Expression of fully functional tetrameric human hemoglobin in Escherichia coli

Journal Article · Wed Oct 31 23:00:00 EST 1990 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.87.21.8521· OSTI ID:5603314

Hoffman, S J; Looker, D L; Roehrich, J M; Cozart, P E; Durfee, S L; Tedesco, J L; Stetler, G L ^[1]

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1. Somatogen, Inc., Broomfield, CO (United States)

Synthesis genes encoding the human {alpha}- and {beta}-globin polypeptides have been expressed from a single operon in Escherichia coli. The {alpha}- and {beta}-globin polypeptides associate into soluble tetramers, incorporate heme, and accumulate to >5% of the total cellular protein. Purified recombinant hemoglobin has the correct stoichiometry of {alpha}- and {beta}-globin chains and contains a full complement of heme. Each globin chain also contains an additional methionine as an extension to the amino terminus. The recombinant hemoglobin has a C{sub 4} reversed-phase HPLC profile essentially identical to that of human hemoglobin A{sub 0} and comigrates with hemoglobin A{sub 0} on SDS/PAGE. The visible spectrum and oxygen affinity are similar to that of native human hemoglobin A{sub 0}. The authors have also expressed the {alpha}- and {beta}-globin genes separately and found that the expression of the {alpha}-globin gene alone results in a marked decrease in the accumulation of {alpha}-globin in the cell. Separate expression of the {beta}-globin gene results in high levels of insoluble {beta}-globin. These observations suggest that the presence of {alpha}- and {beta}-globin in the same cell stabilizes {alpha}-globin and aids the correct folding of {beta}-globin. This system provides a simple method for expressing large quantities of recombinant hemoglobin and allows facile manipulation of the genes encoding hemoglobin to produce functionally altered forms of this protein.

• OSTI ID: 5603314
• Journal Information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (United States), Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (United States) Vol. 87:21; ISSN 0027-8424; ISSN PNASA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550201* -- Biochemistry-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BACTERIA
BIOCHEMISTRY
BLOOD SUBSTITUTES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHEMISTRY
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DRUGS
ELEMENTS
ESCHERICHIA COLI
GENE OPERONS
GENE REGULATION
GLOBINS
HEMATOLOGIC AGENTS
HEMOGLOBIN
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
LIQUID COLUMN CHROMATOGRAPHY
MICROORGANISMS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN
PEPTIDES
PIGMENTS
POLYPEPTIDES
PORPHYRINS
PROTEINS
PURIFICATION
SEPARATION PROCESSES