Process to purify proteins from cell systems

Abstract: A process to purify recombinant proteins having a basic isoelectric point from heterologous cell systems, comprising the steps of processing cells, or an already purified fraction thereof, containing said proteins with basic isoelectric point, with a denaturing agent under acid environment conditions, in order to obtain a mixture; precipitating said mixture by using an organic solvent into a pellet; resuspending said pellet; fractionating said resuspended pellet by a phase chromatography.

Description: This invention relates to a process to purify proteins, more generally polypeptides, with a basic isoelectric point from both prokaryotic and eukaryotic heterologous cell systems. Recombinant proteins, obtained by introduction and expression of nucleic acids in heterologous cell systems, allow to produce polypeptides on an industrial scale basis. Either the expression level and the functional activity of the recombinant protein are largely affected by the chosen cell system. In prokaryotic systems, particularly Escherichia coli, the protein activity is often either diminished or inhibited by the occurrence of insoluble aggregate occurrence (1-4), known as "inclusion bodies". In the inclusion body forming process, interchain interactions between the newly synthesised recombinant protein and host proteins, rather than physiological intrachain interactions, are promoted, both by the reducing environment of E. coli cytoplasm and by the lack of cell compartments into bacterial cells. Furthermore, proteins of the bacterial plasmatic membrane have been found to associate with the expressed recombinant protein (5), and are therefore involved in forming such inclusion bodies. Moreover, either the protein expression level and the immunological and enzymatic activity may result to be affected by host co-purifying protease activities (6,7), and cause a significant lowering of the process yield. This occurs on both prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems. Further, as noted by the authors of the present invention, the transport into nuclei of nucleic acid binding recombinant proteins (8-11), or the interaction thereof with cytoplasm nucleic acids, in eukaryotic systems, make difficult to establish a standard purification procedure. Although the nucleic acid-protein interaction could be destroyed by using SDS (sodium dodecylsulphate), this prevents the use of both ion exchange and reverse phase chromatographies, very advantageous and largely used as purification techniques. On the other side, use of DNAse or RNAse does not succeed in fully removing the nucleic acids. Furthermore, oligonucleotides deriving by the enzymatic digestion of nucleic acids, are still able to react with proteins having a basic isoelectric point and to form nucleic acid-protein aggregates. Such aggregates have very large variability chromatography behaviours and thus negatively affect the repeatability of the purifying process on different batches. A scope of this invention is to solve the purification and poor stability protein troubles of intracellular proteins having a basic isoelectric point, both from prokaryotic or eukaryotic systems. A further scope of this invention is to supply a protein purification method, which allows to obtain highly purified and homogeneous proteins, stabilised against thermal stresses (such as frequent freezing/thawing procedures) and showing functional and/or immunologic activities similar to polypeptides from natural sources. The authors found that, treatment of protein expressing cells, both from prokaryotic or eukaryotic systems, or a membrane fraction thereof, with a denaturing agent, such as the guanidine hydrochloride (CH 6 ClN 3 ), in an acid environment, followed by precipitation with an organic solvent, such as acetonitrile (CH 3 CN), causes the breaking of the interactions between the nucleic acids and the recombinant protein; a solubilization of aggregates between recombinant and membrane proteins ("inclusion bodies" in the case of E. coli) ; the inhibition of protease activities and the removal of nucleic acids and of most of cytoplasm and membrane proteins from the solution. When used in the context of this invention, the term "basic protein" means a protein having an isoelectric point or a pH higher than 7.0; the term "acid protein " means a protein having an isoelectric point or a pH lower than 7.0. processing cells, or an already purified fraction thereof, containing said proteins with basic isoelectric point, with a denaturing agent under acid environment conditions, in order to obtain a mixture; precipitating said mixture by using an organic solvent so to obtain a pellet and a supernatant; fractionating said supernatant by chromatography. According to this invention, said