We thank Oliver Br&uuml;stle and all members of the Stem Cell Engineering Group, University of Bonn, for support and valuable discussions. We thank Sabine Schenk for preparation of the SDS-PAGE and enduring support throughout the project. Nicole Russ and Anna Magerhans provided excellent technical support. Furthermore, we would like to thank Andreas B&auml;r and Sheila Mertens for the production of the movie. This work was supported by grants from the Volkswagen Foundation (Az I/77864) and the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, 01 GN 0813).

Construction of expression vector and expression:
The pSESAME-Cre expression vector was constructed by inserting a Cre-encoding fragment into pSESAME via AvrII and NheI restriction sites using standard cloning methods. pSESAME encodes a fusion protein consisting of a histidine-tag, TAT-domain, NLS sequence and Cre, abbreviated HTNCre. For expression of HTNCre the pSESAME-Cre was transformed into TUNER (DE3) pLacI and used to prepare a glycerol stock.
<ol>
 <li>An over-night culture was inoculated using a pipet tip coated with transformed bacteria from the glycerol stock. The over-night culture consisted of LB media supplemented with 0.5% glucose [v/v] and carbenicillin at a final concentration of 50 &mu;g/mL and was allowed to grow at 37&deg;C for 16 hours.</li>
 <li>Next day the densely grown over-night culture was used to inoculate the expression culture at a ratio of 1 to 40 and was put in an incubator at 37&deg;C. Expression culture consisted of TB media supplemented with 0.5% glucose [v/v] and ampicillin at a final concentration of 100 &mu;g/mL.</li>
 <li>At an OD595 of 1.5 the expression culture was induced with 0.5 mM IPTG for 1 h.</li>
 <li>Subsequently bacteria were collected by centrifugation at 5000 rpm for 10 minutes in a SLA3000 rotor.</li>
 <li>Bacteria pellets were stored at minus 20&deg;C until purification.</li>
</ol>
Purification of cell-permeable protein:
<ol>
 <li>Frozen bacteria pellets were resuspended in 10 mL lysis buffer per liter flask culture for 15 minutes at room temperature.</li>
 <li>Suspension was then incubated with 1 mg/mL lysozyme for additional 15 minutes while mixing at room temperature.</li>
 <li>25 U/mL benzonase was added afterwards and incubated while mixing for 15 minutes at room temperature.</li>
 <li>After sonification on ice for 1.5 min with 0.5 s pulses at 45% of the power, 1 mL cold tartaric salt buffer (TSB) per mL suspension was carefully added while mixing and incubated for 5 min on ice. SDS-PAGE sample of lysate fraction (L) was taken.</li>
 <li>Cleared lysate was obtained by centrifugation at 4&deg;C for 30 min at 30,000g. SDS-PAGE samples of soluble (S) and insoluble fractions (I) were taken.</li>
 <li>The supernatant was transferred into fresh 50 mL falcon tubes and was then gently mixed for 1 h at 4&deg;C with 2 mL of 50% Ni-NTA slurry per liter of initial expression culture.</li>
 <li>The suspension was packed into a gravity flow EconoPac column (SDS-PAGE sample of flow-through fraction (FT) was taken) and washed twice with 5 bed-volumes of washing buffer. SDS-PAGE samples of both washing fractions (W1 &amp; W2) were collected.</li>
 <li>HTNCre-containing fractions were eluted with 3 bed-volumes of elution buffer and sample of eluate fraction (E) for SDS-PAGE analysis was taken.</li>
 <li>Imidazole was removed by dialyzing elution fraction against high salt buffer twice.</li>
 <li>The protein solution was further concentrated by dialyzing against glycerol buffer twice. In all dialysis steps the ratio of buffer to sample was at least 50. This procedure resulted in a glycerol stock solution containing HTNCre at a usual concentration between 200 and 450 &mu;M, i.e. 1 liter of expression culture will result in ~12 mg of protein. Sample of glycerol stock (GS) for SDS-PAGE analysis was collected. HTNCre stock solution can be stored at minus 20&deg;C.</li>
</ol>
<img border="0" src="/files/ftp_upload/1627/1627fig1tmb.jpg" alt="Figure 1" /> Figure 1: SDS-PAGE analysis of the samples collected during the purification process of Cre recombinase. Induction of Cre expression is indicated by dominant band in lysate fraction. Although a part of the protein is insoluble the Cre protein can be further enriched as seen in eluate and glycerol stock fractions. L: Lysate, I: Insoluble, S: Supernatant, FT: Flow-through, W: Washing, E: Eluate, GS: Gylcerol Stock. Please <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/1627/1627fig1.jpg">click here</a> to see a larger version of figure 1.
Protein transduction into murine embryonic stem (ES) cells:
<ol>
 <li>ES cells carrying a conditional &beta;-Galactosidase reporter5 construct were seeded as single cells using TrypLE&trade; Express for dissociation of adherent cells. After 4 to 6 hours the cells had re-attached and the medium was removed.</li>
 <li>Subsequently ES cells were incubated with HTNCre-containing medium for 16 hours.
 <ul>
 <li>An appropriate amount of HTNCre protein (corresponding to 10 &mu;M) out of the glycerol stock was diluted into ES medium and subsequently sterile filtrated (0.22 &mu;m).</li>
 </ul></li>
 <li>After protein transduction medium was changed back to normal growth medium.</li>
 <li>After two days cells were washed with PBS and fixed with 4% Paraformaldehyde (PFA) for 10 minutes.</li>
 <li>Two additional washing steps with PBS were executed before X-Gal staining was performed.</li>
 <li>Fixed cells were covered with a layer of X-Gal staining solution6 and incubated over night at 37&deg;C. </li>
</ol>
Representative Results:
Next day X-Gal staining solution was aspired and the cells were covered with a layer of PBS for microscopy analysis. 80 to 100% of recombined cells could be observed within the murine ES cells judged by &beta;-Galactosidase activity.

