Expression and purification of a fusion-typed pediocin PA-1 in Escherichia coli and recovery of biologically active pediocin PA-1

Pediocin PA-1 is a representative class IIa bacteriocin which is small and heat-stable and has a consensus motif, –YGNGV–. The plasmid pQE40PED, encoding pediocin PA-1 fused with His-tagged mouse dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), was constructed and introduced into Escherichia coli M15 strain. The fusion protein was overexpressed in the strain after induction of isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) and purified by nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) metal affinity chromatography. For the recovery of biologically active pediocin PA-1, the purified fusion protein was cleaved by Factor Xa protease and the liberated pediocin PA-1 was finally purified by ultrafiltration with a 75% yield. The molecular mass of the purified recombinant pediocin PA-1 was the same as that of native pediocin PA-1 on an electrophoresis gel.