denaturing agent comprises a guanidine salt, more preferably guanidine hydrochloride, still more preferably at a concentration comprised between 6M and 8M, most preferably 7M. Furthermore, according to this invention, said organic solvent comprises acetonitrile in the presence of a volatile acid; preferably said volatile acid is trifluoro acetic acid; more preferably the acetonitrile final concentration is in the range from 20 % to 30 % v/v, most preferably 25 % v/v; and the trifluoroacetic acid final concentration is most preferably in the range from 0.02 % and 0.25 % v/v. According to a preferred embodiment of this invention, said phase chromatography comprises a chromatography on an inert resin, preferably silica having carbon aliphatic chains, preferably on a reverse phase, wherein said protein is eluted with said organic solvent. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, said heterologous cell systems are prokaryotic cells, more preferably bacterial cells, most preferably E. coli cells. Alternatively said heterologous cell systems are eukaryotic cells, preferably yeast, insect or mammalian cells, most preferably Spodoptera frugiperda cells. According to a preferred embodiment of this invention, said protein having a basic isoelectric point is the recombinant delta antigen of Hepatitis D Virus (r-HDAg); alternatively, is the recombinant core antigen of Hepatitis C Virus (r-p22). This invention will be described in the following explanatory, but not limiting, Examples, by making reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein: fig. 1 shows the step purification process according to this invention; fig. 2 shows a 12.5 % SDS-PAGE gel; the arrow indicates the r-HDAg corresponding band (31 kD); lane A: total proteins following an acetonitrile precipitation; MW: molecular weight standards (BioRad, USA); lane B: rHDAg after chromatography on C18; lane C: r-HDAg after chromatography on TSK SW 4000; fig. 3 shows a chromatography profile of the C18 elution product, wherein the outlined peak contains rHDAg; fig. 4 shows a RIA assay (AB-DELTAK (RIA), SORIN Biomedica, Italy) with HDV-antibodies, wherein samples from PP1 to PP6 are HDV immunoreactive; serums from SN7 to SN9 are HDV immunoreactivity free; values of immunoinhibition higher than 50 % are considered to be anti-HDV positive; fig. 5 shows a 15% SDS PAGE gel; the arrow indicates the r-p22 corresponding band (22 kD); lane 1: molecular weight standards (BioRad, USA); lane 2: total proteins after a CH 3 CN (acetonitrile) precipitation; lane 3: r-p22 after a chromatography on C4; fig.6 shows a chromatography profile of the elution product from C4, wherein the outlined peak contains r-p22; fig.7 shows a panel of commercially available anti-HCV certified serums (1-25 BBI, USA), EIA assayed (ETI-AB-HCVK, SORIN Biomedica, Italy) with r-p22 protein (HCV core protein) as purified according to this invention when compared with a commercially available assay to detect HCV antibodies (ORTHO HCV ELISA Second Generation, Ortho Diagnostic Systems, USA). The 0 to 4 values on the histogram show the antiHCV core protein immunoreactivity of the serum panel, as defined by the CHIRON RIBA HCV Second Generation Control Test (CHIRON, USA). Example 1 Purification of Proteins From Heterologous Cell System Purification A scheme of the process is shown in fig.1. Cell Paste Lysis The cell paste (10 g of bacterial cells, or 1 x 10 9 eukaryotic cells) is suspended in 7M guanidine hydrochloride, 50 mM acetate buffer pH 5 (A buffer; 0.5 g/ml of cell paste or 1 x 10 8 cells/ml). The suspension is submitted to 100 W ultrasonic impulses for one min, using a 10 nm tip, and the procedure repeated four times. Then the suspension is centrifuged at 100,000 x g for 30 minutes at 5°C. The supernatant shows a protein contents in the range from 15 up to 30 mg/ml. Organic Precipitation The supernatant is 1:1 diluted with B solution, comprising: 50 % CH 3 CN (acetonitrile) and 0.2 % TFA (trifluoroacetic acid) in water. The suspension is stirred for 60 minutes at 5°C and then centrifuged at 100,000 x g for 30 minutes. The supernatant from the centrifugation shows a protein contents 10-30 fold lower than the lysis protein contents (total proteins: 1-3 mg/ml). Reverse Phase Chromatography The supernatant from the organic precipitation is loaded on C2 reverse phase silica column (19 mm x 300 mm, WATERS, Massachussets, USA). A fraction of the unadsorbed protein material is analysed on western blot , using conventional methods, for the immunoreactivity of the recombinant protein. The remaining unadsorbed protein material is loaded on a C4 reverse phase column (19 mm x 300 mm). A fraction of the unadsorbed protein material is analysed on western blot for the presence of the recombinant protein. Then the remaining material is treated on reverse