Leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2) is a zinc-binding multi-functional protein comprising three disulfide bonds, that is involved in multiple disorders of worldwide concern. Recently LECT2 was found to be involved in amyloidosis (ALECT2) and is believed to be the third most common form of systemic amyloidosis. The disease progression of ALECT2 is relatively slow, and the aggregation assembly is foremostly associated with the kidneys and the liver, but also other organs in the later onset of the disease. This study involved developing a protocol for producing His6-TEV-LECT2 including expression in E.coli BL21(DE3), refolding, and purification. The protocol resulted in a sufficient yield for initial measurements for characterization and biophysical analysis with the following methods: mass spectrometry (MS), sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), circular dichroism (CD), and fluorimetry. The produced protein was characterized as LECT2 predominantly in its oxidized form. A brief biophysical analysis was made where LECT2 started to unfold already at physiological temperature with a midpoint at 50°C. Additionally, under chemical denaturation LECT2 unfolded with a midpoint of 3 M urea in a cooperative transition without any intermediates. Further on, wavelengths for monitoring the unfolding and the aggregation simultaneously were identified. The unfolding process occurred under 20 sec in 6 M urea and correlates with a double-exponential model. The LECT2 aggregates resemble protofibril-like structures and aggregates species from monomer up to hexamer were found, suggesting simple monomeric addition towards a growing fibril as the aggregation mechanism. The content of aggregates in the sample was notably decreased upon disulfide bond reduction highlighting the importance of further investigating the role of the disulfide bonds in the destabilization and aggregate formation of LECT2.

The function of G protein-coupled receptors is intrinsically linked to their conformational dynamics. In conjugation with site-directed spin labeling, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy provides powerful tools to study the highly dynamic conformational states of these proteins. Here, we explored positions for nitroxide spin labeling coupled to single cysteines, introduced at transmembrane, intra- and extra-cellular sites of the human neuropeptide Y2 receptor. Receptor mutants were functionally analyzed in cell culture system, expressed in Escherichia coli fermentation with yields of up to 10 mg of purified protein per liter expression medium and functionally reconstituted into a lipid bicelle environment. Successful spin labeling was confirmed by a fluorescence assay and continuous wave EPR measurements. EPR spectra revealed mobile and immobile populations, indicating multiple dynamic conformational states of the receptor. We found that the singly mutated positions by MTSL ((1-oxyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrol-3-yl) methyl methanesulfonothioate) have a water exposed immobilized conformation as their main conformation, while in case of the IDSL (bis(1-oxyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3-imidazolin-4-yl) disulfide) labeled positions, the main conformation are mainly of hydrophobic nature. Further, double cysteine mutants were generated and examined for potential applications of distance measurements by double electron–electron resonance (DEER) pulsed EPR technique on the receptor.

Les anticorps catalytiques sont étudiés pour comprendre leur rôle en conditions physiopathologiques. Ils semblent aussi représenter des outils révolutionnaires pour des études à l'interface entre la chimie, la biochimie, la biologie et immunologie. Par conséquent, la connaissance des relations de structure- fonction représente un grand intérêt. Nous avons exploré deux systèmes d'expression pour la production d'un anticorps catalytique modèle présentant une activité bêta-lactamase. Le fragment scFv recombinant a été produit dans le système d'expression procaryote. Les scFv sont souvent décrits comme des protéines difficiles à produire. Une méthode efficace a été développée pour produire de grandes quantités de scFv solubles et correctement repliés. L'anticorps catalytique entier a aussi été produit en exploitant le système d'expression eucaryote. Des cellules de mammifères ont été utilisées car elles peuvent conserver le repliement original des protéines, leur assemblage et les modifications post-traductionnelles. La structure secondaire du scFv catalytique a été analysée par dichroïsme circulaire pour s’assurer que la renaturation du scFv est en accord avec le repliement des scFv natifs. La fonctionnalité du scFv catalytique et de l'anticorps catalytique