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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
A Convenient and General Expression Platform for the Production of Secreted Proteins from Human Cells
Published on: July 31, 2012
Expression, purification, refolding, and characterization of recombinant human interleukin-13: utilization of
E Z Eisenmesser1, R B Kapust, J P Nawrocki
1Macromolecular NMR Section, National Cancer Institute-FCRDC, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA.
Abstract:
Interleukin-13 (IL-13) is a pleiotropic cytokine that elicits both proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory immune responses. Recent studies underscore its role in several diseases, including asthma and cancer. Solution studies of IL-13 and its soluble receptors may facilitate the design of antagonists/agonists which would require milligram quantities of specifically labeled protein. A synthetic gene encoding human IL-13 (hIL-13) was inserted into the pMAL-c2 vector with a cleavage site for the tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease. Coexpression of the fusion protein and TEV protease led to in vivo cleavage, resulting in high levels of hIL-13 production. hIL-13, localized to inclusion bodies, was purified and refolded to yield approximately 2 mg per liter of bacteria grown in minimal media. Subsequent biochemical and biophysical analysis of both the unlabeled and (15)N-labeled protein revealed a bioactive helical monomer. In addition, the two disulfide bonds were unambiguously demonstrated to be Cys29-Cys57 and Cys45-Cys71 by a combined proteolytic digestion and mass spectrometric analysis.
