Bacterial expression of tenecin 3, an insect antifungal protein isolated from Tenebrio molitor, and its efficient purification

Mol Cells. 1998 Dec 31;8(6):786-9.

Abstract

Tenecin 3, an antifungal protein isolated from the insect Tenebrio molitor larvae, inhibits growth of the fungus Candida albicans. However, the antifungal mechanism and functions of tenecin 3 have not yet been studied due to its very low availability from the natural source. Here we report an expression system of the recombinant tenecin 3 in E. coli, whose amino acid composition is the same with that of the natural tenecin 3. We also devised a simple and easy procedure to isolate the recombinant protein from the bacterial cell extracts. The recombinant tenecin 3 showed an antifungal activity against C. albicans as the natural tenecin 3 did. Therefore large quantities of tenecin 3 can be easily obtained by the expression and purification system of tenecin 3 described in this report.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antifungal Agents / chemistry
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Base Sequence
  • Candida albicans / cytology
  • Candida albicans / drug effects
  • Cell Division / drug effects
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA, Complementary / genetics
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Escherichia coli / genetics*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Insect Proteins / chemistry
  • Insect Proteins / genetics*
  • Plasmids / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / pharmacology
  • Tenebrio / chemistry*

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • DNA, Complementary
  • Insect Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • tenecin 3 protein, Tenebrio molitor