entier a été validée par deux approches : (1) le développement d’un test immuno-enzymatique (ELISA) et la résonance plasmonique de surface (RPS) et (2) le développement d'un test catalytique sensible utilisant un substrat fluorogénique. Ce travail amène à considérer de potentielles applications biotechnologiques et thérapeutiques des anticorps catalytiques. / Catalytic antibodies are investigated in order to understand their role under physio-pathological situations. But they also appear to be revolutionary tools to perform studies at the interface between chemistry, biochemistry, biology and immunology. Consequently, the knowledge of structure–function relationships is of great interest. We explored two expression systems for the production of a model catalytic antibody displaying a beta-lactamase activity. The recombinant scFv fragment was produced in the prokaryotic expression system. scFv fragments are often described as proteins being laborious to produce. An efficient method was developed to produce large quantities of refolded soluble catalytic scFv. Whole catalytic antibody was also produced by exploiting eukaryotic expression system. Mammalian cells were used because they are able to retain the original protein folding, assembly and post-translational modifications. The secondary structure of the catalytic scFv has been analyzed by circular dichroism to ensure that the refolded scFv is consistent with a native scFv fold. The functionality of the catalytic scFv and whole catalytic antibody has been validated by two approaches: (1) development of enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) approaches for testing that the binding characteristics of an inhibitory peptide have been retained, and (2) proof of the subtle catalytic properties conservation through the development of a new sensitive catalytic assay using a fluorogenic substrate. This will lead to consider potential biotechnological and therapeutic applications of catalytic antibodies.

Os neutrófilos são glóbulos brancos do sangue e primeira linha de defesa contra as bactérias. A proliferação destas células é principalmente controlada pelo Fator Estimulador de Colônia de Granulócito (G-CSF). O G-CSF humano recombinante (rhG-CSF) é um medicamento amplamente utilizado para tratar a neutropenia, condição caracterizada pela contagem de neutrófilos abaixo de 1.500/mm3. O rhG-CSF já foi obtido no Centro de Biotecnologia do Instituto Butantan em E. coli como corpos de inclusão (CI), reportando-se instabilidade do plasmídeo e baixo rendimento. Neste trabalho, o plasmídeo pARKAN-I foi avaliado para produzir rhG-CSF em E. coli e viabilizar sua obtenção em biorreator. Esse vetor carrega a sequência pAR, inserida para aumentar sua estabilidade. E. coli BL21 (DE3) Star pLysS transformada com pARKAN-I/rhG-CSF foi cultivada em frascos agitados para avaliação da estabilidade do plasmídeo em meios complexos (2YT e de autoindução) e quimicamente definido (HDF). Avaliou-se a influência de indutores (IPTG e lactose), glicose e antibióticos sobre a estabilidade plasmidial. A fim de se obter material para purificação, foram realizados cultivos em biorreator com meio de autoindução sem antibióticos em modo batelada e HDF com antibióticos em modo batelada alimentada, a 30ºC, 30% de oxigênio e pH 6,8. As etapas de purificação incluíram: lise em homogeneizador contínuo de alta pressão, lavagens, solubilização e renaturação dos CI, e cromatografia de troca catiônica em SP-Sepharose. Avaliaram-se três métodos de renaturação: diafiltração, diálise e diluição. A estabilidade do plasmídeo foi avaliada pela percentagem de colônias obtidas em placas de LB-ágar com antibiótico em relação às colônias que cresceram nas placas de LB-ágar sem antibiótico. A identidade proteica foi determinada por SDS-PAGE e Western Blotting. A pureza relativa e a produção específica do rhG-CSF foram determinadas por densitometria das bandas da eletroforese. A quantificação proteica foi feita pelo método do ácido bicinconínico. Nos cultivos em frascos com meio 2YT sem glicose, o crescimento foi mais lento, porém a fase exponencial mais prolongada, alcançando concentração celular (Cx) mais elevada (2,56 g/L) do que as culturas com glicose (Cx1,35 g/L), que cresceram mais rápido e chegaram primeiro à fase estacionária. O cultivo com meio de autoindução proporcionou crescimento similar ao do meio 2YT sem glicose. Em meio HDF, os cultivos tiveram o crescimento mais lento e menor Cx (0,94 g/L). Os meios 2YT e de autoindução mostraram 100% de colônias resistentes à canamicina antes e após indução, exceto o 2YT sem antibiótico e sem glicose, com 97,5% e 94,1% após 6 e 8 h de indução, respectivamente, coincidindo com a maior produção de rhG-CSF. Em frascos, o meio HDF com antibiótico teve 