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A Short Peptide Designed from Late Embryogenesis Abundant Protein Enhances Acid Tolerance in Escherichia coli

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Abstract

Unsuitable pH is a major limiting factor for all organisms, and a low pH can lead to organism death. Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) peptides confer tolerance to abiotic stresses including salinity, drought, high and low temperature, and ultraviolet radiation same as the LEA proteins from which they originate. In this study, LEA peptides derived from group 3 LEA proteins of Polypedilum vanderplanki were used to enhance low pH tolerance. Recombinant Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) cells expressing the five designed LEA peptides were grown at pH 4, 3, and 2. The transformants showed higher growth capacity at low pH as compared to control cells. These results indicate that LEA peptide could prevent E. coli cell death under low pH conditions.

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Abbreviations

CFU:

Colony-forming units

DMSO:

Dimethyl sulfoxide

IPTG:

Isopropylthio-d-galactoside

LB:

Luria-Bertani

LEA:

Late embryogenesis abundant

OD600 :

Optical density at 600 nm

PBS:

Phosphate-buffered saline

GDAR:

Glutamic acid-dependent acid resistance

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Funding

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (grant number 25820405).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Functions Engineering, Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, 2-4 Hibikino, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu, 808-0196, Japan

    Khaled Metwally & Shinya Ikeno

  2. Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 11241, Egypt

    Khaled Metwally

  3. Research Center for Bio-microsensing Technology (RCBT), Kyushu Institute of Technology, 2-4 Hibikino, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu, 808-0196, Japan

    Shinya Ikeno

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  1. Khaled Metwally
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  2. Shinya Ikeno
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KM and SI conceived and designed the project, interpreted the data, analyzed the data and wrote the paper. KM performed experiments.

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Correspondence to Shinya Ikeno.

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Metwally, K., Ikeno, S. A Short Peptide Designed from Late Embryogenesis Abundant Protein Enhances Acid Tolerance in Escherichia coli. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 191, 164–176 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-020-03262-5

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