• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.67-70
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• 1998

In order to understand the influence of ferroxidase center on the protein assembly and solubility of tadpole ferrin, three mutant plasmids, pTH58K, pTH61G, and pTHKG were constructed with the aid of site-directed mutagenesis and mutant proteins were produced in Eshcerichia coli. Mutant ferritin H-subunits produced by the cells carrying plasmids pTH58K and pTHKG were active soluble proteins, whereas the mutant obtained from the plasmid pTH61G was soluble only under osmotic stress in the presence obtained from the plasmid pTH61G was soluble only under osmotic stress in the presence of sorbitol and betaine. Especially, the cells carrying pTH61G together with the plasmid pGroESL harboring the molecular chaperone genes produced soluble ferritin. The mutant ferritin H-subunits were all assembled into ferritin-like holoproteins. These mutant ferritns were capable of forming stable iron cores, which means the mutants are able to accumulate iron with such modified ferroxidase sites. Further functional analysis was also made on the individual amino acid residues of ferroxidase center.