93% de colônias resistentes antes da indução dos cultivos em frascos, diminuindo até 85% após 4 h de indução, com baixa produção do rhG-CSF, verificada apenas por Western Blotting. Os cultivos em biorreator mostraram baixa velocidade específica de crescimento (0,30 h-1), porém elevada Cx e produção de rhG-CSF, sendo superior no meio de autoindução, que também resultou mais barato do que o HDF. O método de diluição em tampão tris 20 mM pH 8,0 com EDTA 2 mM, Triton X-100 0,1% e glicerol 10% apresentou maior percentagem de renaturação. Foi estabelecido um processo de purificação que permitiu obter rhG-CSF com 87% de pureza, integridade estrutural e atividade biológica. O plasmídeo pARKAN-I, vetor sem restrições de propriedade intelectual e proteção de patente, mostrou alta estabilidade nos meios complexos avaliados, tanto em frasco como em biorreator, permitindo produzir rhG-CSF em larga escala sem adição de antibióticos ao meio de cultura, o que reduziu o custo do processo de obtenção. / Neutrophils are white blood cells and part of the first line of defense against bacteria. The proliferation of these cells is mainly controlled by the Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (GCSF). Recombinant human G-CSF (rhG-CSF) is widely used to treat neutropenia, condition characterized by a neutrophil count below 1,500/ mm3. The rhG-CSF was already obtained at the Biotechnology Center of the Butantan Institute in E. coli as inclusion bodies (IB), but plasmid instability and low yield were reported. In this work, the plasmid pARKAN-I was evaluated to produce rhG-CSF in E. coli and enable the bioreactor production. This vector carries a Par sequence, inserted to increase its stability. E. coli BL21 (DE3) Star pLysS transformed with pARKAN-I / rhG-CSF was grown in shaken flasks to evaluate the plasmid stability in complex (2YT and autoinduction) and chemically defined (HDF) media. Also, the influence of inducers (IPTG and lactose), the addition of glucose and the presence of antibiotics on the plasmid stability were evaluated. In order to obtain material for rhG-CSF purification, a batch culture with autoinduction medium without antibiotic and fed-batch culture HDF medium with antibiotic were performance in bioreactor at 30º C, 30% oxygen and pH 6.8. The purification steps included: lysis in high pressure continuous homogenizer, wash, solubiliztion and refolding of IB and cation exchange chromatography in SP-Sepharose. Three refolding methods were evaluated: diafiltration, dialysis and dilution. Plasmid stability was evaluated by the percentage of colonies on LB-agar plates with antibiotic in relation to the colonies that grew on LB-agar plates without antibiotics. Protein identity was determined by SDS-PAGE and Western Blotting. Relative purity and specific production of rhG-CSF were determined by densitometry of SDS-PAGE bands. Protein quantification was performed by the bicinchoninic acid method. In shaken flask cultures with 2YT medium without glucose, the growth was slower, but the exponential phase was longer, reaching higher cell concentration (Cx=2.56 g/L) than the cultures in 2YT medium with glucose (Cx≈1.35 g/L), which grew faster and reached the stationary phase earlier. Cultures with autoinduction medium provided similar growth to the 2YT medium without glucose. Cultures with HDF medium displayed slower growth and lower Cx (0.94 g/L). Shaken flask cultures with 2YT and autoinduction media showed 100% of kanamycin resistant colonies before and after induction, except for 2YT without antibiotic and without glucose, which presented 97.5% and 94.1% of kanamycin resistant colonies after 6 and 8 h of induction, respectively, despite being the medium with higher production of rhG-CSF. In flasks, HDF medium with antibiotic presented 93% of kanamycin resistant colonies before induction, decreasing to 85% after 4 h of induction, the rhGCSF production was very low, and could be verified only by Western Blotting. Bioreactor cultivations showed low specific growth rate (0.30 h-1), but high cell density and recombinant protein production. The rhG-CSF production was higher in autoinduction medium, which was cheaper than HDF. The dilution method using 20 mM tris buffer pH 8.0, 2 mM EDTA, 0.1% Triton X-100 and 10% glycerol showed the highest percentage of refolding. A purification process was established and allowed to obtain rhG-CSF with 87% purity, structural integrity and biological activity. The expression vector pARKAN-I, which is free of intellectual property and patent protection, showed high plasmid stability in the complex media evaluated in flask and bioreactor and allowed to produce rhG-CSF in large scale without addition of antibiotics to the culture medium, reducing the cost of the production process.