<ol>
	<li>Gump, J. M., Dowdy, S. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=TAT+transduction:+the+molecular+mechanism+and+therapeutic+prospects.">TAT transduction: the molecular mechanism and therapeutic prospects.</a> Trends Mol Med. 13 (10), 443-448 (2007).</li><li>Edenhofer, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Protein+transduction+revisited:+novel+insights+into+the+mechanism+underlying+intracellular+delivery+of+proteins.">Protein transduction revisited: novel insights into the mechanism underlying intracellular delivery of proteins.</a> Curr Pharm Des. 14 (34), 3628-3636 (2008).</li><li>Branda, C. S., Dymecki, S. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Talking+about+a+revolution:+The+impact+of+site-specific+recombinases+on+genetic+analyses+in+mice.">Talking about a revolution: The impact of site-specific recombinases on genetic analyses in mice.</a> Dev Cell. 6 (1), 7-28 (2004).</li><li>Nolden, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Site-specific+recombination+in+human+embryonic+stem+cells+induced+by+cell-permeant+Cre+recombinase.">Site-specific recombination in human embryonic stem cells induced by cell-permeant Cre recombinase.</a> Nat Methods. 3 (6), 461-467 (2006).</li><li>Zhang, Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Inducible+site-directed+recombination+in+mouse+embryonic+stem+cells.">Inducible site-directed recombination in mouse embryonic stem cells.</a> Nucleic Acids Res. 24 (4), 543-548 (1996).</li><li>Peitz, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Enhanced+purification+of+cell-permeant+Cre+and+germline+transmission+after+transduction+into+mouse+embryonic+stem+cells.">Enhanced purification of cell-permeant Cre and germline transmission after transduction into mouse embryonic stem cells.</a> Genesis. 45 (8), 508-517 (2007).</li><li>Bosnali, M., Edenhofer, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Generation+of+transducible+versions+of+transcription+factors+Oct4+and+Sox2.">Generation of transducible versions of transcription factors Oct4 and Sox2.</a> Biol Chem. 389 (7), 851-861 (2008).</li><li>Landry, 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=Runx+genes+are+direct+targets+of+Scl/Tal1+in+the+yolk+sac+and+fetal+liver.">Runx genes are direct targets of Scl/Tal1 in the yolk sac and fetal liver.</a> Blood. 111 (6), 3005-3014 (2008).</li></ol>

