Name: directed protein packaging within outer membrane vesicles from escherichia coli: design, production and purification
Uploaded: 2016-11-16T12:30:00
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This research was funded by the Office of Naval Research through Core funds provided to the Naval Research Laboratory.

1. Preparation of Plasmids
<ol>
	<li>Prepare a plasmid (e.g., pET22) containing the anchor protein (OmpA) fused to a biorthogonal linkage domain (referred to in this protocol as anchor-ST), epitope tag (such as 6xHis, myc or FLAG tags for purification and identification), periplasmic localization tag, antibiotic resistance, and appropriate origin of replication based on the selected bacterial strain7.
	<ol>
		<li>Extract plasmid DNA from overnight cultures using a commercially available DNA isolatio...

<ol>
	<li>Avila-Calderon, E. D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Roles+of+bacterial+membrane+vesicles.">Roles of bacterial membrane vesicles.</a> Arch. Microbiol. 197, 1-10 (2015).</li><li>Kulp, A., Kuehn, M. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Biological+functions+and+biogenesis+of+secreted+bacterial+outer+membrane+vesicles.">Biological functions and biogenesis of secreted bacterial outer membrane vesicles.</a> Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 64, 163-184 (2010).</li><li>Beveridge, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Structures+of+Gram+negative+cell+walls+and+their+derived+membrane+vesicles.">Structures of Gram negative cell walls and their derived membrane vesicles.</a> J. Bacteriol. 181, 4725-4733 (1999).</li><li>Kulkarni, H. M., Jagannadham, M. V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Biogenesis+and+multifaceted+roles+of+outer+membrane+vesicles+from+Gram-negative+bacteria.">Biogenesis and multifaceted roles of outer membrane vesicles from Gram-negative bacteria.</a> Microbiology. 160, 2109-2121 (2014).</li><li>Ellis, T. N., Kuehn, M. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Virulence+and+immunomodulatory+roles+of+bacterial+outer+membrane+vesicles.">Virulence and immunomodulatory roles of bacterial outer membrane vesicles.</a> Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 74, 81-94 (2010).</li><li>Berleman, J., Auer, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+role+of+bacterial+outer+membrane+vesicles+for+intra-+and+interspecies+delivery.">The role of bacterial outer membrane vesicles for intra- and interspecies delivery.</a> Environ. Microbiol. 15, 347-354 (2013).</li><li>Alves, N. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Bacterial+nanobioreactors-directing+enzyme+packaging+into+bacterial+outer+membrane+vesicles.">Bacterial nanobioreactors-directing enzyme packaging into bacterial outer membrane vesicles.</a> ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. 7, 24963-24972 (2015).</li><li>Kim, J. Y., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Engineered+bacterial+outer+membrane+vesicles+with+enhanced+functionality.">Engineered bacterial outer membrane vesicles with enhanced functionality.</a> J. Mol. Biol. 380, 51-66 (2008).</li><li>Haurat, M. F., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Selective+sorting+of+cargo+proteins+into+bacterial+membrane+vesicles.">Selective sorting of cargo proteins into bacterial membrane vesicles.</a> J. Biol. Chem. 286, 1269-1276 (2011).</li><li>Kesty, N. C., Kuehn, M. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Incorporation+of+heterologous+outer+membrane+and+periplasmic+proteins+into+Escherichia+coli+outer+membrane+vesicles.">Incorporation of heterologous outer membrane and periplasmic proteins into Escherichia coli outer membrane vesicles.</a> J. Biol. Chem. 279, 2069-2076 (2003).</li><li>Zakeri, B., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Peptide+tag+forming+a+rapid+covalent+bond+to+a+protein,+through+engineering+a+bacterial+adhesion.">Peptide tag forming a rapid covalent bond to a protein, through engineering a bacterial adhesion.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 109, e690-e697 (2012).</li><li>Li, L., Fierer, J. O., Rapoport, T. A., Howarth, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Structural+analysis+and+optimization+of+the+covalent+association+between+SpyCatcher+and+a+peptide+tag.">Structural analysis and optimization of the covalent association between SpyCatcher and a peptide tag.</a> J. Mol. Biol. 426, 309-317 (2014).</li><li>Dumas, D. P., Durst, H. D., Landis, W. G., Raushel, F. M., Wild, J. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Inactivation+of+organophosphorus+nerve+agents+by+the+phophotriesterase+from+Pseudomonas-Diminuta.">Inactivation of organophosphorus nerve agents by the phophotriesterase from Pseudomonas-Diminuta.</a> Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 277, 155-159 (1990).</li><li>Bigley, A. N., Raushel, F. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Catalytic+mechanisms+for+phosphotriesterases.">Catalytic mechanisms for phosphotriesterases.</a> Biochimica et Biochim. Biophys. Acta, Proteins Proteomics. 1834, 443-453 (2013).</li><li>Minton, N. A., Murray, V. S. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+review+of+organo-phosphate+poisoning.">A review of organo-phosphate poisoning.</a> Med. Toxicol. Adverse Drug Exper. 3, 350-375 (1988).</li><li>Bigley, A. N., Xu, C., Henderson, T. J., Harvey, S. P., Raushel, F. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Enzymatic+neutralization+of+the+chemical+warfare+agent+VX:+Evolution+of+phosphotriesterase+for+phosphorothiolate+hydrolysis.">Enzymatic neutralization of the chemical warfare agent VX: Evolution of phosphotriesterase for phosphorothiolate hydrolysis.</a> J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135, 10426-10432 (2013).</li><li>Chatterjee, S. N., Chaudhuri, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gram-negative+bacteria:+the+cell+membranes.">Gram-negative bacteria: the cell membranes.</a> Outer Membrane Vesicles of Bacteria. SpringerBriefs in Microbiology. , 15-34 (2012).</li><li>Wang, Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+function+of+OmpA+in+Escherichia+coli.">The function of OmpA in Escherichia coli.</a> Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 292, 396-401 (2002).</li><li>Danoff, E. J., Fleming, K. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+soluble,+periplasmic+domain+of+OmpA+folds+as+an+independent+unit+and+displays+chaperone+activity+by+reducing+the+self-association+propensity+of+the+unfolded+OmpA+transmembrane+beta-barrel.">The soluble, periplasmic domain of OmpA folds as an independent unit and displays chaperone activity by reducing the self-association propensity of the unfolded OmpA transmembrane beta-barrel.</a> Biophys. Chem. 159, 194-204 (2011).</li><li>Alves, N. J., Kline, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Comparative+study+on+the+inhibition+of+plasmin+and+delta-plasmin+via+benzamidine+derivatives.">Comparative study on the inhibition of plasmin and delta-plasmin via benzamidine derivatives.</a> Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 457, 358-362 (2015).</li><li>Wang, W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Lyophilization+and+development+of+solid+protein+pharmaceuticals.">Lyophilization and development of solid protein pharmaceuticals.</a> Int. J. Pharm. 203, 1-60 (2000).</li><li>Goormaghtigh, E., Scarborough, G. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Density-based+separation+of+liposomes+by+glycerol+gradient+centrifugation.">Density-based separation of liposomes by glycerol gradient centrifugation.</a> Anal. Biochem. 159, 122-131 (1986).</li><li>Alves, N. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Functionalized+liposome+purification+via+Liposome+Extruder+Purification+(LEP).">Functionalized liposome purification via Liposome Extruder Purification (LEP).</a> Analyst. 138, 4746-4751 (2013).</li><li>Mayer, L. D., StOnge, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Determination+of+free+and+liposome-associated+doxorubicin+and+vincristine+levels+in+plasma+under+equilibrium+conditions+employing+ultrafiltration+techniques.">Determination of free and liposome-associated doxorubicin and vincristine levels in plasma under equilibrium conditions employing ultrafiltration techniques.</a> Anal. Biochem. 232, 149-157 (1995).</li><li>Blakeley, B. D., Chapman, A. M., McNaughton, B. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Split-superpositive+GFP+reassembly+is+a+fast,+efficient,+and+robust+method+for+detecting+protein-protein+interactions+in+vivo.">Split-superpositive GFP reassembly is a fast, efficient, and robust method for detecting protein-protein interactions in vivo.</a> Mol. BioSyst. 8 (2036), (2012).</li><li>De Crescenzo, G., Litowski, J. R., Hodges, R. S., O'Connor-McCourt, M. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Real-time+monitoring+of+the+interacation+of+two-stranded+de+novo+designed+coiled-coils:+effect+of+chain+length+on+the+kinetic+and+thermodynamic+constants+of+binding.">Real-time monitoring of the interacation of two-stranded de novo designed coiled-coils: effect of chain length on the kinetic and thermodynamic constants of binding.</a> Biochemistry. 42, 1754-1763 (2003).</li><li>Charalambous, A., Antoniades, I., Christodoulou, N., Skourides, P. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Split-Intein+for+simultaneous+site-specific+conjugation+of+quantum+dots+to+multiple+protein+targets+in+vivo.">Split-Intein for simultaneous site-specific conjugation of quantum dots to multiple protein targets in vivo.</a> J. Nanobiotechnol. 9, 1-14 (2011).</li><li>Lee, E. Y., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Global+proteomic+profiling+of+native+outer+membrane+vesicles+derived+fromEscherichia+coli.">Global proteomic profiling of native outer membrane vesicles derived fromEscherichia coli.</a> Proteomics. 7, 3143-3153 (2007).</li><li>Alves, N. J., Turner, K. B., Medintz, I. L., Walper, S. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Protecting+enzymatic+function+through+directed+packaging+into+bacterial+outer+membrane+vesicles.">Protecting enzymatic function through directed packaging into bacterial outer membrane vesicles.</a> Sci. Rep. 6, 24866 (2016).</li><li>Alves, N. J., Turner, K. B., Medintz, I. L., Walper, S. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Emerging+therapeutic+delivery+capabilities+and+challenges+utilizing+enzyme/protein+packaged+bacterial+vesicles.">Emerging therapeutic delivery capabilities and challenges utilizing enzyme/protein packaged bacterial vesicles.</a> Ther. Delivery. 6, 873-887 (2015).</li></ol>