As principais matérias primas necessárias para a preparação de testes diagnósticos são as proteínas dos patógenos que necessariamente apresentem as estruturas nativas. O objetivo do presente estudo foi a obtenção das proteínas não estruturais 1 (NS1) dos vírus da dengue (DENV) e da zika (ZIKV) a partir dos corpúsculos de inclusão (CI) produzidos em bactérias Escherichia coli. Mostramos que a combinação de alta pressão hidrostática (APH) e pH alcalino é eficiente para a solubilização de NS1-CI. A incubação em 2,4 kbar das suspensões de NS1-CI em pH alcalino mostrou-se eficiente para a solubilização da NS1. A presença de Arg promove a dissociação de oligômeros. A aplicação de 2,4 kbar às suspensões de NS1-CI em pH de 10,5 (DENV) e de 11,5 (ZIKV) na presença de Arg e um par redox, seguida de diálise em tampão em pH 8,5, foram as condições escolhidas para o reenovelamento de NS1. Obtivemos ambas NS1 com rendimentos entre 75% e 90% em relação às quantidades totais das proteínas presente nos correspondentes CI de NS1. As NS1 reenoveladas apresentaram reatividade comparável às proteínas obtidas utilizando um protocolo convencional estabelecido, com rendimentos mais de 25 vezes superiores. Foi obtido um processo altamente eficiente para o reenovelamento de NS1 apresentando características biológicas preservadas em relação a reatividade com anticorpos específicos de antígeno, incluindo soro de paciente infectado com zikv e que, portanto, podem ser usados como antígeno para o desenvolvimento de vacinas ou testes de diagnóstico. Além disso, este estudo descreve a criação de um processo inovador, que é a utilização concomitante de APH e pH alcalino, para solubilização e posterior reenovelamento de NS1-CI que podem ser utilizados para outras proteínas relevantes. / The main products for the preparation of diagnostic tests are as proteins of the pathogens that necessarily present as the native structures. The objective of the present study was to obtain non-structural proteins 1 (NS1) from dengue virus (DENV) and zika virus (ZIKV) from the inclusion bodies (IBs) produced in Escherichia coli bacteria. We show that it is a combination of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and alkaline pH is efficient for a solubilization of NS1-IB. A 2.4 kbar incubation of NS1-IB suspensions at alkaline pH proved to be efficient for NS1 solubilization. The presence of Arg promotes the dissociation of oligomers. The application of 2.4 kbar to the suspensions of NS1-IB at pH 10.5 (DENV) and 11.5 (ZIKV) in the presence of Arg and a redox pair, dialysis in pH 8.5 buffer were as conditions chosen for the refolding of NS1. We obtained both NS1 at yields between 75% and 90% relative to the total amounts of the proteins present in the corresponding NS1 IB. Refolded NS1 showed similar to proteins obtained using an established standard protocol, with yields more than 25 times higher. A highly efficient process for the refolding of NS1 was obtained with preserved biological features regarding reactivity with antigen-specific antibodies, including sera of zikv-infected patients and that can be used as antigen for the development of vaccines or diagnostic tests. In addition, this study describes the creation of an innovative process, which is a concomitant use of HHP and alkaline pH, for solubilization and subsequent refolding of NS1-IB that can be used for other relevant proteins.