phase columns with aliphatic chains of different length until conditions, under which the recombinant protein is adsorbed on the resin, are found. Then the protein is eluted by an acetonitrile gradient. The protein that is obtained from this procedure shows a purity level in the range from 70 to 90 % (the purity level having been established following to a density measurement analysis of Coomassie Blue dyed SDS PAGE gels). Example 2 rHDAg From E. coli Purification Lysis The cell paste from 500 ml of bacterial culture (2 g appr.) of W3110 (ATCC 27325), transformed with the plasmid pSORIN delta (DSM 6774, EP Application No. 0485347),is resuspended in 5 ml of A buffer. The suspension is treated as in Example 1. The insoluble material from the centrifugation is then resuspended in 5 ml of the A buffer and centrifuged at 100,000 x g for 15 minutes at 10°C. The clarified supernatant from the lysis, as well as the supernatant from the second cell membrane, are then pooled (Pool-1). Organic Precipitation The Pool-1 is 1:1 diluted with the B solution and incubated at 5°C under stirring for 60 minutes. Then the suspension is centrifuged at 100,000 x g for 15 minutes. Reverse Phase Chromatography (C18) The supernatant from the organic precipitation (A, fig.2) is loaded on a C18 column (1.9 cm x 30 cm, 300 A Deltapac-Waters), balanced with 25 % CH 3 CN in 0.1 % TFA (flow-rate: 10 ml/min; detector: 215 nm). The column is washed with 25 % CH 3 CN and 0.1 % TFA until the base line reached the zero (O). Then the column is eluted with a 25-30 % CH 3 CN gradient in a 0.1 % TFA gradient (gradient time: 30 minutes; flow rate: 10 ml/min.; detector: 215 nm). The outlined peak on the curve of the fig.3 contains the recombinant r-HDAg at a 60 % purity level (B in fig.2). Gel Permeation The r-HDAg from the reverse phase chromatography is lyophilised and resuspended in the B solution, with 500 µl (0.5 %) of β-mercaptoethanol. The r-HDAg is loaded on TSK SW4000 column (7.8 mm x 600 mm, Waters, Massachussets, USA), balanced with the B solution (flow rate: 1 ml/min.; detector: 215 nm). The elution products are collected as 250 µl fractions. These fractions, after having been lyophilised, are dissolved in 2 % acetic acid and analysed on 12.5% PAGE SDS. The fractions containing r-HDAg (31 kD) are pooled (Pool-2; C in fig.2); the protein shows a purity level higher than 90 %. r-HDAg And Natural Antigen Immunoreactivity Comparison The r-HDAg purified as above is used in commercially available assays to define the total HDV antibodies (ETI-B-DELTAK and AB-DELTAK(RIA), SORIN Biomedica, Italy), for comparison purpose with the natural antigen from a lysate from HDV-infected marmot liver. Both antigens are used to analyse a series of anti-HDV immunoreactive serums (fig.4). The recombinant antigen (r-HDAg) has a comparable ability to recognise the HDV antibodies in the RIA assay as the natural source antigen; in the immunoenzymatic assay, r-HDAg is able to bind the HDV antibodies in PP2 and PP3 serums, that could not be detected by the natural antigen (fig.4). Example 3 Purification Of HCV r-P22 (Core Antigen) From S. frugiperda (Sf9) Insect Cells Lysis Sf9 cells (ATCC CRL1711) are infected with pVL1393 baculum-type virus vector (Invitrogen, California, USA), wherein a 380 bp fragment coding for the first 120 aminoacids of the rp-22 protein (capsidic) of HCV virus is cloned in the EcoRI/PstI sites. The cells are cultivated by conventional methods. The cell pellet (1 x 10 9 cells) is resuspended in 15 ml TE (10 mM Tris-HCl; pH 8.0; 1 mM EDTA) and submitted to 100 W ultrasonic impulses for 1 minute; the procedure as above is repeated 4 times. The cell lysis is centrifuged at 100,000 x g for 60 minutes at 5°C. The pellet (membrane fraction) is resuspended in 10 ml of an A buffer. The solution is then stirred for 60 minutes at 5°C. Organic Precipitation The suspension is added with 11 ml of B solution and stirred for 60 minutes at 5°C and then centrifuged at 100,000 x g at 10°C. Reverse Phase Chromatography The supernatant (21 ml, fig.2) is loaded on a C4 reverse phase column (19 mm x 300 mm, Waters, C4 300 A), balanced with 25 % CH 3 CN in 0.1 % TFA. The C4 column is eluted with a linear 25-30 % CH 3 CN in 0.1 % TFA gradient (time: 30 minutes; flow rate: 10 ml/min.; detector: 280 nm); and as soon as the procedure is completed, all unadsorbed material is removed. The outlined peak in fig.6 shows r-p22 immunoreactivity. The r-p22 recombinant antigen (HCV core protein), after having been lyophilised and then resuspended in 2 % acetic acid, is analysed on a 15 % SDS PAGE , showing a purity level higher than 90 % (lane 3, fig.5). r-p22 Recombinant Antigen Immunoreactivity Check The HCV antibody binding ability of the recombinant antigen is checked on a anti-HCV certified serum panel (Anti-HCV Mixed Titer Performance Panel (PHV201), Boston Biomedica, Inc., USA). The purified r-p22 protein, adsorbed on microtiter plates (Nunc, Danemark) is tested on a commercially available assay (ETI-AB-HCVK, SORIN Biomedica, Italy), by substituting the kit solid phase. The assay, modified as above, is compared with the commercially available ORTHO ELISA Second Generation (Ortho Diagnostic Systems, USA, fig.7). The ability of the r-p22 polypeptide in recognising HCV core protein antibodies is significant higher than the recognising ability of the used antigen in the Ortho Diagnostic System's assay (fig.7). LITERATURE 1. Mitraki, A. and King, J. "Biotechology", 690-697 (1989). 