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Irshad B, Lu C, Nederstigt AE, Hu P, Xue L, Lin-Cereghino J, Franz AH, Harrison JS, Lin-Cereghino GP. The effect of the bgs13 mutation on the structure of the reporter protein beta-lactoglobulin: Influence on folding and aggregation in Pichia pastoris. Protein Expr Purif 2023; 212:106355. [PMID: 37598731 PMCID: PMC10528908 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2023.106355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Pichia pastoris, a methylotrophic yeast used for recombinant protein expression, has the capability of performing many eukaryotic post-translational modifications, growing to high cell densities, and producing proteins in a cost-effective manner. However, P. pastoris's secretion properties are not always efficient, and its secretory pathway mechanisms have not been thoroughly elucidated. A previously identified mutant strain, bgs13, was found to efficiently secrete most recombinant proteins tested, raising the possibility that this bgs13 mutant is a universal super secreter. In this study, we used a reporter protein, β-lactoglobulin (b-LG), to perform structural analysis of the protein secreted from wild type and mutant bgs13 strains to investigate the secretory mechanism. Primary, secondary, and tertiary structures of b-LG were examined using Edman sequencing, circular dichroism, tryptophan fluorescence, and temperature induced aggregation analysis. Our results demonstrate that the bgs13 produced more b-LG than the wt strain and that this protein was functionally folded similar to the wt. Surprisingly, we also found that the bgs13 b-LG was more resistant to aggregation, providing another example of the superior qualities of this strain for enhanced secreted protein production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bushra Irshad
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, USA
| | - Cai Lu
- Department of Chemistry, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, USA
| | - Anneroos E Nederstigt
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Priscilla Hu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, USA
| | - Liang Xue
- Department of Chemistry, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, USA
| | - Joan Lin-Cereghino
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, USA
| | - Andreas H Franz
- Department of Chemistry, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, USA
| | - Joseph S Harrison
- Department of Chemistry, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, USA.
| | - Geoff P Lin-Cereghino
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, USA.
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2
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Gätjen D, Wieczorek M, Listek M, Tomszak F, Nölle V, Hanack K, Droste M. A switchable secrete-and-capture system enables efficient selection of Pichia pastoris clones producing high yields of Fab fragments. J Immunol Methods 2022; 511:113383. [PMID: 36356896 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2022.113383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Pichia pastoris (syn. Komagataella phaffii) represents a commonly used expression system in the biotech industry. High clonal variation of transformants, however, typically results in a broad range of specific productivities for secreted proteins. To isolate rare clones with exceedingly high product titers, an extensive number of clones need to be screened. In contrast to high-throughput screenings of P. pastoris clones in microtiter plates, secrete-and-capture methodologies have the potential to efficiently isolate high-producer clones among millions of cells through fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Here, we describe a novel approach for the non-covalent binding of fragment antigen-binding (Fab) proteins to the cell surface for the isolation of high-producing clones. Eight different single-chain variable fragment (scFv)-based capture matrices specific for the constant part of the Fabs were fused to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha-agglutinin (SAG1) anchor protein for surface display in P. pastoris. By encoding the capture matrix on an episomal plasmid harboring inherently unstable autonomously replicating sequences (ARS), this secrete-and-capture system offers a switchable scFv display. Efficient plasmid clearance upon removal of selective pressure enabled the direct use of isolated clones for subsequent Fab production. Flow-sorted clones (n = 276) displaying high amounts of Fabs showed a significant increase in median Fab titers detected in the cell-free supernatant (CFS) compared to unsorted clones (n = 276) when cells were cultivated in microtiter plates (factor in the range of ∼21-49). Fab titers of clones exhibiting the highest product titer observed for each of the two approaches were increased by up to 8-fold for the sorted clone. Improved Fab yields of sorted cells vs. unsorted cells were confirmed in an upscaled shake flask cultivation of selected candidates (factor in the range of ∼2-3). Hence, the developed display-based selection method proved to be a valuable tool for efficient clone screening in the early stages of our bioprocess development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic Gätjen
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 68, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany; Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Marek Wieczorek
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 68, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Martin Listek
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Florian Tomszak
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 68, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Volker Nölle
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 68, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Katja Hanack
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Miriam Droste
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 68, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany.
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3
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Schusterbauer V, Fischer JE, Gangl S, Schenzle L, Rinnofner C, Geier M, Sailer C, Glieder A, Thallinger GG. Whole Genome Sequencing Analysis of Effects of CRISPR/Cas9 in Komagataella phaffii: A Budding Yeast in Distress. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8100992. [PMID: 36294556 PMCID: PMC9605565 DOI: 10.3390/jof8100992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The industrially important non-conventional yeast Komagataella phaffii suffers from low rates of homologous recombination, making site specific genetic engineering tedious. Therefore, genome editing using CRISPR/Cas represents a simple and efficient alternative. To characterize on- and off-target mutations caused by CRISPR/Cas9 followed by non-homologous end joining repair, we chose a diverse set of CRISPR/Cas targets and conducted whole genome sequencing on 146 CRISPR/Cas9 engineered single colonies. We compared the outcomes of single target CRISPR transformations to double target experiments. Furthermore, we examined the extent of possible large deletions by targeting a large genomic region, which is likely to be non-essential. The analysis of on-target mutations showed an unexpectedly high number of large deletions and chromosomal rearrangements at the CRISPR target loci. We also observed an increase of on-target structural variants in double target experiments as compared to single target experiments. Targeting of two loci within a putatively non-essential region led to a truncation of chromosome 3 at the target locus in multiple cases, causing the deletion of 20 genes and several ribosomal DNA repeats. The identified de novo off-target mutations were rare and randomly distributed, with no apparent connection to unspecific CRISPR/Cas9 off-target binding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Schusterbauer
- bisy GmbH, Wuenschendorf 292, 8200 Hofstaetten, Austria
- Institute of Biomedical Imaging, Graz University of Technology, Stremayrgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | | | - Sarah Gangl
- bisy GmbH, Wuenschendorf 292, 8200 Hofstaetten, Austria
| | - Lisa Schenzle
- bisy GmbH, Wuenschendorf 292, 8200 Hofstaetten, Austria
| | | | - Martina Geier
- bisy GmbH, Wuenschendorf 292, 8200 Hofstaetten, Austria
| | - Christian Sailer
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Graz University of Technology, Stremayrgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Anton Glieder
- bisy GmbH, Wuenschendorf 292, 8200 Hofstaetten, Austria
| | - Gerhard G. Thallinger
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Graz University of Technology, Stremayrgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
- OMICS Center Graz, BioTechMed Graz, Stiftingtalstraße 24, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +43-316-873-5343
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4
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Ito Y, Ishigami M, Terai G, Nakamura Y, Hashiba N, Nishi T, Nakazawa H, Hasunuma T, Asai K, Umetsu M, Ishii J, Kondo A. A streamlined strain engineering workflow with genome-wide screening detects enhanced protein secretion in Komagataella phaffii. Commun Biol 2022; 5:561. [PMID: 35676418 PMCID: PMC9177720 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03475-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression of secreted recombinant proteins burdens the protein secretion machinery, limiting production. Here, we describe an approach to improving protein production by the non-conventional yeast Komagataella phaffii comprised of genome-wide screening for effective gene disruptions, combining them in a single strain, and recovering growth reduction by adaptive evolution. For the screen, we designed a multiwell-formatted, streamlined workflow to high-throughput assay of secretion of a single-chain small antibody, which is cumbersome to detect but serves as a good model of proteins that are difficult to secrete. Using the consolidated screening system, we evaluated >19,000 mutant strains from a mutant library prepared by a modified random gene-disruption method, and identified six factors for which disruption led to increased antibody production. We then combined the disruptions, up to quadruple gene knockouts, which appeared to contribute independently, in a single strain and observed an additive effect. Target protein and promoter were basically interchangeable for the effects of knockout genes screened. We finally used adaptive evolution to recover reduced cell growth by multiple gene knockouts and examine the possibility for further enhancing protein secretion. Our successful, three-part approach holds promise as a method for improving protein production by non-conventional microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoichiro Ito
- Engineering Biology Research Center, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Misa Ishigami
- Technology Research Association of Highly Efficient Gene Design (TRAHED), Kobe, Japan
| | - Goro Terai
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Nakamura
- Engineering Biology Research Center, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Noriko Hashiba
- Technology Research Association of Highly Efficient Gene Design (TRAHED), Kobe, Japan
| | - Teruyuki Nishi
- Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
- Bio-Pharma Research Laboratories, Kaneka Corporation, Takasago, Japan
| | - Hikaru Nakazawa
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Tomohisa Hasunuma
- Engineering Biology Research Center, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Asai
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Mitsuo Umetsu
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Jun Ishii
- Engineering Biology Research Center, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.
- Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.
| | - Akihiko Kondo
- Engineering Biology Research Center, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.
- Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.
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5
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Cid R, Bolívar J. Platforms for Production of Protein-Based Vaccines: From Classical to Next-Generation Strategies. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1072. [PMID: 34439738 PMCID: PMC8394948 DOI: 10.3390/biom11081072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, vaccination has become one of the most effective strategies to control and reduce infectious diseases, preventing millions of deaths worldwide. The earliest vaccines were developed as live-attenuated or inactivated pathogens, and, although they still represent the most extended human vaccine types, they also face some issues, such as the potential to revert to a pathogenic form of live-attenuated formulations or the weaker immune response associated with inactivated vaccines. Advances in genetic engineering have enabled improvements in vaccine design and strategies, such as recombinant subunit vaccines, have emerged, expanding the number of diseases that can be prevented. Moreover, antigen display systems such as VLPs or those designed by nanotechnology have improved the efficacy of subunit vaccines. Platforms for the production of recombinant vaccines have also evolved from the first hosts, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to insect or mammalian cells. Traditional bacterial and yeast systems have been improved by engineering and new systems based on plants or insect larvae have emerged as alternative, low-cost platforms. Vaccine development is still time-consuming and costly, and alternative systems that can offer cost-effective and faster processes are demanding to address infectious diseases that still do not have a treatment and to face possible future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Cid
- ADL Bionatur Solutions S.A., Av. del Desarrollo Tecnológico 11, 11591 Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
| | - Jorge Bolívar
- Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health-Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Campus Universitario de Puerto Real, University of Cadiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
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6
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Bernauer L, Radkohl A, Lehmayer LGK, Emmerstorfer-Augustin A. Komagataella phaffii as Emerging Model Organism in Fundamental Research. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:607028. [PMID: 33505376 PMCID: PMC7829337 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.607028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris) is one of the most extensively applied yeast species in pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries, and, therefore, also called the biotech yeast. However, thanks to more advanced strain engineering techniques, it recently started to gain attention as model organism in fundamental research. So far, the most studied model yeast is its distant cousin, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. While these data are of great importance, they limit our knowledge to one organism only. Since the divergence of the two species 250 million years ago, K. phaffii appears to have evolved less rapidly than S. cerevisiae, which is why it remains more characteristic of the common ancient yeast ancestors and shares more features with metazoan cells. This makes K. phaffii a valuable model organism for research on eukaryotic molecular cell biology, a potential we are only beginning to fully exploit. As methylotrophic yeast, K. phaffii has the intriguing property of being able to efficiently assimilate methanol as a sole source of carbon and energy. Therefore, major efforts have been made using K. phaffii as model organism to study methanol assimilation, peroxisome biogenesis and pexophagy. Other research topics covered in this review range from yeast genetics including mating and sporulation behavior to other cellular processes such as protein secretion, lipid biosynthesis and cell wall biogenesis. In this review article, we compare data obtained from K. phaffii with S. cerevisiae and other yeasts whenever relevant, elucidate major differences, and, most importantly, highlight the big potential of using K. phaffii in fundamental research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Bernauer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Astrid Radkohl
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Anita Emmerstorfer-Augustin
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
- acib—Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Graz, Austria
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7
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Reindl M, Stock J, Hussnaetter KP, Genc A, Brachmann A, Schipper K. A Novel Factor Essential for Unconventional Secretion of Chitinase Cts1. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1529. [PMID: 32733418 PMCID: PMC7358432 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Subcellular targeting of proteins is essential to orchestrate cytokinesis in eukaryotic cells. During cell division of Ustilago maydis, for example, chitinases must be specifically targeted to the fragmentation zone at the site of cell division to degrade remnant chitin and thus separate mother and daughter cells. Chitinase Cts1 is exported to this location via an unconventional secretion pathway putatively operating in a lock-type manner. The underlying mechanism is largely unexplored. Here, we applied a forward genetic screen based on UV mutagenesis to identify components essential for Cts1 export. The screen revealed a novel factor termed Jps1 lacking known protein domains. Deletion of the corresponding gene confirmed its essential role for Cts1 secretion. Localization studies demonstrated that Jps1 colocalizes with Cts1 in the fragmentation zone of dividing yeast cells. While loss of Jps1 leads to exclusion of Cts1 from the fragmentation zone and strongly reduced unconventional secretion, deletion of the chitinase does not disturb Jps1 localization. Yeast-two hybrid experiments indicate that the two proteins might interact. In essence, we identified a novel component of unconventional secretion that functions in the fragmentation zone to enable export of Cts1. We hypothesize that Jps1 acts as an anchoring factor for Cts1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michèle Reindl
- Institute for Microbiology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Bioeconomy Science Center, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Janpeter Stock
- Institute for Microbiology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Bioeconomy Science Center, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Kai P. Hussnaetter
- Institute for Microbiology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Bioeconomy Science Center, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Aycin Genc
- Institute for Microbiology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Andreas Brachmann
- Genetics, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Kerstin Schipper
- Institute for Microbiology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Bioeconomy Science Center, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
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Role of BGS13 in the Secretory Mechanism of Pichia pastoris. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019; 85:AEM.01615-19. [PMID: 31585990 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01615-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris has been utilized for heterologous protein expression for over 30 years. Because P. pastoris secretes few of its own proteins, the exported recombinant protein is the major polypeptide in the extracellular medium, making purification relatively easy. Unfortunately, some recombinant proteins intended for secretion are retained within the cell. A mutant strain isolated in our laboratory, containing a disruption of the BGS13 gene, displayed elevated levels of secretion for a variety of reporter proteins. The Bgs13 peptide (Bgs13p) is similar to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein kinase C 1 protein (Pkc1p), but its specific mode of action is currently unclear. To illuminate differences in the secretion mechanism between the wild-type (wt) strain and the bgs13 strain, we determined that the disrupted bgs13 gene expressed a truncated protein that had reduced protein kinase C activity and a different location in the cell, compared to the wt protein. Because the Pkc1p of baker's yeast plays a significant role in cell wall integrity, we investigated the sensitivity of the mutant strain's cell wall to growth antagonists and extraction by dithiothreitol, determining that the bgs13 strain cell wall suffered from inherent structural problems although its porosity was normal. A proteomic investigation of the bgs13 strain secretome and cell wall-extracted peptides demonstrated that, compared to its wt parent, the bgs13 strain also displayed increased release of an array of normally secreted, endogenous proteins, as well as endoplasmic reticulum-resident chaperone proteins, suggesting that Bgs13p helps regulate the unfolded protein response and protein sorting on a global scale.IMPORTANCE The yeast Pichia pastoris is used as a host system for the expression of recombinant proteins. Many of these products, including antibodies, vaccine antigens, and therapeutic proteins such as insulin, are currently on the market or in late stages of development. However, one major weakness is that sometimes these proteins are not secreted from the yeast cell efficiently, which impedes and raises the cost of purification of these vital proteins. Our laboratory has isolated a mutant strain of Pichia pastoris that shows enhanced secretion of many proteins. The mutant produces a modified version of Bgs13p. Our goal is to understand how the change in the Bgs13p function leads to improved secretion. Once the Bgs13p mechanism is illuminated, we should be able to apply this understanding to engineer new P. pastoris strains that efficiently produce and secrete life-saving recombinant proteins, providing medical and economic benefits.
