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KMID : 0613820180280121416
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Journal of Life Science
2018 Volume.28 No. 12 p.1416 ~ p.1423
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Functional Expression of an Anti-GFP Camel Heavy Chain Antibody Fused to Streptavidin
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Han Seung-Hee
Kim Jin-Kyoo
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Abstract
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With strong biotin binding affinity (KD = 10-14 M), the tetrameric feature of streptavidin could be used to increase the antigen binding activity of a camel heavy chain (VHH) antibody through their fusion, here stained with biotinylated horseradish peroxidase and subsequent immunoassays ELISA and Western blot analysis. For this application, we cloned the streptavidin gene amplified from the Streptomyces avidinii chromosome by PCR, and this was fused to the gene of the 8B9 VHH antibody which is specific to green fluorescent protein (GFP) antigens. To express a soluble fusion protein in Escherichia coli, we used the pUC119 plasmid-based expression system which uses the lacZ promoter for induction by IPTG, the pelB leader sequence at the N-terminus for secretion into the periplasmic space, and six polyhistidine tags at the C-terminus for purification of the expressed proteins using an Ni+-NTA-agarose column. Although streptavidin is toxic to E. coli because of its strong biotin binding property, this soluble fusion protein was expressed successfully. In SDS-PAGE, the size of the purified fusion protein was 122.4 kDa in its native condition and 30.6 kDa once denatured by boiling, suggesting the tetramerization of the monomeric subunit by non-covalent association through the streptavidin moiety fusing to the 8B9 VHH antibody. In addition, this fusion protein showed biotin binding activity similar to streptavidin as well as GFP antigen binding activity through both ELISA and Western blot analysis. In conclusion, the protein resulting from the fusion of an 8B9 VHH antibody with streptavidin was successfully expressed and purified as a soluble tetramer in E. coli; it showed both biotin and GFP antigen binding activity suggesting the possible production of a tetrameric and bifunctional VHH antibody.
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KEYWORD
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Camel heavy chain antibody (VHH), fusion protein, green fluorescent protein (GFP), streptavidin, tetramerization
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