As principais matérias primas necessárias para a preparação de testes diagnósticos são as proteínas dos patógenos que necessariamente apresentem as estruturas nativas. O objetivo do presente estudo foi a obtenção das proteínas não estruturais 1 (NS1) dos vírus da dengue (DENV) e da zika (ZIKV) a partir dos corpúsculos de inclusão (CI) produzidos em bactérias Escherichia coli. Mostramos que a combinação de alta pressão hidrostática (APH) e pH alcalino é eficiente para a solubilização de NS1-CI. A incubação em 2,4 kbar das suspensões de NS1-CI em pH alcalino mostrou-se eficiente para a solubilização da NS1. A presença de Arg promove a dissociação de oligômeros. A aplicação de 2,4 kbar às suspensões de NS1-CI em pH de 10,5 (DENV) e de 11,5 (ZIKV) na presença de Arg e um par redox, seguida de diálise em tampão em pH 8,5, foram as condições escolhidas para o reenovelamento de NS1. Obtivemos ambas NS1 com rendimentos entre 75% e 90% em relação às quantidades totais das proteínas presente nos correspondentes CI de NS1. As NS1 reenoveladas apresentaram reatividade comparável às proteínas obtidas utilizando um protocolo convencional estabelecido, com rendimentos mais de 25 vezes superiores. Foi obtido um processo altamente eficiente para o reenovelamento de NS1 apresentando características biológicas preservadas em relação a reatividade com anticorpos específicos de antígeno, incluindo soro de paciente infectado com zikv e que, portanto, podem ser usados como antígeno para o desenvolvimento de vacinas ou testes de diagnóstico. Além disso, este estudo descreve a criação de um processo inovador, que é a utilização concomitante de APH e pH alcalino, para solubilização e posterior reenovelamento de NS1-CI que podem ser utilizados para outras proteínas relevantes. / The main products for the preparation of diagnostic tests are as proteins of the pathogens that necessarily present as the native structures. The objective of the present study was to obtain non-structural proteins 1 (NS1) from dengue virus (DENV) and zika virus (ZIKV) from the inclusion bodies (IBs) produced in Escherichia coli bacteria. We show that it is a combination of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and alkaline pH is efficient for a solubilization of NS1-IB. A 2.4 kbar incubation of NS1-IB suspensions at alkaline pH proved to be efficient for NS1 solubilization. The presence of Arg promotes the dissociation of oligomers. The application of 2.4 kbar to the suspensions of NS1-IB at pH 10.5 (DENV) and 11.5 (ZIKV) in the presence of Arg and a redox pair, dialysis in pH 8.5 buffer were as conditions chosen for the refolding of NS1. We obtained both NS1 at yields between 75% and 90% relative to the total amounts of the proteins present in the corresponding NS1 IB. Refolded NS1 showed similar to proteins obtained using an established standard protocol, with yields more than 25 times higher. A highly efficient process for the refolding of NS1 was obtained with preserved biological features regarding reactivity with antigen-specific antibodies, including sera of zikv-infected patients and that can be used as antigen for the development of vaccines or diagnostic tests. In addition, this study describes the creation of an innovative process, which is a concomitant use of HHP and alkaline pH, for solubilization and subsequent refolding of NS1-IB that can be used for other relevant proteins.

Le pronostic de certains cancers s’est considérablement amélioré avec l’arrivée sur le marché des anticorps thérapeutiques. Devant l’essor de ces nouveaux médicaments associé à l’identification de nouveaux biomarqueurs, de nouvelles perspectives émergent pour l’imagerie moléculaire in vivo. En effet, disposer de nouveaux traceurs moléculaires spécifiques de ces biomarqueurs permettra de caractériser l’hétérogénéité des cellules cancéreuses, de suivre l’expression de ces marqueurs au cours de l’évolution de la tumeur, mais également de suivre l’efficacité d’un traitement sur la régression tumorale du patient. Pour répondre à cette évolution de diagnostic moléculaire in vivo, il convient de développer de nouvelles sondes moléculaires. L'objectif de ma thèse répond à ce nouveau besoin avec l'ingénierie et le marquage d'un format d'anticorps recombinant adapté à l'imagerie in vivo : le diabody 12G4 dirigé contre le récepteur de l’hormone antimüllérienne (AMH), marqueur de certains cancers de la sphère génitale. / Prognosis of cancers dramatically improved with the development on the market of therapeutic antibodies. With the increase of these new biodrugs, associated with the identification of new biomarkers, new opportunities emerge for the in vivo molecular imaging.. Indeed, to use new molecular tracers specific of tumoral biomarkers will allow to study and characterize the cancer heterogeneity, to monitor the expression of these markers during the tumor evolution, but also to check the treatment effectiveness on patients’ tumoral regression. To answer this evolution of in vivo molecular diagnosis, it is favorable to develop new molecular probes. The aim of this thesis answers this new need with the engineering and labeling of a new recombinant antibody format suitable to in vivo imaging : the 12G4 diabody directed against the type II human receptor for the anti-Müllerian hormone, a biomarker of some cancers of the genital area.

HTML clipboard The great advances in DNA technology, e.g. sequencing and recombinant DNA techniques, have given us the genetic information and the tools needed to effectively produce recombinant proteins. Recombinant proteins are valuable means in biotechnological applications and are also emerging as alternatives in therapeutic applications. Traditionally, monoclonal antibodies have been the natural choice for biotechnological and therapeutic applications due to their ability to bind a huge range of different molecules and their natural good affinity. However, the large size of antibodies (150 kDa) limits tissue penetration and the recombinant expression is complicated. Therefore, alternative binders with smaller sizes have been derived from antibodies and alternative scaffolds. In this thesis, two structurally similar domains, Zbasic and ABDz1, have been used as purification tags in different contexts. They are both three-helical bundles and derived from bacterial surface domains, but share no sequence homology. Furthermore, by redesign of the scaffold used for ABDz1, a molecule intended for drug targeting with extended in-vivo half-life has been engineered. In Papers I and II, the poly-cationic tag Zbasic is explored and evaluated. Paper I describes the successful investigation of Zbasic as a purification handle under denaturating conditions. Moreover, Zbasic is evaluated as an interaction domain in matrixassisted refolding. Two different proteins were successfully refolded using the same setup without individual optimization. In Paper II, Zbasic is further explored as a purification handle under non-native conditions in a multi-parallel setup. In total, 22 proteins with varying characteristics are successfully purified using a multi-parallel protein purification protocol and a robotic system. Without modifications, the system can purify up to 60 proteins without manual handling. Paper I and II clearly demonstrate that Zbasic can be used as an interaction domain in matrix-assisted refolding and that it offers a good alternative to the commonly used His6-tag under denaturating conditions. In paper III, the small bifunctional ABDz1 is selected from a phage display library. Endowed with two different binding interfaces, ABDz1 is capable of binding both the HSA-sepharose and the protein A-derived MabSelect SuRe-matrix. The bifunctionality of the domain is exploited in an orthogonal affinity setup. Three target proteins are successfully purified using the HSA-matrix and the MabSelect SuRe-matrix. Furthermore, the purity of the target proteins is effectively improved by combining the two chromatographic steps. Thus, paper III shows that the small ABDz1 can be used as an effective purification handle and dual affinity tag without target specific optimization. Paper IV describes the selection and affinity maturation of small bispecific drug-targeting molecules. First generation binders against tumor necrosis factor-α are selected using phage display. Thereafter on-cell surface display and flow cytometry is used to select second-generation binders. The binding to tumor necrosis factor-α is improved up to 30 times as compared to the best first generation binder, and a 6-fold improvement of the binding strength was possible with retained HSA affinity. Paper III and IV clearly demonstrate that dual interaction surfaces can successfully be grafted on a small proteinaceous domain, and that the strategy in paper IV can be used for dual selection of bifunctional binders. / <p>QC20100610</p>

