Cloning, sequencing, and expression of cDNA encoding bovine prion protein

A normal prion protein (PrPc) is converted to a protease resistant isoform (PrPsc) by an apparent self-propagating activity in bovine spongiform encephalopathies (BSE), which is a neurodegenerative disease. The cDNA encoding bovine PrP open reading frame (ORF) in Korean cattle was cloned by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The cloned cDNA had a length of 795 base pairs which coded for a protein of 264 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 28.6 kDa. Identities of 90, 90, 79 and 78% on nucleotide and 94, 94, 84, and 84% on amino acid sequence were shown to PrP genes from sheep, goal, human, and mouse, respectively. The cloned DNA was ligated into the pQE30 expression vector and transformed into E. coli M15. The PrP was expressed by induction with isopropyl-beta-thiogalactoside (IPTG) and purified on the Ni-NTA affinity column. High specific activities of the recombinant PrP were observed in the fraction of pH 5.8 eluate and showed a molecular mass of similar to29 kDa on SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis.