Characterization and heterologous expression of testosterone-inducible regulator fromComamonas testosteroniinEscherichia coli

Abstract

AbstractThe testosterone-inducible regulator (teiR) gene was cloned fromComamonas testosteronichromosomal DNA, and introduced into plasmids pKtac2 (containing atacpromoter) and pK18 to yield plasmids pKtac2-teiRand pKteiR100. The recombinant plasmids were transformed into competentEscherichia coliHB101 and total protein was extracted to detect the TeiR protein expression level using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).E. colitransformed by pKtac2-teiRand pKteiR100produced 6.65 and 5.93 μg/mg of TeiR protein, respectively. Recombinant plasmids were also co-transformed into competentE. coliHB101 with plasmid p6 [containinghsdAgene (3α-HSD/CR, 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/carbonyl reductase encoding gene)] to reveal the relationship between 3α-HSD/CR and TeiR by ELISA. The amounts of TeiR protein expressed byE. colicontaining pKtac2-teiRand pKteiR100were 5.94 μg/mg and 5.33 μg/mg, respectively, and these increased up to 6.81 μg/mg and 6.10 μg/mg after inducing with 1 mmol/l isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactoside (IPTG). Interestingly, 3α-HSD/CR protein expression level, after co-transformation with plasmids pKtac2-teiRand p6, was lower than that observed in the co-transformation with pKteiR100and p6. The first co-transformation induced 1.20 μg/mg 3α-HSD/CR protein and the second 1.71 μg/mg. These values rose to 1.42 and 1.80 μg/mg, respectively, after treatment with 1 mmol/l IPTG. Our results proved that thetacpromoter was more efficient than thelacZpromoter and that theteiRgene could act as an activator forhsdAgene expression.