This protocol functions to demonstrate a representative directed packaging technique in which an enzyme of interest is produced and packaged into OMV by E. coli. As with many complex techniques there are multiple areas in which the protocol can be modified to accommodate for use in different unique applications, some of which are detailed below. While the mechanism of OMV packaging and enzyme encapsulation can be adapted to specific needs there are several steps within this protocol which are critical to its suc...

Presented here is a method for the design, production, and purification of enzyme-loaded bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMV). OMV are small, primarily unilamellar, proteoliposomes that range in size from 30-200 nm1,2. All Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria that have been studied to date have demonstrated release of either OMV or extracellular vesicles (EV) from their surface3,4. The precise mechanism by which OMV are produced have yet to be fully elucidated due to the diverse bacterial populations that secrete them as well as the varying functions that they serve. OMV have been shown to transport a wide range of cargo from small molecules, peptides, and proteins to genetic material serving a variety of complex signaling, gene translocation, and virulence functions5,6.
The exact mechanisms of OMV biogenesis are not well characterized, and appear to differ between bacterial species. Despite this fact, we have developed a method for enhancing the packaging efficiency of a recombinant protein into OMV by creating a synthetic linkage between a protein of interest and a highly abundant protein endogenous to the bacterial outer membrane and subsequent OMV. In the absence of a synthetic linkage, or artificially incorporated affinity, between the recombinantly expressed protein and the OMV the observed packaging efficiency is very low7. This result is to be expected as incorporation of the proteins within the OMV either occurs through random chance encapsulation at the precise moment of OMV formation at the bacterial surface or through directed packaging by mechanisms that are not well understood. Some success has been observed in packaging proteins simply through over expression within the periplasmic space which relies on random chance encapsulation but effective packaging is highly protein dependent with some proteins packaging at high efficiency compared to others that do not package at all8-10. By utilizing common synthetic biology techniques we sought to engineer Escherichia coli (E. coli) to simultaneously produce, package and secrete an active enzyme of interest into OMV that circumvents current knowledge limitations regarding how OMV are formed and how cargo is selected by the bacteria for packaging.
For the purposes of this application a split protein bioconjugation system was selected as the synthetic linkage of choice to facilitate directional packaging into the OMV. As the name suggests a split protein bioconjugation system is comprised of two complementary subunit domains that interact with one another. The split protein domains selected for the purposes of this protocol are referred to as the SpyCatcher (SC) and SpyTag (ST) domain and are derived from the Streptococcus pyogenes fibronectin-binding protein (FbaB)11. This split protein system is unusual in that when the two subunits are within proximity an isopeptide bond spontaneously forms between the proximal aspartic acid and lysine amino acid residues creating a covalent linkage. Isopeptide bond formation does not require the addition of chaperone proteins, catalytic enzymes, or cofactors and can readily occur at room temperature (RT) and over a wide range of physiologically relevant conditions12.
As a proof of concept, phosphotriesterase (PTE) (EC 3.1.8.1) from Brevundimonas diminuta was selected to be packaged into E. coli derived OMV13. PTE contains a binuclear Zn/Zn active site and has the ability to break down organophosphates through a hydrolysis reaction converting aryldialkylphosphates into dialkylphosphates and aryl alcohols14. Exposure to organophosphates impairs proper neurotransmitter function through inhibiting the hydrolysis of acetylcholine by acetylcholinesterase at neuromuscular junctions making organophosphate derived compounds extremely dangerous15. Prolonged or significant exposure to organophosphates commonly results in uncontrollable convulsions and typically causes death via asphyxiation. While PTE exhibits the highest catalytic activity toward paraoxon, a very potent insecticide, it is also capable of hydrolyzing a broad range of other pesticides and V/G type chemical nerve agents16. To facilitate OMV packaging, a bacterial plasmid was designed that encodes a gene construct that contains an inducible promoter, a periplasmic localization sequence, and a short multiple cloning site upstream of the SC gene sequence. Insertion of the PTE gene between the leader and SC sequence allowed for creation of a genetic switch that targets the PTE-SC fusion protein to the periplasmic space for OMV packaging. While the efforts described here focus on PTE, the enzyme gene is interchangeable and could readily be replaced with another gene sequence to facilitate packaging of an alternate enzyme or protein.
As the second part of the synthetic linkage, an abundant outer membrane protein (OmpA) is chosen to present the ST peptide sequence. While the choice of anchor protein can vary, it is essential that the protein has a permissive domain that presents within the periplasmic space, tolerates the fusion construct without inducing cytotoxicity, is known to be present in OMV, and does not aggregate when it is recombinantly produced. OmpA is a 37.2 kDa transmembrane porin protein that is known to be highly expressed in the bacterial outer membrane and subsequent OMV17. It is implicated in the transport of small molecules, &#60;2 nm in size, across the bacterial membrane18. Native OmpA has two structurally unique domains, a transmembrane beta barrel motif and a periplasmically soluble C-terminal portion known to interact with the peptidoglycan19. In the mutant OmpA-ST fusion designed here the C-terminal portion of OmpA was deleted and the ST was fused to the periplasmically facing N- or C-termini. Deleting the periplasmic portion of OmpA decreases the number of interactions between the outer membrane and the peptidoglycan resulting in membrane destabilization leading to hyper-vesiculation7. Genomic OmpA was maintained in addition to the recombinantly expressed OmpA-ST construct to mitigate gross membrane destabilization.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="617">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:155px;">IPTG</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">Any</td>