During the purification process of the Cre fusion protein it is important not to omit the addition of ice&nbsp;cold TBS buffer prior to centrifugation. Otherwise Cre recombinase tends to precipitate within the glycerol buffer.
If the eluate fraction appears to become turbid due to the high concentration of fusion protein additional elution buffer should be added until the solution has cleared again.
The application of 10 &mu;M of Cre fusion protein typically results in a recombination efficiency of 80 to 100%. Fetal Calf Serum (FCS) being a major component of ES cell medium strongly inhibits protein transduction. Therefore high concentration of Cre recombinase had to be used. When working in serum-free conditions less protein (0.5 - 2 &mu;M) can be used to achieve similar recombination efficiencies.
With the pSESAME vector system at hand one can apply the technique of protein transduction to other proteins including transcription factors such as Oct4 and Sox27 and Scl/Tal18.

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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">	
		
		<div>
		<table border="1">
		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
		</thead>
		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>TUNER (DE3) pLacI</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Novagen</td>
<td>70625</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Glycerol</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Carl Roth</td>
<td>3783.2</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Na2HPO4</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roth</td>
<td>T876.1</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Trizma Base</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
<td>T1503</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>HCl</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roth</td>
<td>4625.1</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Imidazol</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roth</td>
<td>X998.4</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>NaCl</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roth</td>
<td>9265.2</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Yeast Extract</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roth</td>
<td>2363.4</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Trypton/Pepton</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roth</td>
<td>8952.4</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>K2HPO4 </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roth</td>
<td>P749.2</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>KH2PO4</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roth</td>
<td>3904.1</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Ampicillin</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>A9518</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Carbenicillin</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>6344.2</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>HEPES</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>H3375</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Lysozyme</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>62971</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Benzonase</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Novagen</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>L-Tartaric acid, disodium salt </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>50% Ni-NTA slurry</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>R901-15</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>EconoPac columns</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Biorad</td>
<td>732-1010</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Sterile filter 0,22&mu;m</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Whatman</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Paraformaldehyde (PFA)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>LB medium</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Yeast extract, Trypton/Pepton, NaCl</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TB medium</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Yeast extract, Trypton/Pepton, Glycerol, K2HPO4, KH2PO4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Lysis Buffer</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>50 mM Na2HPO4, 5 mM Tris, pH 7.8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tartaric Salt Buffer (TSB)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>PTB containing 2 M L-Tartaric acid, disodium salt, and 20 mM Imidazol</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Washing Buffer</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>PTB, 500 mM NaCl, 15 mM Imidazol</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Elution Buffer</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>PTB, 500 mM NaCl, 250 mM Imidazol</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>High Salt Buffer</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>600 mM NaCl, 20 mM HEPES, pH 7.4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gylcerol Buffer</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>50% glycerol, 500 mM NaCl, 20 mM HEPES, pH 7.4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TrypLE&trade; Express</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>ESGRO (LIF)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Millipore</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>NEAA</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Gibco</td>
<td>11140035</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>L-Glutamin</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Gibco</td>
<td>25030024</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>&beta;-Mercaptoethanol</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Gibco</td>
<td>31350010</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>DMEM</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Gibco</td>
<td>11960044</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>PBS</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Gibco</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Fetal Calf Serum (FCS)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>PAA</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>X-Gal staining solution:</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>4 mM K3(FeIII(CN)6), 4 mM K4(FeII(CN)6), 2mM MgCl2 0.4 mg/mL X-Gal solved in PBS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>K3(FeIII(CN)6)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>P-3367</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>K4 (FeII(CN)6)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>P-9387</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>MgCl2</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>M8266</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>X-Gal</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>B4252</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>		</tbody>
		</table>
		</div>

