Construction of a chimeric thermostable pyrophosphatase to facilitate its purification and immobilization by using the choline-binding tag

Appl Environ Microbiol. 2004 Aug;70(8):4642-7. doi: 10.1128/AEM.70.8.4642-4647.2004.

Abstract

The thermophilic inorganic pyrophosphatase (Pyr) from Thermus thermophilus has been produced in Escherichia coli fused to the C terminus of the choline-binding tag (ChB tag) derived from the choline-binding domain (ChBD) of pneumococcal LytA autolysin. The chimeric ChBD-Pyr protein retains its thermostable activity and can be purified in a single step by DEAE-cellulose affinity chromatography. Pyr can be further released from the ChBD by thrombin, using the specific protease recognition site incorporated in the C terminus of this tag. Remarkably, the ChB tag provides a selective and very strong thermostable noncovalent immobilization of ChBD-Pyr in the DEAE-cellulose matrix. The binding of choline or choline analogues, such as DEAE, confers a high thermal stability to this tag; therefore, the immobilized chimeric enzyme can be assayed at high temperature without protein leakage, demonstrating the usefulness of the ChB tag for noncovalent immobilization of thermophilic proteins. Moreover, ChBD-Pyr can be purified and immobilized in a single step on commercial DEAE-cellulose paper. The affinity of the ChB tag for this versatile solid support can be very helpful in developing many biotechnological applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Biotechnology / methods
  • Choline / metabolism*
  • Enzyme Stability
  • Enzymes, Immobilized*
  • Escherichia coli / enzymology
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Hot Temperature
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • N-Acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine Amidase / chemistry
  • Pyrophosphatases / genetics
  • Pyrophosphatases / isolation & purification
  • Pyrophosphatases / metabolism*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism*
  • Thermus / enzymology*

Substances

  • Enzymes, Immobilized
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • N-Acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine Amidase
  • Pyrophosphatases
  • Choline