			<td style="width:96px;"></td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Always prepare fresh or aliquot and freeze.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:155px;">L-arabinose</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">Any</td>
			<td style="width:96px;"></td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Can be prepared ahead of time and stored at 4C.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:155px;">Ampicillin</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">Any</td>
			<td style="width:96px;"></td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Add immediately prior to use after media cools sufficiently from being autoclaved.&#160;&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:155px;">Chloramphenicol&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">Any</td>
			<td style="width:96px;"></td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Add immediately prior to use after media cools sufficiently from being autoclaved.&#160;&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:155px;">TB/LB Culture Media</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">Any</td>
			<td style="width:96px;"></td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Other growth medias will likely work similarly.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:155px;">Triton X-100</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">Any</td>
			<td style="width:96px;"></td>
			<td style="width:273px;">One of many potential suitable surfactants.&#160;&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:155px;">Baffled culture flasks</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">Any</td>
			<td style="width:96px;"></td>
			<td style="width:273px;">The baffles promote higher levels of aeration.&#160;&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:155px;">CHES</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">Fisher Bioreagents</td>
			<td style="width:96px;">BP318-100</td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Optimal buffer used for paraoxon degredation (pH &#62; 8).</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:155px;">Paraoxon</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">Chem Service</td>
			<td style="width:96px;">N-12816</td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Very toxic substance to be handled carefully and disposed of properly.&#160;&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:155px;">Syringe Filter 0.45 &#181;m</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:96px;">60183-221&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; (30 mm)</td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Filter diameter will depend on volume of sample.&#160; Low protein binding membrane is critical.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:155px;">Shaker incubator</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">New Brunswick</td>
			<td style="width:96px;">Excella E24</td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Precise temperature and mixing is essential for reproducable bacterial growth.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:155px;">Sorvall Culture Centrifuge</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:96px;">RC 5B PLUS</td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Large volume (500 mL) culture centrifuge capable of 7,000 x g.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:155px;">Sorvall Ultracentrifuge&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:96px;">WX Ultra 90</td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Capable of centrifugal forces &#8805;150,000 x g.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:155px;">Ultracentrifuge Rotor</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:96px;">AH-629</td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Ensure the proper rotor and tubes are used and that everything is properly balanced.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:155px;">Ultra-Clear Ultracentrifuge Tubes&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; (25 x 89 mm)</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">Beckman Coulter</td>
			<td style="width:96px;">344058</td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Ensure no stress fractures are present prior to use and that tubes are presicely balanced.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:155px;">Spectrophotometer&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">Tecan</td>
			<td style="width:96px;">Infinite M1000</td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Necessary for enzyme kinetic assays.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:155px;">DLS / particle tracking</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">NanoSight&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:96px;">LM10</td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Necessary for OMV size distribution and concentration determination.&#160;&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:155px;">BL21(DE3)</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">NEB</td>
			<td style="width:96px;"></td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Suitable bacterial expression strain.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:155px;">pET22</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">EMD Millipore</td>
			<td style="width:96px;">69744-3</td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Other plasmids can be used in place of these.&#160;&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:155px;">pACYC184</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">NEB</td>
			<td style="width:96px;"></td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Other plasmids can be used in place of these.&#160;&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:155px;">Gel Extraction Kit</td>
			<td style="width:93px;">Qiagen</td>
			<td style="width:96px;">28704</td>
			<td style="width:273px;">Example kit.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

