Self-cleaved expression of recombinant lysostaphin from its cellulose binding domain fusion

Mature lysostaphin (mLst) is a glycineglycine endopeptidase, capable of specifically cleaving penta-glycine crosslinker in the peptidoglycan of Staphylococcus aureus cell wall. It is a very effective therapeutic enzyme to kill the multidrug-resistant S. aureus often encountered in hospital acquired infections. Fusing cellulose binding domain (CBD) to mLst significantly reduced the insoluble expression of mLst in E. coli. Employing mLst-cleavable peptides as fusion linkers leaded to an effective self-cleavage expression that CBD and mLst could be completely cleaved off from the fusions during the expression process. The presence of residue linker fragment at N-terminus of the cleaved-off mLst strongly inhibited the cell lytic activity of the recovered recombinant mLst, and only ~ 50% of the wild-type mLst activity could be retained. Intact CBD-Lst fusions were obtained when uncleavable peptide linkers were employed. With CBD at N-terminus of mLst, the intact fusion completely lost its cell lytic activity but the dipeptidase activity still remained. In contrast, approximately 10% cell lytic activity of mLst still could be maintained for the fusion with CBD at C-terminus of mLst. KEY POINTS: • CBD fusion enhanced soluble expression of recombinant lysostaphin. • In vivo self-cleavage of fusion linkers by the expressed lysostaphin fusions. • Self-cleaved lysostaphin fusions retain most of dipeptidase but lose 50% cell lytic activity.