A general strategy for the expression of recombinant human cytochrome P450s in Escherichia coli using bacterial signal peptides: expression of CYP3A4, CYP2A6, and CYP2E1

Heterologous expression of unmodified recombinant human cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450s) in Escherichia coli has proved to be extremely difficult. To date, high-level expression has only been achieved after altering the 5'-end of the native cDNA, resulting in amino acid changes within the P450 protein chain. We have devised a strategy whereby unmodified P450s can be expressed to high levels in E. coli, by making NH2-terminal translational fusions to bacterial leader sequences. Using this approach, we initially tested two leader sequences, pelB and ompA, fused to CYP3A4. These were compared with an expression construct producing a conventional NH2-terminally modified CYP3A4 (17alpha-3A4). Both leader constructs produced spectrally active, functional protein. Furthermore, the ompA-3A4 fusion gave higher levels of expression, and a marked improvement in the recovery of active P450 in bacterial membrane fractions, when compared with 17alpha-3A4. We then tested the ompA leader with CYP2A6 and CYP2E1, again comparing with the conventional (17alpha-) approach. As before, the leader construct produced active enzyme, and, for CYP2E1 at least, gave a higher level of expression than the 17alpha-construct. The ompA fusion strategy thus appears to represent a significant advance for the expression of P450s in E. coli, circumventing the previous need for individual optimization of P450 sequences for expression.     

The use of a chimera HIV-1/HIV-2 envelope protein for immunodiagnosis of HIV infection: its expression and purification in E. coli by use of a translation initiation site within HIV-1 env gene

A chimera HIV-1/HIV-2 envelope sequence composed of multiple conserved immunodominant epitopes of HIV-1 envelope protein (HIV-1 IIIB: env482-518 + env548-675) and the HIV-2 gp36 immunodominant epitope (env592-603), was constructed and directly over-expressed in E. coli by using a prokaryotic translation initiation sequence contained within the gene of HIV-1 envelope. The recombinant product was purified and applied in antibody-screening assay. The purified chimera antigen reacted with all the thirty-eight HIV-1 positive serum samples, the two HIV-2 serum samples, and had no cross-reaction with all the eighty-eight normal healthy serum sample. The results indicated that this recombinant chimera HIV-1/HIV-2 envelope protein could be useful for diagnostic purposes of HIV infection.     

S 16924 ((R)-2-[1-[2-(2,3-dihydro-benzo[1,4] dioxin-5-yloxy)-ethyl]-pyrrolidin-3yl]-1-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-ethanone), a novel, potential antipsychotic with marked serotonin (5-HT)1A agonist properties: II. Functional profile in comparison to clozapine and haloperidol

S 16924 antagonized locomotion provoked by dizocilpine and cocaine, reduced conditioned avoidance responses and blocked climbing elicited by apomorphine, models predictive of control of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia: its median inhibitory dose (ID)50 was 0.96 mg/kg, s.c. vs. 1.91 for clozapine and 0.05 for haloperidol. Rotation elicited in unilateral, substantia nigra-lesioned rats by the D1 agonist, SKF 38393, and by the D2 agonist, quinpirole, was blocked equipotently by S 16924 (0.8 and 1. 7) and clozapine (0.6 and 2.0), whereas haloperidol preferentially blocked quinpirole (0.02) vs. SKF 38393 (1.8). S 16924 more potently inhibited the head-twitches elicited by 1-(2, 5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI) and the locomotion provoked by phencyclidine than it inhibited the locomotion elicited by amphetamine (ID50s = 0.15 and 0.02 vs. 2.4). Clozapine showed a similar preference (0.04 and 0.07 vs. 8.6), but not haloperidol (0. 07 and 0.08 vs. 0.04). The discriminative stimulus (DS) properties of DOI were also blocked by S 16924 (ID50 = 0.17) and clozapine (0. 05) but not by haloperidol (>0.16). S 16924 fully (100%) generalized [effective dose (ED)50 = 0.7] to a clozapine DS and clozapine (0.23) fully generalized to a S 16924 DS whereas haloperidol (>/=0.08) only partially generalized (/=80.0) or clozapine (>/=80.0). Further, S 16924 (ID50 = 3.2) and clozapine (5.5) inhibited induction of catalepsy by haloperidol. This action of S 16924 was abolished by the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, WAY 100,635 (0.16), which less markedly attenuated the anticataleptic action of clozapine. Further, although gnawing elicited by methylphenidate was inhibited by S 16924 (ID50 = 8.4), clozapine (19.6) and haloperidol (0.04), only the action of S 16924 was blocked by WAY 100,635 (0.16). Haloperidol potently (0.01-0.16, approximately 24-fold) increased prolactin levels whereas they were less markedly affected by S 16924 (2.5-40.0, 4-fold) and clozapine (10.0-40.0, 3-fold). Clozapine displayed high affinity at cloned, human, muscarinic (M1) and native, histamine (H1) receptors (Kis = 4.6 and 5.4 nM, respectively), whereas S 16924 (>1000 and 158) and haloperidol (>1000 and 453) displayed low affinity. In conclusion, S 16924 displays a profile of activity in diverse models of potential antipsychotic and extrapyramidal properties similar to that of clozapine and different to that of haloperidol. In particular, reflecting its partial agonist actions at 5-HT1A receptors, S 16924 inhibits rather than induces catalepsy in rats. However, in contrast to clozapine, S 16924 displays only low affinity for muscarinic and histaminic receptors.     