directed protein packaging within outer membrane vesicles from escherichia coli: design, production and purification

An increasing interest in applying synthetic biology techniques to program outer membrane vesicles (OMV) are leading to some very interesting and unique applications for OMV where traditional nanoparticles are proving too difficult to synthesize. To date, all Gram-negative bacteria have been shown to produce OMV demonstrating packaging of a variety of cargo that includes small molecules, peptides, proteins and genetic material. Based on their diverse cargo, OMV are implicated in many biological processes ranging from cell-cell communication to gene transfer and delivery of virulence factors depending upon which bacteria are producing the OMV. Only recently have bacterial OMV become accessible for use across a wide range of applications through the development of techniques to control and direct packaging of recombinant proteins into OMV. This protocol describes a method for the production, purification, and use of enzyme packaged OMV providing for improved overall production of recombinant enzyme, increased vesiculation, and enhanced enzyme stability. Successful utilization of this protocol will result in the creation of a bacterial strain that simultaneously produces a recombinant protein and directs it for OMV encapsulation through creating a synthetic linkage between the recombinant protein and an outer membrane anchor protein. This protocol also details methods for isolating OMV from bacterial cultures as well as proper handling techniques and things to consider when adapting this protocol for use for other unique applications such as: pharmaceutical drug delivery, medical diagnostics, and environmental remediation.

Simultaneous expression of two recombinant proteins, as is required for the OMV packaging strategy detailed in this protocol, can be accomplished through a number of different avenues. Here, a two vector system was utilized with compatible origins of replication and separate inducible gene cassettes. For the expression of the PTE-SC construct a commercial plasmid backbone (pACY184) was engineered to include an arabinose inducible gene cassette and a twin arginine periplasmic localization ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Directed Protein Packaging within Outer Membrane Vesicles from Escherichia coli: Design, Production and Purification at JoVE.com

Directed Protein Packaging within Outer Membrane Vesicles from Escherichia coli: Design, Production and Purification

A protocol for the production, purification, and use of enzyme packaged outer membrane vesicles (OMV) providing for enhanced enzyme stability for implementation across diverse applications is presented.

Directed Protein Packaging within Outer Membrane Vesicles from Escherichia coli: Design, Production and Purification

An increasing interest in applying synthetic biology techniques to program outer membrane vesicles (OMV) are leading to some very interesting and unique ...