engineering cell-permeable protein

The protein transduction technique enables the direct delivery of biologically active material into mammalian cells [for review see 1,2]. For this one can make use of the translocating ability of so-called cell penetrating peptides (CPPs), also designated as protein transduction domains (PTDs). The TAT-CPP derived from the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Tat (trans-activator of transcription) protein has been widely used. The positively charged TAT promotes cell permeability thereby overcoming the barriers of the cellular membrane by endocytosis or/and direct membrane penetration2. In combination with a nuclear localization signal (NLS) fusion proteins are able to enter the nucleus exhibiting functionality. Our video presentation demonstrates, as an exemplification for the engineering of cell-permeable proteins, the construction, production and application of a cell-permeable version of the DNA-modifying enzyme Cre.
Cre is a site-specific recombinase that is able to recognize and recombine 34 base pair loxP sites in mammalian cells in vitro and in vivo. Therefore the Cre/loxP system is widely used to conditionally induce mutations in the genome of living cells3,4. The delivery of active Cre recombinase to cells, however, represents a limitation.
We describe the pSESAME vector system, which allows a direct insertion of the gene-of-interest and provides a platform to rapidly clone different domains and tags used within the vector in a convenient and standardized manner. Rearranging of the different tags has been shown to modify the biochemical properties of the fusion proteins providing a possibility to achieve higher yield and better solubility. We demonstrate how to express and purify recombinant cell-permeant proteins in and from E. coli. The functionality of the recombinant Cre protein is finally validated in cell culture by assessing its intracellular recombinase activity.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Engineering Cell-permeable Protein at JoVE.com

Engineering Cell-permeable Protein

Protein transduction enables the direct delivery of biologically active proteins into cells. In contrast to conventional methods such as DNA transfection or viral transduction this non-invasive paradigm allows highly efficient cellular manipulation in a titratable manner circumventing cellular toxicity and the risk of oncogenic transformation by permanent genetic modification.

The protein transduction technique enables the direct delivery of biologically active material into mammalian cells [for review see 1,2]. For this one can ...

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

14.4K Views.  University of Bonn - Life & Brain Center and Hertie Foundation. Protein transduction enables the direct delivery of biologically active proteins into cells. In contrast to conventional methods such as DNA transfection or viral transduction this non-invasive paradigm allows highly efficient cellular manipulation in a titratable manner circumventing cellular toxicity and the risk of oncogenic transformation by permanent genetic modification.

Video: Engineering Cell-permeable Protein

Experimental Approaches to Tissue Engineering

Micro-scale Engineering for Cell Biology

Staining of Proteins in Gels with Coomassie G-250 without Organic Solvent and Acetic Acid

In classical protein staining protocols using Coomassie Brilliant Blue (CBB), solutions with high contents of toxic and flammable organic solvents (Methanol, Ethanol or 2-Propanol) and acetic acid are used for fixation, staining and destaining of proteins in a gel after SDS-PAGE. To speed up the procedure, heating the staining solution in the microwave oven for a short time is frequently used. This usually results in evaporation of toxic or hazardous Methanol, Ethanol or 2-Propanol and a strong smell of acetic acid in the lab which should be avoided due to safety considerations. In a protocol originally published in two patent applications by E.M. Wondrak (US2001046709 (A1), US6319720 (B1)), an alternative composition of the staining solution is described in which no organic solvent or acid is used. The CBB is dissolved in bidistilled water (60-80mg of CBB G-250 per liter) and 35 mM HCl is added as the only other compound in the staining solution. The CBB staning of the gel is done after SDS-PAGE and thorough washing of the gel in bidistilled water. By heating the gel during the washing and staining steps, the process can be finished faster and no toxic or hazardous compunds are evaporating. The staining of proteins occurs already within 1 minute after heating the gel in staining solution and is fully developed after 15-30 min with a slightly blue background that is destained completely by prolonged washing of the stained gel in bidistilled water, without affecting the stained protein bands.

A short protocol for protein staining with Coomassie Brilliant Blue (CBB) G-250 in polyacrylamide gels is described without using organic solvents or acetic acid as in the classical staining procedures with CBB.

In classical protein staining protocols using Coomassie Brilliant Blue (CBB), solutions with high contents of toxic and flammable organic solvents ...

Cellular Encapsulation in 3D Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering 

The 3D encapsulation of cells within hydrogels represents an increasingly important and popular technique for culturing cells and towards the development of constructs for tissue engineering. This environment better mimics what cells observe in vivo, compared to standard tissue culture, due to the tissue-like properties and 3D environment. Synthetic polymeric hydrogels are water-swollen networks that can be designed to be stable or to degrade through hydrolysis or proteolysis as new tissue is deposited by encapsulated cells. A wide variety of polymers have been explored for these applications, such as poly(ethylene glycol) and hyaluronic acid. Most commonly, the polymer is functionalized with reactive groups such as methacrylates or acrylates capable of undergoing crosslinking through various mechanisms. In the past decade, much progress has been made in engineering these microenvironments - e.g., via the physical or pendant covalent incorporation of biochemical cues - to improve viability and direct cellular phenotype, including the differentiation of encapsulated stem cells (Burdick et al.).
The following methods for the 3D encapsulation of cells have been optimized in our and other laboratories to maximize cytocompatibility and minimize the number of hydrogel processing steps. In the following protocols (see Figure 1 for an illustration of the procedure), it is assumed that functionalized polymers capable of undergoing crosslinking are already in hand; excellent reviews of polymer chemistry as applied to the field of tissue engineering may be found elsewhere (Burdick et al.) and these methods are compatible with a range of polymer types. Further, the Michael-type addition (see Lutolf et al.) and light-initiated free radical (see Elisseeff et al.) mechanisms focused on here constitute only a small portion of the reported crosslinking techniques. Mixed mode crosslinking, in which a portion of reactive groups is first consumed by addition crosslinking and followed by a radical mechanism, is another commonly used and powerful paradigm for directing the phenotype of encapsulated cells (Khetan et al., Salinas et al.).

Cellular Encapsulation in 3D Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering

We present protocols for the 3-dimensional (3D) encapsulation of cells within synthetic hydrogels. The encapsulation procedure is outlined for two commonly used methods of crosslinking (michael-type addition and light-initiated free radical mechanisms), as well as a number of techniques for assessing encapsulated cell behavior.

The 3D encapsulation of cells within hydrogels represents an increasingly important and popular technique for culturing cells and towards the development ...

Using the GELFREE 8100 Fractionation System for Molecular Weight-Based Fractionation with Liquid Phase Recovery

The GELFREE 8100 Fractionation System is a novel protein fractionation system designed to maximize protein recovery during molecular weight based fractionation. The system is comprised of single-use, 8-sample capacity cartridges and a benchtop GELFREE Fractionation Instrument. During separation, a constant voltage is applied between the anode and cathode reservoirs, and each protein mixture is electrophoretically driven from a loading chamber into a specially designed gel column gel. Proteins are concentrated into a tight band in a stacking gel, and separated based on their respective electrophoretic mobilities in a resolving gel. As proteins elute from the column, they are trapped and concentrated in liquid phase in the collection chamber, free of the gel. The instrument is then paused at specific time intervals, and fractions are collected using a pipette. This process is repeated until all desired fractions have been collected. If fewer than 8 samples are run on a cartridge, any unused chambers can be used in subsequent separations.
This novel technology facilitates the quick and simple separation of up to 8 complex protein mixtures simultaneously, and offers several advantages when compared to previously available fractionation methods. This system is capable of fractionating up to 1mg of total protein per channel, for a total of 8mg per cartridge. Intact proteins over a broad mass range are separated on the basis of molecular weight, retaining important physiochemical properties of the analyte. The liquid phase entrapment provides for high recovery while eliminating the need for band or spot cutting, making the fractionation process highly reproducible1.

The accompanying video describes the use of the GELFREE 8100 Fractionation System, which partitions complex protein samples on the basis of molecular weight and recovers the fractions in liquid phase. The video describes how the technology works, how it is used, and provides resultant data, with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of fractionated bovine liver homogenate.

The GELFREE 8100 Fractionation System is a novel protein fractionation system designed to maximize protein recovery during molecular weight based ...

Automated Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography Column Selection for Use in Protein Purification