2. Bowdwn, G.A, Paredes, A.M. and Georgiu, G., "Biotecnology" 9, 725-730 (1991). 3. Haase-Pettingell, C.A and King. J., "J. of Biol. Chem.", 263, 4977-4983 (1988). 4. Hartley, D.L, and Kane, J.F., "Biochem. Soc. Trans", 16, 101-102 (1988). 5 . Frankel, S. ,Sohn, R. and Leinwand, L. "Proc . Natl . Acad. Sci. USA", 88, 1192-1196 (1991). 6. Hellebust , H ., Murby, M., Abramsen, L ., Uhlen M. and S-V Enfors "Biotechnology", 7, 165-168 (1989). 7 . Babbitt, P . C, West, B . L ., Buechter, D . D ., Kuntz, I.D. and Kenyon, G.L., "Biotechnology" 8, 945-949 (1990). 8 . Chang , M . F ., Baker , S . C ., Soe L . H ., Kamahora , T ., Keck , J . G ., Makino , S ., Gonvidara j an , S . and Lai , M.M.C., "J. Virol.", 62, 2403-2410, (1988). 9. Chao, M., Hsien, S.Y. and Taylor, J.M., "J. Virol.", C4, 5066-5069 (1990). 10. Kos, A., Molijn, A.C.M., Blauw, B. and Schellekens, H., "J. Gen. Virol. ", 72, 833-842, (1991) . 11. Xia, Y.P., Yeh, C.T., Ou J.H. and Lai M.M.C., "J. Virol.", 66, 914-921, (1992).

Claims: A process to purify recombinant proteins having a basic isoelectric point from heterologous cell systems, comprising the steps of: processing cells, or an already purified fraction thereof, containing said proteins with basic isoelectric point, with a denaturing agent under acid environment conditions, in order to obtain a mixture; precipitating said mixture by using an organic solvent so to obtain a pellet and a supernatant; fractionating said supernatant by phase chromatography. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to claim 1, wherein said denaturing agent comprises a guanidine salt. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to claim 2, wherein said guanidine salt is guanidine hydrochloride. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to claim 3, wherein said guanidine hydrochloride is at a concentration comprised between 6 M and 8 M. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to claim 4, wherein said guanidine hydrochloride is at a concentration of 7 M. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to any of previous claim, wherein said organic solvent comprises acetonitrile in the presence of a volatile acid. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to claim 6, wherein said volatile acid is trifluoroacetic acid. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to claim 7, wherein the acetonitrile final concentration is in the range from 20 to 30 % v/v, and the trifluoroacetic acid concentration is in the range from 0.02 to 0.25% v/v. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to any of previous claim, wherein said phase chromatography comprises a chromatography on an inert silica resin. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to any previous claim, wherein said chromatography is a reverse phase chromatography and said protein is eluted with said organic solvent. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to any of previous claim, wherein said heterologous cell systems are prokaryote cells. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to any of previous claim, wherein said prokaryote cells are bacterial cells. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to claim 12, wherein said bacterial cells are E. coli cells. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to any of claims from 1 to 10, wherein said heterologous cell systems are eukaryote cells. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to claim 14, wherein said eukaryote cells are yeast, or insect or mammalian cells. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to claim 15, wherein said cells are S. frugiperda cells. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to any of previous claims, wherein said protein is r-HDAg of HDV. A process to purify recombinant proteins with basic isoelectric point according to any of claims from 1 to 16, wherein said protein is r-p22 ("core"antigen) of HCV.

Inventors: BONELLI FABRIZIO, CALOGERO RAFFAELE, CECCONATO ELVI, BONELLI, FABRIZIO, CALOGERO, RAFFAELE, CECCONATO, ELVI
Applicants: WABCO B V, WABCO B.V.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: C07K1
IPC codes: C07K14, C07K1