Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34180005›Full record

ArticleApplied microbiology and biotechnology2021

Predictive approaches to guide the expression of recombinant vaccine targets in Escherichia coli: a case study presentation utilising Absynth Biologics Ltd. proprietary Clostridium difficile vaccine antigens.

Hirra Hussain, Edward A McKenzie, Andrew M Robinson, Neill A Gingles, Fiona Marston, Jim Warwicker, Alan J Dickson

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Applied microbiology and biotechnology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 52% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Hirra HussainManchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, M1 7DN, Manchester, UK.
Edward A McKenzieManchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, M1 7DN, Manchester, UK.
Andrew M RobinsonAbsynth Biologics Ltd., BioHub, Alderley Park, Cheshire, SK10 4TG, UK.
Neill A GinglesAbsynth Biologics Ltd., BioHub, Alderley Park, Cheshire, SK10 4TG, UK.
Fiona MarstonAbsynth Biologics Ltd., BioHub, Alderley Park, Cheshire, SK10 4TG, UK.
Jim WarwickerManchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, M1 7DN, Manchester, UK.
Alan J DicksonManchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, M1 7DN, Manchester, UK. alan.dickson@manchester.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9490-645X
University of Manchester · GBAbsynth Biologics (United Kingdom) · GBAstraZeneca (United Kingdom) · GBLiverpool School of Tropical Medicine · GB

Funding

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council BB/P004237/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Bacterial expression systems remain a widely used host for recombinant protein production. However, overexpression of recombinant target proteins in bacterial systems such as Escherichia coli can result in poor solubility and the formation of insoluble aggregates. As a consequence, numerous strategies or alternative engineering approaches have been employed to increase recombinant protein production. In this case study, we present the strategies used to increase the recombinant production and solubility of 'difficult-to-express' bacterial antigens, termed Ant2 and Ant3, from Absynth Biologics Ltd.'s Clostridium difficile vaccine programme. Single recombinant antigens (Ant2 and Ant3) and fusion proteins (Ant2-3 and Ant3-2) formed insoluble aggregates (inclusion bodies) when overexpressed in bacterial cells. Further, proteolytic cleavage of Ant2-3 was observed. Optimisation of culture conditions and changes to the construct design to include N-terminal solubility tags did not improve antigen solubility. However, screening of different buffer/additives showed that the addition of 1-15 mM dithiothreitol alone decreased the formation of insoluble aggregates and improved the stability of both Ant2 and Ant3. Structural models were generated for Ant2 and Ant3, and solubility-based prediction tools were employed to determine the role of hydrophobicity and charge on protein production. The results showed that a large non-polar region (containing hydrophobic amino acids) was detected on the surface of Ant2 structures, whereas positively charged regions (containing lysine and arginine amino acids) were observed for Ant3, both of which were associated with poor protein solubility. We present a guide of strategies and predictive approaches that aim to guide the construct design, prior to expression studies, to define and engineer sequences/structures that could lead to increased expression and stability of single and potentially multi-domain (or fusion) antigens in bacterial expression systems.

Indexed as

Biological ProductsClostridioides difficileEscherichia coliRecombinant Fusion ProteinsRecombinant ProteinsSolubilityVaccines, SyntheticBiological ProductsRecombinant Fusion ProteinsRecombinant ProteinsVaccines, SyntheticAbsynth Biologics Ltd.AntigensBacterial expression‘Difficult-to-express’Predictive toolsRecombinant protein productionSequences and structural analysis

Identifiers

PMID34180005
PMCPMC8285303
OpenAlexW3139380577

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.