title: Recombinant human acetylcholinesterase expressed in Escherichia coli: refolding, purification and characterization.
abstract: A large-scale preparation of a recombinant human acetylcholinesterase (rhAChE) mutant harbouring a CyS580-->Ser substitution, expressed in Escherichia coli, was refolded following solubilization of the inclusion bodies. Refolded active rhAChE was purified by DEAE-Sepharose and affinity chromatography to apparent homogeneity with a specific activity (4572 units/mg) similar to that of erythrocyte AChE. The stability of the purified enzyme at 22-37 degrees C was dependent on the presence of 0.5 mg/ml BSA, and the optimum pH for stability was 9.0. rhAChE has a UV-absorbance spectrum typical of a tryptophan-rich protein, with a distinct shoulder at 290 nm and a high absorption coefficient at 280 nm (epsilon 1% = 23.1). The tryptophan residues in active rhAChE are located in an apolar environment, characteristic of a globular molecule. The difference in amino acid composition between red-blood-cell-derived and recombinant hAChE is probably reflected in their different pI values, namely 5.5-5.8 and 4.6-5.2 respectively. The CD spectrum of rhAChE is typical for an alpha/beta protein, indicating 39% alpha-helix and 22% beta-sheet. This secondary structure is similar to that determined for the Torpedo (electric fish) AChE, by both CD and X-ray crystallography. On the other hand, a purified misfolded and inactive molecule displays a decrease in alpha-helical content to 24%, accompanied by an increase in beta-sheet up to 42%, indicative of extensive changes in the conformation of the protein. On the whole, the recombinant enzyme has been refolded into a native-like conformation possessing full activity, and is thus similar to the naturally occurring red-blood-cell-derived hAChE.
authors.affiliation: Bio-Technology General (Israel) Ltd., Kiryat Weizmann, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ittah
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gorecki
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Werber
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001709:Biotechnology; D004795:Enzyme Stability; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007526:Isoelectric Point; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010449:Peptide Mapping; D017354:Point Mutation; D017510:Protein Folding; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014101:Torpedo
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase