N-acetyl-9-O-acetyl neuraminic acid (Neu5,9Ac2). Whereas one prophage-borne ORF (z1466) has been characterized in previous studies, the functions of the othernanS-homologous ORFs are unknown. In the current study, thenanS-homologous ORFs of EDL933 were initially studiedin silico. Due to their homology to the chromosomalnanSgene and their location in prophage genomes, we designated themnanS-p and numbered the differentnanS-p alleles consecutively from 1 to 10. The two allelesnanS-p2 andnanS-p4 were selected for production of recombinant proteins, their enzymatic activities were investigated, and differences in their temperature optima were found. Furthermore, a function of these enzymes in substrate utilization could be demonstrated using anE. coliC600ΔnanSmutant in a growth medium with Neu5,9Ac2as the carbon source and supplementation with the different recombinant NanS-p proteins. Moreover, generation of sequential deletions of allnanS-p alleles in strain EDL933 and subsequent growth experiments demonstrated a gene dose effect on the utilization of Neu5,9Ac2. Since Neu5,9Ac2is an important component of human and animal gut mucus and since the nutrient availability in the large intestine is limited, we hypothesize that the presence of multiple Neu5,9Ac2esterases provides them a nutrient supply under certain conditions in the large intestine, even if particular prophages are lost.IMPORTANCEIn this study, a group of homologous prophage-bornenanS-p alleles and two of the corresponding enzymes of enterohemorrhagicE. coli(EHEC) O157:H7 strain EDL933 that may be important to provide alternative genes for substrate utilization were characterized.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayhan Ilbeigi ◽  
Mahdi Askari Badouei ◽  
Hossein Vaezi ◽  
Hassan Zaheri ◽  
Sina Aghasharif ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives The emergence of colistin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae from human and animal sources is one of the major public health concerns as colistin is the last-resort antibiotic for treating infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. We aimed to determine the prevalence of the prototype widespread colistin resistance genes (mcr-1 and mcr-2) among commensal and pathogenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from food-producing and companion animals in Iran. Results A total of 607 E. coli isolates which were previously collected from different animal sources between 2008 and 2016 used to uncover the possible presence of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance genes (mcr-1 and mcr-2) by PCR. Overall, our results could not confirm the presence of any mcr-1 or mcr-2 positive E. coli among the studied isolates. It is concluded that despite the important role of food-producing animals in transferring the antibiotic resistance, they were not the main source for carriage of mcr-1 and mcr-2 in Iran until 2016. This study suggests that the other mcr variants (mcr-3 to mcr-9) might be responsible for conferring colistin resistance in animal isolates in Iran. The possible linkage between pig farming industry and high level of mcr carriage in some countries needs to be clarified in future prospective studies.


1995 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
ERROL V. RAGHUBEER ◽  
JIM S. KE ◽  
MICHAEL L. CAMPBELL ◽  
RICHARD S. MEYER

Commercial mayonnaise and refrigerated ranch salad dressing were inoculated at two levels with two strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7, a non-pathogenic E. coli, and the non-fecal coliform Enterobacter aerogenes. Results showed that at the high inoculation level (>106 colony forming units [CFU]/g) in mayonnaise stored at room temperature (ca. 22°C) both strains of O157:H7 were undetected at 96 h. At the high inoculation level, all strains of coliform bacteria tested survived longer in salad dressing stored at 4°C than in mayonnaise stored at 22°C. The O157:H7 strains were still present at low levels after 17 days. The survival time in the low-level inoculum (104CFU/g) study decreased, but the survival pattern in the two products was similar to that observed in the high-level inoculum study. Slight differences in survival among strains were observed. The greater antimicrobial effect of mayonnaise may be attributable to differences in pH, water activity (aw), nutrients, storage temperature, and the presence of lysozyme in the whole eggs used in the production of commercial mayonnaise. Coliform bacteria survived longer in refrigerated salad dressing than in mayonnaise particularly at the high-level inoculum. Both mayonnaise (pH 3.91) and salad dressing (pH 4.51) did not support the growth of any of the microorganisms even though survival was observed.


1996 ◽  
Vol 40 (10) ◽  
pp. 2380-2386 ◽  
Author(s):  
M J Everett ◽  
Y F Jin ◽  
V Ricci ◽  
L J Piddock

Twenty-eight human isolates of Escherichia coli from Argentina and Spain and eight veterinary isolates received from the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Foods in the United Kingdom required 2 to > 128 micrograms of ciprofloxacin per ml for inhibition. Fragments of gyrA and parC encompassing the quinolone resistance-determining region were amplified by PCR, and the DNA sequences of the fragments were determined. All isolates contained a mutation in gyrA of a serine at position 83 (Ser83) to an Leu, and 26 isolates also contained a mutation of Asp87 to one of four amino acids: Asn (n = 14), Tyr (n = 6), Gly (n = 5), or His (n = 1). Twenty-four isolates contained a single mutation in parC, either a Ser80 to Ile (n = 17) or Arg (n = 2) or a Glu84 to Lys (n = 3). The role of a mutation in gyrB was investigated by introducing wild-type gyrB (pBP548) into all isolates; for three transformants MICs of ciprofloxacin were reduced; however, sequencing of PCR-derived fragments containing the gyrB quinolone resistance-determining region revealed no changes. The analogous region of parE was analyzed in 34 of 36 isolates by single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis and sequencing; however, no amino acid substitutions were discovered. The outer membrane protein and lipopolysaccharide profiles of all isolates were compared with those of reference strains, and the concentration of ciprofloxacin accumulated (with or without 100 microM carbony cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone [CCCP] was determined. Twenty-two isolates accumulated significantly lower concentrations of ciprofloxacin than the wild-type E. coli isolate; nine isolates accumulated less then half the concentration. The addition of CCCP increased the concentration of ciprofloxacin accumulated, and in all but one isolate the percent increase was greater than that in the control strains. The data indicate that high-level fluoroquinolone resistance in E. coli involves the acquisition of mutations at multiple loci.


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