title: Gene expression, purification and characterization of recombinant human neutrophil collagenase.
abstract: Human neutrophil collagenase (HNC) is a member of a family of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP). HNC is capable of cleaving all three alpha-chains of types I, II and III collagens. In rheumatoid and osteo-arthritis, MMP members have been implicated in the pathology associated with these diseases due to the accelerated breakdown of the extracellular matrix of articular cartilage. A cDNA coding for the HNC catalytic domain (lacking both the propeptide and C-terminal fragments) was sub-cloned into the pETlla prokaryotic expression vector. The cloned fragment encodes a protein that extends from amino acids (aa) Met100 through Gly262 of the full-length proenzyme, which as a result, would not require proteolytic or chemical activation. The HNC construct was expressed in Escherichia coli and recombinant mature, truncated neutrophil collagenase (re-mNC-t) was produced at high levels (approx. 30% of total bacterial protein). The re-mNC-t protein was extracted from inclusion bodies by solubilization in 6 M urea, followed by ion-exchange chromatography. The protein was refolded to an active conformation in the presence of Ca2+ and Zn2+. A final purification step on size-exclusion chromatography yielded 30 mg per liter of active re-mNC-t with minor autodegradative products. Alternatively, hydroxamate affinity chromatography was used to obtain pure, non-degraded re-mNC-t (20-25 mg per liter). The catalytic activity of re-mNC-t was abolished by known MMP inhibitors and the Ki measurement against actinonin was similar to that of HNC prepared from human blood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Sterling Winthrop Pharmaceuticals Research Division, Collegeville, PA 19426-0900.
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Qoronfleh
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Wahl
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Pulvino
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Vavra
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Falvo
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Brake
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Ciccarelli
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017364:Collagenases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006801:Humans; D020784:Matrix Metalloproteinase 8; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D017364:Collagenases; D020784:Matrix Metalloproteinase 8