Recombinant Endopeptidases IdeS and IdeZ and Their Potential Application

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Irina S. Boksha^1,2,a*, Vladimir G. Lunin¹, Tatyana A. Danilova¹, Maria S. Poponova¹, Nikita B. Polyakov¹, Alexander M. Lyashchuk¹, Svetlana V. Konstantinova¹, Zoya M. Galushkina¹, and Ekaterina V. Ustenko¹

¹Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 123098 Moscow, Russia

²Mental Health Research Centre, 115522 Moscow, Russia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received March 30, 2023; Revised April 14, 2023; Accepted April 15, 2023

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Endopeptidases IdeS and IdeZ (streptococcal virulence factors that specifically cleave IgG heavy chains) are of particular interest because of their potential use in biotechnology, medicine, and veterinary. Genes encoding these enzymes were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli heterologous expression system (ideS was cloned from a Streptococcus pyogenes collection strain; ideZ from Streptococcus zooepidemicus was synthesized). The 6His-tag was introduced into the amino acid sequence of each endopeptidase, and IdeS and IdeZ were purified by metal affinity chromatography to an apparent homogeneity (according to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis). Purified enzymes were active against human and animal IgGs; their specificity toward human IgGs was confirmed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Recombinant IdeZ was used for immunological analysis of equine strangles infection (diagnostics and determination of the titer of specific antibodies in blood). Hence, IdeZ can be used in veterinary and sanitary microbiology to diagnose infections caused by Streptococcus equi and S. zooepidemicus in addition to its application in medicine and biotechnology.

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KEY WORDS: recombinant endopeptidases, IdeS, IdeZ, IgG cleavage, strangles, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297923060020

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