Modification of an expression vector for efficient recombinant production and purification of mitogillin of Aspergillus fumigatus expressed in Escherichia coli.

Ali Al-Sheikh, Suhail Ahmad, Zia U Khan

Index: Protein Expr. Purif. 76(1) , 90-6, (2011)

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Abstract

The diagnostic potential of secretory proteins of Aspergillus fumigatus is limited by their availability in pure form. We have constructed a vector (pGES-PH-1) to express genes encoding secretory proteins of A. fumigatus as fusion proteins with glutathione S-transferase (GST) in Escherichia coli. The mitogillin, a secretary protein of A. fumigatus, was expressed and purified to homogeneity by using pGES-PH-1. Mitogillin gene was PCR amplified from A. fumigatus DNA, cloned in pGES-PH-1 and expressed in E. coli as fusion protein with GST at N-terminal and 6xHis tag at C-terminal end. Pure mitogillin was obtained by purification on glutathione-Sepharose, cleavage of column-bound fusion protein by PreScission protease and by further purification on Ni-NTA-agarose. Polyclonal anti-mitogillin antibodies were raised in rabbits and were used to study its secretion during in vitro growth of A. fumigatus. The mitogillin was detectable in culture filtrate after 24 h of A. fumigatus growth and thereafter its amount increased progressively until 96 h in both, Sabouraud dextrose broth and potato dextrose broth. However, the secretion of mitogillin in culture medium was slightly delayed when A. fumigatus was grown in a minimal medium as mitogillin was detected only after 36 h of growth. Our results demonstrate the utility of the newly constructed expression vector with two affinity tags and PreScission protease cleavage site for high-level expression and efficient purification of a recombinant A. fumigatus secretory protein expressed in E. coli, which could be used for further studies.Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.