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High-Yield Expression of Heterologous [FeFe] Hydrogenases in Escherichia coli

Journal Article · · PLoS ONE
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [2];  [4]
  1. Stanford University, CA (United States); DOE/OSTI
  2. University of California, Davis, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  3. Stanford University, CA (United States)
  4. Stanford University, CA (United States); Stanford University, CA (United States)
The realization of hydrogenase-based technologies for renewable H2 production is presently limited by the need for scalable and high-yielding methods to supply active hydrogenases and their required maturases. In this report, we describe an improved Escherichia coli-based expression system capable of producing 8–30 mg of purified, active [FeFe] hydrogenase per liter of culture, volumetric yields at least 10-fold greater than previously reported. Specifically, we overcame two problems associated with other in vivo production methods: low protein yields and ineffective hydrogenase maturation. The addition of glucose to the growth medium enhances anaerobic metabolism and growth during hydrogenase expression, which substantially increases total yields. Also, we combine iron and cysteine supplementation with the use of an E. coli strain upregulated for iron-sulfur cluster protein accumulation. These measures dramatically improve in vivo hydrogenase activation. Two hydrogenases, HydA1 from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and HydA (CpI) from Clostridium pasteurianum, were produced with this improved system and subsequently purified. Biophysical characterization and FTIR spectroscopic analysis of these enzymes indicate that they harbor the H-cluster and catalyze H2 evolution with rates comparable to those of enzymes isolated from their respective native organisms. The production system we describe will facilitate basic hydrogenase investigations as well as the development of new technologies that utilize these prolific H2-producing enzymes. These methods can also be extended for producing and studying a variety of oxygen-sensitive iron-sulfur proteins as well as other proteins requiring anoxic environments.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1627440
Journal Information:
PLoS ONE, Journal Name: PLoS ONE Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 5; ISSN 1932-6203
Publisher:
Public Library of ScienceCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Optimized Expression and Purification for High-Activity Preparations of Algal [FeFe]-Hydrogenase journal April 2012
New Insights into [FeFe] Hydrogenase Activation and Maturase Function journal September 2012
Designed Surface Residue Substitutions in [NiFe] Hydrogenase that Improve Electron Transfer Characteristics journal January 2015
[FeFe]-Hydrogenase with Chalcogenide Substitutions at the H-Cluster Maintains Full H 2 Evolution Activity journal May 2016
[FeFe]-Hydrogenase with Chalcogenide Substitutions at the H-Cluster Maintains Full H 2 Evolution Activity journal May 2016
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The emerging age of cell-free synthetic biology journal June 2014
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A structural view of synthetic cofactor integration into [FeFe]-hydrogenases journal January 2016
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Chalcogenide substitution in the [2Fe] cluster of [FeFe]-hydrogenases conserves high enzymatic activity journal January 2017
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Iron–sulphur cluster biogenesis via the SUF pathway journal January 2018
Discovery of novel [FeFe]-hydrogenases for biocatalytic H 2 -production journal January 2019
The final steps of [FeFe]-hydrogenase maturation journal July 2019
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DsrL mediates electron transfer between NADH and rDsrAB in Allochromatium vinosum journal December 2019
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