In contrast to other chromatographic methods for purifying proteins (e.g. gel filtration, affinity, and ion exchange), hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) commonly requires experimental determination (referred to as screening or "scouting") in order to select the most suitable chromatographic medium for purifying a given protein 1. The method presented here describes an automated approach to scouting for an optimal HIC media to be used in protein purification.
HIC separates proteins and other biomolecules from a crude lysate based on differences in hydrophobicity. Similar to affinity chromatography (AC) and ion exchange chromatography (IEX), HIC is capable of concentrating the protein of interest as it progresses through the chromatographic process. Proteins best suited for purification by HIC include those with hydrophobic surface regions and able to withstand exposure to salt concentrations in excess of 2 M ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4). HIC is often chosen as a purification method for proteins lacking an affinity tag, and thus unsuitable for AC, and when IEX fails to provide adequate purification. Hydrophobic moieties on the protein surface temporarily bind to a nonpolar ligand coupled to an inert, immobile matrix. The interaction between protein and ligand are highly dependent on the salt concentration of the buffer flowing through the chromatography column, with high ionic concentrations strengthening the protein-ligand interaction and making the protein immobile (i.e. bound inside the column) 2. As salt concentrations decrease, the protein-ligand interaction dissipates, the protein again becomes mobile and elutes from the column. Several HIC media are commercially available in pre-packed columns, each containing one of several hydrophobic ligands (e.g. S-butyl, butyl, octyl, and phenyl) cross-linked at varying densities to agarose beads of a specific diameter 3. Automated column scouting allows for an efficient approach for determining which HIC media should be employed for future, more exhaustive optimization experiments and protein purification runs 4.
The specific protein being purified here is recombinant green fluorescent protein (GFP); however, the approach may be adapted for purifying other proteins with one or more hydrophobic surface regions. GFP serves as a useful model protein, due to its stability, unique light absorbance peak at 397 nm, and fluorescence when exposed to UV light 5. Bacterial lysate containing wild type GFP was prepared in a high-salt buffer, loaded into a Bio-Rad DuoFlow medium pressure liquid chromatography system, and adsorbed to HiTrap HIC columns containing different HIC media. The protein was eluted from the columns and analyzed by in-line and post-run detection methods. Buffer blending, dynamic sample loop injection, sequential column selection, multi-wavelength analysis, and split fraction eluate collection increased the functionality of the system and reproducibility of the experimental approach.

An automated method for identifying suitable hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) media to be used in the process of protein purification is presented. The method utilizes a medium-pressure liquid chromatography system including automated buffer blending, dynamic sample loop injection, sequential column selection, multi-wavelength analysis, and split fraction eluate collection.

In contrast to other chromatographic methods for purifying proteins (e.g. gel filtration, affinity, and ion exchange), hydrophobic interaction ...

Protein WISDOM: A Workbench for In silico De novo Design of BioMolecules

The aim of de novo protein design is to find the amino acid sequences that will fold into a desired 3-dimensional structure with improvements in specific properties, such as binding affinity, agonist or antagonist behavior, or stability, relative to the native sequence. Protein design lies at the center of current advances drug design and discovery. Not only does protein design provide predictions for potentially useful drug targets, but it also enhances our understanding of the protein folding process and protein-protein interactions. Experimental methods such as directed evolution have shown success in protein design. However, such methods are restricted by the limited sequence space that can be searched tractably. In contrast, computational design strategies allow for the screening of a much larger set of sequences covering a wide variety of properties and functionality. We have developed a range of computational de novo protein design methods capable of tackling several important areas of protein design. These include the design of monomeric proteins for increased stability and complexes for increased binding affinity.
To disseminate these methods for broader use we present Protein WISDOM (<a href="http://www.proteinwisdom.org" target="_blank">http://www.proteinwisdom.org</a>), a tool that provides automated methods for a variety of protein design problems. Structural templates are submitted to initialize the design process. The first stage of design is an optimization sequence selection stage that aims at improving stability through minimization of potential energy in the sequence space. Selected sequences are then run through a fold specificity stage and a binding affinity stage. A rank-ordered list of the sequences for each step of the process, along with relevant designed structures, provides the user with a comprehensive quantitative assessment of the design. Here we provide the details of each design method, as well as several notable experimental successes attained through the use of the methods.

Protein WISDOM: A Workbench for In silico De novo Design of BioMolecules

We developed computational de novo protein design methods capable of tackling several important areas of protein design. To disseminate these methods we present Protein WISDOM, an online tool for protein design (<a href="http://www.proteinwisdom.org" target="_blank">http://www.proteinwisdom.org</a>). Starting from a structural template, design of monomeric proteins for increased stability and complexes for increased binding affinity can be performed.

The aim of de novo protein design is to find the amino acid sequences that will fold into a desired 3-dimensional structure with improvements in specific ...