The overall goal of this procedure is to purify and to characterize enzyme-filled bacterial outer membrane vesicles for use as in vitro catalytic reagents. This enzyme isolation technique allows bacterial OMVs to be harvested from culture media and then employed to conduct cell-free catalysis of an organophosphate compound. Directed packaging within bacterial OMVs significantly improves enzyme stability over a range of reaction and storage conditions unlike traditional techniques that often result in a gradual and continuous loss of enzyme activity.The implications of this technique extend toward the packaging of proteins with relevance in multiple fields, such as the development of therapeutics, remediation, or the development of cell-free catalytic systems. While this protocol details purification of OMVs from E.coli, the techniques with modification to the packaging strategy could readily be used for OMV purification from a variety of microbial cell cultures. After generating outer membrane vesicles or OMVs in bacteria according to the text protocol, centrifuge the intact bacterial culture medium at 7, 000 times G and four degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.Remove and save the supernatant, taking care not to disturb the cell pellet. Then, put the supernatant through a second spin to ensure that all bacteria are removed from the medium. To remove protein aggregates and large cellular material from the saved culture medium, draw the solution into a sterile 10 to 50 milliliter syringe.Attach a 0.45 micron filter to lure the end of the syringe. Then depress the plunger and collect the flow-through in a new tube. Alternatively, vacuum-filter the culture medium by transferring it to a sterile filtration apparatus.Attach the unit to a vacuum pump or sink aspirator to generate suction. Transfer the filtered medium to a new vessel. To isolate the OMVs, transfer the filtered culture medium into ultracentrifugation tubes.Spin the medium at approximately 150, 000 times G and four degrees Celsius for three hours using a rotor that corresponds to the tubes being utilized. Immediately following ultracentrifugation to avoid loss of pellet mass, decant the OMV-depleted culture medium from the slightly brown OMV pellet which may or may not be visible by eye. The OMV pellet formed post ultracentrifugation may only be loosely adhered to the centrifugation vesicle.Care should be taken when decanting to ensure the pellet is not dislodged and lost. Save the supernatant for later dynamic light scattering to verify that the OMV particles were fully depleted from the medium. Add 0.5 to one milliliter of sterile filtered PBS, PH 7.4 or other filtered buffer as determined by experimental needs or conditions, to the pellet and allow it to incubate at room temperature for 30 minutes.Then carefully pipette the purified OMV solution mixing gently to ensure the entire pellet has been solubilized. To determine the OMV size distribution, open the DLS nano-particle tracking software for the instrument being used. Turn on the microscope and clean all the surfaces on the microscope and nano-particle tracking unit.Using a one milliliter sterile syringe, add approximately 0.5 milliliters of OMV sample directly to the viewing window of the particle tracking device through the lower fitting, taking care to cover the entire viewing window without injecting any air bubbles into the system. Place the nano-particle tracking unit on the microscope stage and turn on the laser. Then click Capture in the software.Adjust the microscope focus and stage to visualize the particles on the preview screen present in the software window. Adjust the camera shutter and camera gain until bright particles are clearly visualized on a dark background. Adjust the capture duration to 60 seconds, then click Record.When prompted, input the sample device temperature, label the sample, and save the video data at the completion of each run into a user-designated folder. Keep all analysis parameters on auto-detect mode and click Process Sequence. Record particle size distribution and concentration as particles per milliliter as determined by the software.To determine OMV protein content, use SDS-PAGE and Western Blots to asses OMV purity enzyme production and SpyCatcher or SC to SpyTag or ST cross-link efficiency. It is imperative to confirm the expression of the target enzymes and anchor protein. Expression of recombinant proteins can often be unsuccessful for a variety of reasons and successful protein production should be confirmed before OMV characterization.To carry out a phosphotriesterase or PTE activity assay, add five microliters of a one to 1, 000 dilution of paraoxon in CHES buffer to five microliters of purified OMVs in 90 microliters of CHES. Take absorbance readings at 405 nanometers and 348 nanometers every 20 seconds for approximately two hours of total reaction time to monitor the progression of the chromogenic paraoxon breakdown product p-nitrophenol. Finally, carry out data analysis according to the text protocol.Shown here are examples of the morphology of purified OMVs from E.coli via SEM. OMVs range in size from 50 to 250 nanometers as determined using particle tracking instrumentation. In this graph, the absolute OMV concentration is shown.When N terminal OMP-A-ST was co-transformed with PTE-SC in the presence of arabinose and IPTG, a significant increase in OMV production was observed compared to the control samples. The SDS-PAGE and Western Blots seen here further characterize the OMV protein content and recombinant protein expression for OMP-A-ST, native OMP-A, PTE-SC, and OMP-A-ST-PTE-SC. In this figure, overall PTE expression levels and OMV packaging efficiency in the cell pellets, UC supernatant, and purified UC OMV pellets were determined by initial velocity measurements using paraoxon as a chromogenic substrate.Here, Triton X-100 was used to verify translocation of paraoxon across intact OMV bilayers. There was little activity difference with or without detergent, indicating that paraoxon passes freely through endogenous pores on the OMV. Finally, as seen in this experiment, PTE-SC kinetic data is fit to a standard Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics equation for N terminal OMP-A-ST co-transformed with PTE-SC in the presence of a arabinose and IPTG and PTE-SC in the presence of arabinose activation.Once all genetic constructs have been made and confirmed, the enzyme packaging and OMV purification can be accomplished over a two day period. A third day is necessary to confirm and characterize OMVs whenever a new construct is developed. While attempting this procedure, it is important to remember to verify safety ratings of all materials and centrifugation equipment.Additionally, it is important to verify the success of each step before proceeding to the next. The characterization steps described here can be supplemented with others to confirm enzyme packaging and OMV morphology. Protein concentration, lipid content, LPS concentration, and many other properties can vary with different payloads and adduction conditions and may influence downstream applications.After watching this video, you should have a good understanding of how to purify and characterize enzyme-filled OMVs as well as conduct preliminary assays to assess the activity of the enzyme cargo. Don't forget that working with bacteria and chemical reagents can be extremely hazardous and precautions such as proper aseptic technique and personal protective equipment should always be used while performing this procedure.