The successful genomic era has resulted in a great demand for efficient production and purification of proteins. The main objective of the work described in this thesis was to develop methods to facilitate recovery of target proteins after recombinant production in Escherichia coli. A positively charged purification tag, Zbasic, has previously been constructed by protein design of a compact three-helix bundle domain, Z. The charged domain was investigated for general use as a fusion partner. All target proteins investigated could be selectively captured by ion-exchange chromatography under conditions excluding adsorption of the majority of Escherichia coli host proteins. A single cation-exchange chromatography step at physiological pH was sufficient to provide Zbasic fusion proteins of high purity close to homogeneity. Moreover, efficient isolation directly from unclarified Escherichia coli homogenates could also be accomplished using an expanded bed mode. Since the intended use of a recombinant protein sometimes requires removal of the purification tag, a strategy for efficient release of the Zbasic moiety using an immobilised protease was developed. The protease columns were reusable without any measurable decrease in activity. Moreover, subsequent removal of the released tag, Zbasic, was effected by adsorption to a second cation-exchanger. Using a similar strategy, a purification tag with a negatively charged surface, denoted Zacid, was constructed and thoroughly characterised. Contrary to Zbasic, the negatively charged Zacid was highly unstructured in a low conductivity environment. Despite this, all Zacid fusion proteins investigated could be efficiently purified from whole cell lysates using anion-exchange chromatography Synthesis of polypeptides occurs readily in Escherichia coli providing large amounts of protein in cells of this type, albeit often one finds the recombinant proteins sequestered in inclusion bodies. Therefore, a high throughput method for screening of protein expression was developed. Levels of both soluble and precipitated protein could simultaneously be assessed in vivo by the use of a flow cytometer. The positively charged domain, Zbasic, was shown also to be selective under denaturing conditions, providing the possibility to purify proteins solubilised from inclusion bodies. Finally, a flexible process for solid-phase refolding was developed, using Zbasic as a reversible linker to the cation-exchanger resin. / QC 20101020

<p>The successful genomic era has resulted in a great demand for efficient production and purification of proteins. The main objective of the work described in this thesis was to develop methods to facilitate recovery of target proteins after recombinant production in Escherichia coli.</p><p>A positively charged purification tag, Z_basic, has previously been constructed by protein design of a compact three-helix bundle domain, Z. The charged domain was investigated for general use as a fusion partner. All target proteins investigated could be selectively captured by ion-exchange chromatography under conditions excluding adsorption of the majority of Escherichia coli host proteins. A single cation-exchange chromatography step at physiological pH was sufficient to provide Z_basic fusion proteins of high purity close to homogeneity. Moreover, efficient isolation directly from unclarified <i>Escherichia coli</i> homogenates could also be accomplished using an expanded bed mode. Since the intended use of a recombinant protein sometimes requires removal of the purification tag, a strategy for efficient release of the Z_basic moiety using an immobilised protease was developed. The protease columns were reusable without any measurable decrease in activity. Moreover, subsequent removal of the released tag, Z_basic, was effected by adsorption to a second cation-exchanger. </p><p>Using a similar strategy, a purification tag with a negatively charged surface, denoted Z_acid, was constructed and thoroughly characterised. Contrary to Z_basic, the negatively charged Z_acid was highly unstructured in a low conductivity environment. Despite this, all Z_acid fusion proteins investigated could be efficiently purified from whole cell lysates using anion-exchange chromatography</p><p>Synthesis of polypeptides occurs readily in Escherichia coli providing large amounts of protein in cells of this type, albeit often one finds the recombinant proteins sequestered in inclusion bodies. Therefore, a high throughput method for screening of protein expression was developed. Levels of both soluble and precipitated protein could simultaneously be assessed <i>in vivo</i> by the use of a flow cytometer. </p><p>The positively charged domain, Z_basic, was shown also to be selective under denaturing conditions, providing the possibility to purify proteins solubilised from inclusion bodies. Finally, a flexible process for solid-phase refolding was developed, using Z_basic as a reversible linker to the cation-exchanger resin.</p>