S 16924 ((R)-2-[1-[2-(2,3-dihydro-benzo[1,4] dioxin-5-Yloxy)-ethyl]-pyrrolidin-3yl]-1-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-ethanone), a novel, potential antipsychotic with marked serotonin (5-HT)1A agonist properties: I. Receptorial and neurochemical profile in comparison with clozapine and haloperidol

S 16924 showed a pattern of interaction at multiple (>20) native, rodent and cloned, human (h) monoaminergic receptors similar to that of clozapine and different to that of haloperidol. Notably, like clozapine, the affinity of S 16924 for hD2 and hD3 receptors was modest, and it showed 5-fold higher affinity for hD4 receptors. At each of these sites, using a [35S]GTPgammaS binding procedure, S 16924, clozapine and haloperidol behaved as antagonists. In distinction to haloperidol, S 16924 shared the marked affinity of clozapine for h5-HT2A and h5-HT2C receptors. However, an important difference to clozapine (and haloperidol) was the high affinity of S 16924 for h5-HT1A receptors. At these sites, using a [35S]GTPgammaS binding model, both S 16924 and clozapine behaved as partial agonists, whereas haloperidol was inactive. In vivo, the agonist properties of S 16924 at 5-HT1A autoreceptors were revealed by its ability to potently inhibit the firing of raphe-localized serotoninergic neurones, an action reversed by the selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, WAY 100,635. In contrast, clozapine and haloperidol only weakly inhibited raphe firing, and their actions were resistant to WAY 100,635. Similarly, S 16924 more potently inhibited striatal turnover of 5-HT than either clozapine or haloperidol. Reflecting its modest affinity for D2 (and D3) autoreceptors, S 16924 only weakly blocked the inhibitory influence of the dopaminergic agonist, apomorphine, upon the firing rate of ventrotegmental area-localized dopaminergic neurones. Further, S 16924 only weakly increased striatal, mesolimbic and mesocortical turnover of dopamine (DA). Clozapine was, similarly, weakly active in these models, whereas haloperidol, in line with its higher affinity at D2 (and D3) receptors, was potently active. In the frontal cortex (FCX) of freely moving rats, S 16924 dose-dependently reduced dialysate levels of 5-HT, whereas those of DA and NAD were dose-dependently increased in the same samples. In contrast, although S 16924 also suppressed 5-HT levels in the striatum and nucleus accumbens, DA levels therein were unaffected. Clozapine mimicked this selective increase in DA levels in the FCX as compared to striatum and accumbens. In contrast, haloperidol modestly increased DA levels in the FCX, striatum and accumbens to the same extent. In distinction to S 16924, clozapine and haloperidol exerted little influence upon 5-HT levels. Finally, the influence of S 16924 upon FCX levels of 5-HT, DA (and NAD) was attenuated by WAY 100,635. In conclusion, S 16924 possesses a profile of interaction at multiple monoaminergic receptors comparable to that of clozapine and distinct to that of haloperidol. In addition, S 16924 is a potent, partial agonist at 5-HT1A receptors. Correspondingly, acute administration of S 16924 decreases cerebral serotoninergic transmission and selectively reinforces frontocortical as compared to subcortical dopaminergic transmission. In line with these actions, S 16924 shows a distinctive profile of activity in functional (behavioral) models of potential antipsychotic activity (companion paper).