Biotechnology Bulletin ›› 2016, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (4): 121-127.doi: 10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2016.04.016

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High-level Expression of a Type 2 Metallothionein Protein(HcMT)from Halostachys caspica in Escherichia coli and Its Metal-binding Ability

MENG Hong-en, DU Rong-feng, XU Xin,LIU Zhong-yuan   

  1. Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering,College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University,Urumqi 830046
  • Received:2015-07-28 Online:2016-04-25 Published:2016-04-26

Abstract: This study aims to evaluate the prokaryotic expression and metal-binding ability of metallothionein protein in Halostachys caspica(HcMT). HcMT cloned from H. caspica was transferred to prokaryotic expression vector pGEX-6p-2 and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21. Then the glutathione S-transferase(GST)fusion protein(GST-HcMT)was isolated and purified. Using atomic absorption spectrometry,the metal-binding ability of the GST-HcMT was determined by measuring the amount of metal ions it bound with. The results showed that the molecular weight of expressed fusion protein GST-HcMT was about 34 kD,which was as expected and confirmed by Western blot. Furthermore,GST-HcMT bound 25,10,4,2 folds of Cu2+,Zn2+,Pb2+,and Cd2+ separately as GST alone,and the binding ability of GST-HcMT was as follows:Cu2+ > Cd2+ > Zn2+ > Pb2+.

Key words: metallothionein protein from Halostachys caspica(HcMT), atomic absorption spectrometry(AAS), metal-binding ability