Mouse Genome Engineering Using Designer Nucleases

Transgenic mice carrying site-specific genome modifications (knockout, knock-in) are of vital importance for dissecting complex biological systems as well as for modeling human diseases and testing therapeutic strategies. Recent advances in the use of designer nucleases such as zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) 9 system for site-specific genome engineering open the possibility to perform rapid targeted genome modification in virtually any laboratory species without the need to rely on embryonic stem (ES) cell technology. A genome editing experiment typically starts with identification of designer nuclease target sites within a gene of interest followed by construction of custom DNA-binding domains to direct nuclease activity to the investigator-defined genomic locus. Designer nuclease plasmids are in vitro transcribed to generate mRNA for microinjection of fertilized mouse oocytes. Here, we provide a protocol for achieving targeted genome modification by direct injection of TALEN mRNA into fertilized mouse oocytes.

Designer nucleases such as zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) can be used to modify the genome of mouse preimplantation embryos by triggering both the nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR) pathways. These advances enable the rapid generation of mice with precise genetic modifications.

Transgenic mice carrying site-specific genome modifications (knockout, knock-in) are of vital importance for dissecting complex biological systems as well ...

Green Fluorescent Protein-based Expression Screening of Membrane Proteins in Escherichia coli

The production of recombinant membrane proteins for structural and functional studies remains technically challenging due to low levels of expression and the inherent instability of many membrane proteins once solubilized in detergents. A protocol is described that combines ligation independent cloning of membrane proteins as GFP fusions with expression in Escherichia coli detected by GFP fluorescence. This enables the construction and expression screening of multiple membrane protein/variants to identify candidates suitable for further investment of time and effort. The GFP reporter is used in a primary screen of expression by visualizing GFP fluorescence following SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Membrane proteins that show both a high expression level with minimum degradation as indicated by the absence of free GFP, are selected for a secondary screen. These constructs are scaled and a total membrane fraction prepared and solubilized in four different detergents. Following ultracentrifugation to remove detergent-insoluble material, lysates are analyzed by fluorescence detection size exclusion chromatography (FSEC). Monitoring the size exclusion profile by GFP fluorescence provides information about the mono-dispersity and integrity of the membrane proteins in different detergents. Protein: detergent combinations that elute with a symmetrical peak with little or no free GFP and minimum aggregation are candidates for subsequent purification. Using the above methodology, the heterologous expression in E. coli of SED (shape, elongation, division, and sporulation) proteins from 47 different species of bacteria was analyzed. These proteins typically have ten transmembrane domains and are essential for cell division. The results show that the production of the SEDs orthologues in E. coli was highly variable with respect to the expression levels and integrity of the GFP fusion proteins. The experiment identified a subset for further investigation.

Green Fluorescent Protein-based Expression Screening of Membrane Proteins in Escherichia coli

A streamlined approach to screening for the expression of recombinant membrane proteins in Escherichia coli based on fusion to green fluorescent protein is presented.

The production of recombinant membrane proteins for structural and functional studies remains technically challenging due to low levels of expression and ...

Direct Protein Delivery to Mammalian Cells Using Cell-permeable Cys2-His2 Zinc-finger Domains

Due to their modularity and ability to be reprogrammed to recognize a wide range of DNA sequences, Cys2-His2 zinc-finger DNA-binding domains have emerged as useful tools for targeted genome engineering. Like many other DNA-binding proteins, zinc-fingers also possess the innate ability to cross cell membranes. We recently demonstrated that this intrinsic cell-permeability could be leveraged for intracellular protein delivery. Genetic fusion of zinc-finger motifs leads to efficient transport of protein and enzyme cargo into a broad range of mammalian cell types. Unlike other protein transduction technologies, delivery via zinc-finger domains does not inhibit enzyme activity and leads to high levels of cytosolic delivery. Here a detailed step-by-step protocol is presented for the implementation of zinc-finger technology for protein delivery into mammalian cells. Key steps for achieving high levels of intracellular zinc-finger-mediated delivery are highlighted and strategies for maximizing the performance of this system are discussed.

Direct Protein Delivery to Mammalian Cells Using Cell-permeable Cys2-His2 Zinc-finger Domains

Zinc-finger domains are intrinsically cell-permeable and capable of mediating protein delivery into a broad range of mammalian cell types. Here, a detailed step-by-step protocol for implementing zinc-finger technology for intracellular protein delivery is presented.

Due to their modularity and ability to be reprogrammed to recognize a wide range of DNA sequences, Cys2-His2 zinc-finger DNA-binding domains have emerged ...