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Biosensors representing the technological counterpart of living senses have found routine application in amperometric enzyme electrodes for decentralized blood glucose measurement, interaction analysis by surface plasmon resonance in drug development, and to some extent DNA chips for expression analysis and enzyme polymorphisms. These technologies have already reached a highly advanced level and need minor improvement at most. The dream of the "100-dollar' personal genome may come true in the next few years provided that the technological hurdles of nanopore technology or of polymerase-based single molecule sequencing can be overcome. Tailor-made recognition elements for biosensors including membrane-bound enzymes and receptors will be prepared by cell-free protein synthesis. As alternatives for biological recognition elements, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have been created. They have the potential to substitute antibodies in biosensors and biochips for the measurement of low-molecular-weight substances, proteins, viruses, and living cells. They are more stable than proteins and can be produced in large amounts by chemical synthesis. Integration of nanomaterials, especially of graphene, could lead to new miniaturized biosensors with high sensitivity and ultrafast response. In the future individual therapy will include genetic profiling of isoenzymes and polymorphic forms of drug-metabolizing enzymes especially of the cytochrome P450 family. For defining the pharmacokinetics including the clearance of a given genotype enzyme electrodes will be a useful tool. For decentralized online patient control or the integration into everyday "consumables' such as drinking water, foods, hygienic articles, clothing, or for control of air conditioners in buildings and cars and swimming pools, a new generation of "autonomous' biosensors will emerge.
Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) is a valuable method for the fast expression of difficult-to-express proteins as well as posttranslationally modified proteins. Since cell-free systems circumvent possible cytotoxic effects caused by protein overexpression in living cells, they significantly enlarge the scale and variety of proteins that can be characterized. We demonstrate the high potential of eukaryotic CFPS to express various types of membrane proteins covering a broad range of structurally and functionally diverse proteins. Our eukaryotic cell-free translation systems are capable to provide high molecular weight membrane proteins, fluorescent-labeled membrane proteins, as well as posttranslationally modified proteins for further downstream analysis.
Cell-free protein synthesis is of increasing interest for the rapid and high-throughput synthesis of many proteins, in particular also antibody fragments. In this study, we present a novel strategy for the production of single chain antibody fragments (scFv) in a eukaryotic in vitro translation system. This strategy comprises the cell-free expression, isolation and label-free interaction analysis of a model antibody fragment synthesized in two differently prepared insect cell lysates. These lysates contain translocationally active microsomal structures derived from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), allowing for posttranslational modifications of cell-free synthesized proteins. Both types of these insect cell lysates enable the synthesis and translocation of scFv into ER-derived vesicles. However, only the one that has a specifically adapted redox potential yields functional active antibody fragments. We have developed a new methodology for the isolation of functional target proteins based on the translocation of cell-free produced scFv into microsomal structures and subsequent collection of protein-enriched vesicles. Antibody fragments that have been released from these vesicles are shown to be well suited for label-free binding studies. Altogether, these results show the potential of insect cell lysates for the production, purification and selection of antibody fragments in an easy-to-handle and time-saving manner.
Functional evaluation of candidate ice structuring proteins using
cell-free expression systems
(2013)
Ice structuring proteins (ISPs) protect organisms from damage or death by freezing. They depress the non-equilibrium freezing point of water and prevent recrystallization, probably by binding to the surface of ice crystals. Many ISPs have been described and it is likely that many more exist in nature that have not yet been identified. ISPs come in many forms and thus cannot be reliably identified by their structure or consensus ice-binding motifs. Recombinant protein expression is the gold standard for proving the activity of a candidate ISP. Among existing expression systems, cell-free protein expression is the simplest and gives the fastest access to the protein of interest, but selection of the appropriate cell-free expression system is crucial for functionality. Here we describe cell-free expression methods for three ISPs that differ widely in structure and glycosylation status from three organisms: a fish (Macrozoarces americanus), an insect (Dendroides canadensis) and an alga (Chlamydomonas sp. CCMP681). We use both prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems for the production of ISPs. An ice recrystallization inhibition assay is used to test functionality. The techniques described here should improve the success of cell-free expression of ISPs in future applications. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.