PUBLICATION

Biochemical and structural properties of zebrafish Capsulin produced by Escherichia coli

Authors
Chou, C.Y., Hsu, C.H., Wang, Y.H., Chang, M.Y., Chen, L.C., Cheng, S.C., and Chen, Y.H.
ID
ZDB-PUB-100719-53
Date
2011
Source
Protein Expression and Purification   75(1): 21-27 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Chen, Yau-Hung
Keywords
analytical ultracentrifugation, anti-Capsulin antibody, bHLH structure, circular dichroism, recombinant Capsulin, nuclear localization
MeSH Terms
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antibodies/immunology
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Nucleus/ultrastructure
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA, Complementary/genetics
  • Escherichia coli/genetics*
  • Gene Expression
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Pericardium/cytology
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Recombinant Proteins/analysis
  • Recombinant Proteins/chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins/genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins/isolation & purification
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Transcription Factors/analysis*
  • Transcription Factors/chemistry
  • Transcription Factors/genetics*
  • Transcription Factors/isolation & purification
  • Transfection
  • Zebrafish/genetics*
  • Zebrafish Proteins/analysis*
  • Zebrafish Proteins/chemistry
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics*
  • Zebrafish Proteins/isolation & purification
PubMed
20627128 Full text @ Protein Expr. Purif.
Abstract
Capsulin is one of the transcription factors involved in regulating cell differentiation but its biochemical properties and structural characteristics are still unclear. In the present study, we cloned capsulin from zebrafish, which produces large numbers of transparent embryos and has well-characterized developmental stages. By alignment, the deduced amino acid sequence of zebrafish Capsulin, which contains a putative bHLH motif, shares very high homology to that of other species with an 72-82% identity. Zebrafish Capsulin was also targeted to the nucleus of mammalian cells when overexpressed by transient transfection. In order to characterize the structural and biochemical properties of zebrafish Capsulin, a recombinant zebrafish Capsulin protein was expressed and purified in E. coli. By circular dichroism spectroscopy, Capsulin was shown to be 55% alpha-helical. The size distribution assay by analytical ultracentrifugation indicated that it existed as a monomer-dimer mixture. The results suggested that the recombinant Capsulin has a well-organized and functional structure. Finally, endogenous Capsulin was distributed mainly in the epicardial cells of zebrafish by immunohistochemistry analysis using antibodies raised against zebrafish Capsulin. The present study not only helps us to comparatively analyze capsulin genes across species, but it also provides valuable structural information for further studies of Capsulin biological function in the future.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping