The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Production and activation of recombinant hK2 with propeptide mutations resulting in high expression levels

På svenska

Author

Summary, in English

Human glandular kallikrein 2 (hK2) is a serine protease expressed mainly by the prostate gland with 80% identity in primary structure to prostate specific antigen (PSA). hK2 has proven to be a useful marker of prostate cancer which can be used in combination with PSA to better discriminate between prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia. The studies on hK2 have been hampered by its very low phyciological levels (6 microgram.mL-1), its close similarity to PSA, and the low expression levels obtained using recombinant procedures to produce hK2 (0.7 mg.L-1). We have now generated propeptide mutations of hK2 which can be used to isolate stable, inactive prohK2 mutants. Compared with wild-type hK2, expression of the propeptide hK2 mutants increases the expression levels up to 15-40-fold giving 10-30 mg hK2.L-1. These results indicate that the low expression levels of wild-type hK2 are related to the activation or autoactivation of the wild-type enzyme and the instability of the active protease in cell culture and possibly also in tissue. The purified mutant hK2 may be activated by either enterokinase or factor Xa to generate an enzyme for use in functional studies with the characteristics of the original wild-type protein. Further, the stable inactive mutant hK2 protein may be used for immunizations to generate novel monoclonal antibodies, used as standard material for clinical assays or in crystallization studies where large quantities of protein are required.

Publishing year

1999

Language

English

Pages

5-1050

Publication/Series

Eur J Biochem

Volume

266

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Topic

  • Medicinal Chemistry

Keywords

  • Prostate/enzymology
  • *Mutation
  • Male
  • Kinetics
  • Humans
  • Gene Expression
  • Enzyme Precursors/biosynthesis/genetics/metabolism
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Cell Line
  • DNA Primers/genetics
  • Base Sequence
  • Animals
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Recombinant Proteins/biosynthesis/genetics/metabolism
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Spodoptera
  • Tissue Kallikreins/*biosynthesis/*genetics/metabolism

Status

Published

Research group

  • Clinical Chemistry, Malmö