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Strategies for Tag Design and Removal in the Expression and Purification of Recombinant Proteins
Jiayi Xie1, 2
Hongyi Fan3
Qingshan Bill Fu1, 2, *
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Submitted: 19 Dec 2024 | Revised: 10 Jan 2025 | Accepted: 14 Feb 2025 | Published: 8 Apr 2025

Abstract

Recombinant proteins find extensive applications in the biomedical and industrial fields, and efficient protein purification is often critical for achieving their functional value. Adding specific tags to the target proteins significantly enhances expression and purification efficiency and reduces time and costs. Tags can be classified into interfering and non-interfering tags, based on their effect on protein function during purification. However, interfering tags may need to be removed after purification to prevent interference with the protein’s function in downstream applications, presenting challenges for the design and utilization of tagged fusion proteins. In this article, we discuss the recent advancements in solubility tags and controllable aggregation tags, which have emerged as powerful tools to improve purification efficiency and address these challenges. We further outline strategies for optimal tag design and on-demand cleavage, and emphasize emerging trends, technical features, and forthcoming challenges that are shaping the future of tagged fusion protein production.

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Xie, J., Fan, H., & Fu, Q. B. (2025). Strategies for Tag Design and Removal in the Expression and Purification of Recombinant Proteins. Health and Metabolism, 2(2), 4. https://doi.org/10.53941/hm.2025.100011
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Copyright (c) 2025 by the authors.

This work is licensed under a This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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