As this protein is secreted to the medium (Figure 4), the loss of function might be rather attributed to a different conformation or changes in the IL-23R binding mode compared to the AcmA-oriented, displayed REX variant interacting with the IL-23RCIgG chimera. REX protein binding variants were originally identified as binders of the human IL-23 receptor. and are efficiently displayed on the bacterial surface, as tested by flow cytometry using an anti-FLAG antibody conjugate. Upon 10-fold concentration of the conditioned media, a REX125 secretory variant can be detected by Western blotting. To confirm that the FLAG/non-FLAG REX proteins displayed by retain their binding specificity, cell-surface interactions of REX proteins with an IL-23R-IgG chimera were demonstrated by flow cytometry. In addition, statistically significant binding of secreted REX009 and REX115 proteins to bacterially produced, soluble human IL-23R was confirmed by ELISA. We conclude that REX-secreting strains were engineered that might serve as IL-23/IL-23R blockers in an experimentally induced mouse model of colitis. and They are safe, and have been used as part of human nutrition for centuries [16]. They form part of human intestinal and vaginal microbiota, and several of them have confirmed beneficial health properties and are used as probiotics [17]. Their health-promoting activity can be improved by genetic engineering, and they can be applied as a live delivery vehicle for therapeutic proteins to mucosal surfaces [18]. For the alleviation of the symptoms of IBD, our group developed a recombinant capable of displaying a tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF)-binding protein on its surface, resulting in the effective removal of TNF from the solution [19]. The effectiveness of recombinant was established in animal [20] Sophoradin as well as in an ex vivo tissue model [21]. Recently, we have effectively displayed ABD-based ILP binders of IL-23 on the surface of [12]. This work has been upgraded in the present work, which describes RECA the secretion of IL-23R binders from NZ9000 was grown at 30 C in M17 medium (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany), supplemented with 0.5% glucose (GM-17) without agitation or in the same medium solidified with 1.5% agar. Electroporation of was performed according to [22], using a Gene Pulser II apparatus (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA). To maintain selection pressure on transformation, 10 g/mL chloramphenicol was added to the growth medium. strain DH5 was grown at 37 C with agitation Sophoradin in a lysogeny broth (LB) medium supplemented with 100 g/mL ampicillin. Table 1 Strains, plasmids, and primers used in the study. Restriction recognition sites are underlined. CmR, nisin-controlled expression[23]pSDBA3b pNZ8148 containing gene fusion of Usp45 signal peptide, B domain, and cA[24]pET-REX009pET28b containing a fusion gene of REX009, tolA protein, and AviTag consensus[9]pET-REX115pET28b containing a fusion gene of REX115, tolA protein, and AviTag consensus[9]pET-REX125pET28b containing a fusion gene of REX125, tolA protein, and AviTag consensus[9]pSD-REX009pNZ8148 containing gene fusion of Usp45 signal peptide, REX009, and cAThis workpSD-REX115pNZ8148 containing gene fusion of Usp45 signal peptide, REX115, and cAThis workpSD-REX125pNZ8148 containing gene fusion of Usp45 signal peptide, REX125, and cAThis workpSD-REX009-FLAGpNZ8148 containing gene fusion of Usp45 signal peptide, FLAG tag, REX009, and cAThis workpSD-REX115-FLAGpNZ8148 containing gene fusion of Usp45 signal peptide, FLAG tag, REX115, and cAThis workpSD-REX125-FLAGpNZ8148 containing gene fusion of Usp45 signal peptide, FLAG tag, REX125, and cAThis workpSC-REX009pNZ8148 containing gene fusion of Usp45 signal peptide and REX009This workpSC-REX115pNZ8148 containing gene fusion of Usp45 signal peptide and REX115This workpSC-REX125pNZ8148 containing gene fusion of Usp45 signal peptide and REX125This workpSC-REX009-FLAGpNZ8148 containing gene fusion of Usp45 signal peptide, FLAG tag, and REX009This workpSC-REX115-FLAGpNZ8148 containing gene fusion Sophoradin of Usp45 signal peptide, FLAG tag, and REX115This workpSC-REX125-FLAGpNZ8148 containing gene fusion of Usp45 signal peptide, FLAG tag, and REX125 This work Primer ILP030-FTGGATCCTTAGCTGAAGCTAAAGTCThis workRex009-R-EcoAGAATTCAGGTAACGAAGCTAAAATCThis workRex009-R-XbaATCTAGAAGGTAACGAAGCTAAAATCThis workRex115-R-EcoAGAATTCAAGGTAAAACAGCTAAAATCCThis workRex115-R-XbaATCTAGAAGGTAAAACAGCTAAAATCCThis workRex125-R-EcoAGAATTCAAGGTAACGCAGCTAAAATAGThis workRex125-R-XbaAGAATTCAGGTAACGCAGCTAAAATAGThis workUsp1-NcoIATAACCATGGCTAAAAAAAAGATTATCTCAGCTATTTTAATG[19]FLAG_Bam_RGGATCCTTTATCATCGTCGTCTTTATAATCAGCGTAAACACCTGACAACG[25] Open in a separate window 2.2. DNA Manipulation and Sophoradin Plasmid Construction Restriction enzymes and T4 DNA ligase were purchased from Thermo Scientific. PCR amplifications were performed with Dream Taq or Phusion Hot Start polymerase (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA), according to the manufacturers protocols. PCR products were routinely ligated to pGEM-T Easy (Promega, Sophoradin Madison, WI, USA) or pJET1.2 (CloneJET PCR Cloning Kit, Thermo Fisher.