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Accession Number:
AD1099263
Title:
Codon Harmonization Reduces Amino Acid Misincorporation in Bacterially Expressed P. falciparum Proteins and Improves Their Immunogenicity
Corporate Author:
NAVAL RESEARCH LAB WASHINGTON DC WASHINGTON United States
Report Date:
2019-10-19
Abstract:
Codon usage frequency influences protein structure and function. The frequency with which codons are used potentially impacts primary, secondary and tertiary protein structure. Poor expression, loss of function, insolubility, or truncation can result from species-specific differences in codon usage. Codon harmonization more closely aligns native codon usage frequencies with those of the expression host particularly within putative inter-domain segments where slower rates of translation may play a role in protein folding. Heterologous expression of Plasmodium falciparum genes in Escherichia coli has been a challenge due to their AT-rich codon bias and the highly repetitive DNA sequences. Here, codon harmonization was applied to the malarial antigen, CelTOS Cell-traversal protein for ookinetes and sporozoites. CelTOS is a highly conserved P. falciparum protein involved in cellular traversal through mosquito and vertebrate host cells. It reversibly refolds after thermal denaturation making it a desirable malarial vaccine candidate. Protein expressed in E. coli from a codon harmonized sequence of P. falciparum CelTOS CH-PfCelTOS was compared with protein expressed from the native codon sequence N-PfCelTOS to assess the impact of codon usage on protein expression levels, solubility, yield, stability, structural integrity, recognition with CelTOS-specific mAbs and immunogenicity in mice. While the translated proteins were expected to be identical, the translated products produced from the codon-harmonized sequence differed in helical content and showed a smaller distribution of polypeptides in mass spectra indicating lower heterogeneity of the codon harmonized version and fewer amino acid misincorporations. Substitutions of hydrophobic-to-hydrophobic amino acid were observed more commonly than any other. CH-PfCelTOS induced significantly higher antibody levels compared with N-PfCelTOS
Descriptive Note:
Journal Article - Open Access
Supplementary Note:
AMB Express , 9, 167, 01 Jan 0001, 01 Jan 0001,
Pages:
0014
Distribution Statement:
Approved For Public Release;
File Size:
1.66MB
