Cytoplasmic expression of a soluble synthetic mammalian metallothionein-alpha domain in Escherichia coli. Enhanced tolerance and accumulation of cadmium.
Bacteria are commonly used for bioremediation of heavy metal pollution and strategies to improve their performance in this respect are desirable. In this study, an Escherichia coli strain was engineered to express a common metallothionein-alpha domain. The metallothionein-alpha domain was over-expressed in the cytoplasm of E. coli as a fusion to the carboxyl terminal of maltose binding protein. The fusion protein was highly soluble in the cytoplasm of E. coli. When grown in the presence of cadmium, cells expressing the metallothionein-alpha fusion protein showed increased viability compared with control cells. Cells expressing the metallothionein-alpha also demonstrated increased accumulation of cadmium.
Department of Biology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK. YL4@le.ac.uk
Y
Y
Li
W
W
Cockburn
J
J
Kilpatrick
G C
GC
Whitelam
D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D015870:Gene Expression; D007700:Kinetics; D058619:Maltose-Binding Proteins; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins; D010957:Plasmids; D011485:Protein Binding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012995:Solubility
D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D058619:Maltose-Binding Proteins; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C461599:maltose transport system, E coli; D002104:Cadmium; D008668:Metallothionein