| خلاصه مقاله | Introduction: The receptor binding domain (RBD) is a part of the SARS-CoV-2 S
protein, which binds to the host receptor and facilitates viral entry. RBD
expressed in eukaryotic cells cannot meet the high expression yield and cost
requirements for therapeutics and vaccines. There have been numerous studies
suggesting that the RBD expressed by E. coli may induce protective immunity.
Furthermore, RBD expressed in E. coli has been used for worldwide research
purposes as a cost-effective antigen. In this study, we expressed RBD in the E.
coli BL21 strain and evaluated the purified protein by SDS page and ELISA.
Methods: The plasmid and the sequence coding for RBD were treated with
restriction enzymes. The RBD fragment was ligated into pET28a (+) using T4
DNA ligase. Then the expression construct was transformed into E. coli BL21,
cultured in LB media, and induced with isopropyl b-D-1-thiogalactoside. A 15%
SDS-PAGE was used to analyze the expression. For purification, the cells were
lysed by sonication and recombinant RBD was purified by the NiNTA column.
Finally, the recombinant RBD was refolded by the gradual elimination of urea by
dialysis. The quality of purified RBD was assessed by SDS-PAGE analysis and
ELISA.
Results: To produce a large amount of antigen for the biopanning process, the
DNA sequence of the RBD protein of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was
synthesized and cloned into the PET-28a vector. Results of PCR analysis and
DNA sequencing confirmed the recombinant PET-28a sequence at the
appropriate size of ~ 4000 bp as shown in supplementary data 1. The
recombinant protein was expressed in E. coli strain BL21, purified by NINTA
column, and refolded by dialysis. The SDS-PAGE results showed 95%
purification of the RBD protein. To ensure the accurate antigenicity and function
of the RBD protein an ELISA test on pooled COVID-19 serum samples was
performed and the results revealed a high binding affinity of the serum antibodies
to the RBD protein.
Conclusion: In conclusion, we expressed high yields of SARS-CoV-2 receptor
binding domain protein in E. coli strain BL21. Our results indicate that expressed
RBD is functional and can induce immune responses |