C-terminal and n-terminal fusions of aequorin with small peptides in immunoassay development

Bioconjug Chem. 2001 May-Jun;12(3):378-84. doi: 10.1021/bc0001140.

Abstract

Aequorin fusion proteins have been used extensively in intracellular Ca2+ measurements and in the development of binding assays. Gene fusions to aequorin for production of fusion proteins have been so far limited to its N-terminus, as previous studies have indicated that aequorin loses its activity upon modification of its C-terminus. To further investigate this, two model peptides, an octapeptide (DTLDDDDL), and leu-enkephalin (TGGFL), an opioid peptide, were fused to the C-terminus of a cysteine-free mutant of aequorin through genetic engineering. The octapeptide was also fused to the N-terminus of the aequorin-leu-enkephalin fusion protein, which enables its affinity purification. Contrary to reports of earlier studies, we found that aequorin retains its bioluminescence activity after modification of the C-terminus. The half-life of light emission and the calibration curves obtained with the fusion proteins were comparable to those of the cysteine-free mutant of aequorin. Dose-response curves for the octapeptide were generated using two aequorin-octapeptide fusion proteins with the octapeptide fused to the N-terminus in one case, and to the C-terminus in the other. Similar detection limits for the octapeptide were obtained using both fusion proteins. The C-terminal fusion system has advantages in cases where antibodies recognize only the C-terminus of the peptide, as well as in cases where the functionality of the peptide lies in its C-terminus. The purification is also simplified as the affinity tag can be engineered at one terminus and the peptide of interest at the other.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aequorin* / genetics
  • Calibration
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Enkephalin, Leucine / genetics
  • Genetic Engineering
  • Immunoassay / methods
  • Immunoassay / standards
  • Luminescent Measurements
  • Oligopeptides* / genetics
  • Peptide Fragments / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / chemical synthesis*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Sensitivity and Specificity

Substances

  • Oligopeptides
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Aequorin
  • Enkephalin, Leucine