Research

JoVE Journal

Biochemistry

Isolation of Cognate RNA-protein Complexes from Cells Using Oligonucleotide-directed Elution

Ribonucleoprotein particles direct the biogenesis and post-transcriptional regulation of all mRNAs through distinct combinations of RNA binding proteins. ...

Using Scaffold Liposomes to Reconstitute Lipid-proximal Protein-protein Interactions In Vitro

Using Scaffold Liposomes to Reconstitute Lipid-proximal Protein-protein Interactions In Vitro

Studies of integral membrane proteins in vitro are frequently complicated by the presence of a hydrophobic transmembrane domain. Further complicating ...

Quantification of the Abundance and Charging Levels of Transfer RNAs in Escherichia coli

Quantification of the Abundance and Charging Levels of Transfer RNAs in Escherichia coli

Transfer RNA (tRNA) is an essential part of the translational machinery in any organism. tRNAs bind and transfer amino acids to the translating ribosome. ...

Large-scale Production of Recombinant RNAs on a Circular Scaffold Using a Viroid-derived System in Escherichia coli

Large-scale Production of Recombinant RNAs on a Circular Scaffold Using a Viroid-derived System in Escherichia coli

With increasing interest in RNA biology and the use of RNA molecules in sophisticated biotechnological applications, the methods to produce large amounts ...

A Fluorescence Fluctuation Spectroscopy Assay of Protein-Protein Interactions at Cell-Cell Contacts

A variety of biological processes involves cell-cell interactions, typically mediated by proteins that interact at the interface between neighboring ...

Site-Directed Mutagenesis for In Vitro and In Vivo Experiments Exemplified with RNA Interactions in Escherichia Coli

Site-Directed Mutagenesis for In Vitro and In Vivo Experiments Exemplified with RNA Interactions in Escherichia Coli

Site-directed mutagenesis is a technique used to introduce specific mutations in DNA to investigate the interaction between small non-coding ribonucleic ...

Characterization of Membrane Transporters by Heterologous Expression in E. coli and Production of Membrane Vesicles

Characterization of Membrane Transporters by Heterologous Expression in E. coli and Production of Membrane Vesicles

Several methods have been developed to functionally characterize novel membrane transporters. Polyamines are ubiquitous in all organisms, but polyamine ...

Creating Highly Specific Chemically Induced Protein Dimerization Systems by Stepwise Phage Selection of a Combinatorial Single-Domain Antibody Library

Protein dimerization events that occur only in the presence of a small-molecule ligand enable the development of small-molecule biosensors for the ...

Mechanical Separation and Protein Solubilization of the Outer and Inner Perivitelline Sublayers from Hen's Eggs

The perivitelline layer that surrounds the egg yolk plays a fundamental role in fertilization, in egg defense, and in the development of the avian embryo. ...