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9
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Fischer JE, Glieder A. Current advances in engineering tools for Pichia pastoris. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2019; 59:175-181. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Werten MWT, Eggink G, Cohen Stuart MA, de Wolf FA. Production of protein-based polymers in Pichia pastoris. Biotechnol Adv 2019; 37:642-666. [PMID: 30902728 PMCID: PMC6624476 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Revised: 02/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Materials science and genetic engineering have joined forces over the last three decades in the development of so-called protein-based polymers. These are proteins, typically with repetitive amino acid sequences, that have such physical properties that they can be used as functional materials. Well-known natural examples are collagen, silk, and elastin, but also artificial sequences have been devised. These proteins can be produced in a suitable host via recombinant DNA technology, and it is this inherent control over monomer sequence and molecular size that renders this class of polymers of particular interest to the fields of nanomaterials and biomedical research. Traditionally, Escherichia coli has been the main workhorse for the production of these polymers, but the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris is finding increased use in view of the often high yields and potential bioprocessing benefits. We here provide an overview of protein-based polymers produced in P. pastoris. We summarize their physicochemical properties, briefly note possible applications, and detail their biosynthesis. Some challenges that may be faced when using P. pastoris for polymer production are identified: (i) low yields and poor process control in shake flask cultures; i.e., the need for bioreactors, (ii) proteolytic degradation, and (iii) self-assembly in vivo. Strategies to overcome these challenges are discussed, which we anticipate will be of interest also to readers involved in protein expression in P. pastoris in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc W T Werten
- Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, NL-6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Gerrit Eggink
- Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, NL-6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands; Bioprocess Engineering, Wageningen University & Research, NL-6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martien A Cohen Stuart
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research, NL-6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Frits A de Wolf
- Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, NL-6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands
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11
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Duan G, Ding L, Wei D, Zhou H, Chu J, Zhang S, Qian J. Screening endogenous signal peptides and protein folding factors to promote the secretory expression of heterologous proteins in Pichia pastoris. J Biotechnol 2019; 306:193-202. [PMID: 31202796 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2019.06.297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Secretory expression is most often desired but usually hampered by limitations of signal peptide processing and protein folding in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. To alleviate such limitations, novel endogenous signal peptides (Dan4, Gas1, Msb2, and Fre2) and folding factors (Mpd1p, Pdi2p, and Sil1p) were predicted based on the reported P. pastoris secretome and genome. Their effects were investigated using three reporter proteins: yeast-enhanced green fluorescent protein (yEGFP), β-galactosidase (Gal) and cephalosporin C acylase (SECA), in comparison with the commonly used Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha-mating factor pre-pro leader sequence (α-MF) or folding factors (Pdi1p, BiP, and Hac1p). The newly identified signal sequences were superior over α-MF for production of heterologous proteins. The signal peptide Msb2 increased the specific extracellular production of all reporter proteins, ranging from 1.5- to 8.0-fold, and Dan4 enhanced all total protein production up to 172-fold. Co-expression of folding factors exhibited a protein-specific effect on cell growth, transcription and expression of different reporter genes. All of the novel folding factors enhanced total production of SECA, and Sil1p performed best in the extracellular SECA production, showing a 3.3-fold increase. These novel signal peptides and folding factors can be used for promoting secretion of heterologous proteins in P. pastoris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangdong Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, PR China
| | - Lumei Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, PR China
| | - Dongsheng Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, PR China
| | - Hangcheng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, PR China
| | - Ju Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, PR China
| | - Siliang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, PR China
| | - Jiangchao Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, PR China.
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12
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Thor D, Xiao N, Yu R, Jivan A, Cha B. Induction of EGFP expression in Pichia pastoris during co-culture with human endothelial cell line. J Microbiol Methods 2019; 161:28-34. [PMID: 30995456 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2019.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
While Pichia pastoris has been developed into a versatile recombinant protein expression system, there are only few studies that have investigated the efficacious use of this yeast with human cells. In this study, we demonstrated that P. pastoris can be cultured under mammalian cell culture conditions and co-cultured with human endothelial cells. Co-cultures did not affect endothelial cell morphology or viability. Additionally, P. pastoris was induced to express enhanced green fluorescence protein when co-cultured with human endothelial cell line EA.hy926 under mammalian cell culture conditions. Our study provides data to support the use of P. pastoris as a vehicle for direct delivery of recombinant proteins to mammalian cells during co-culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Der Thor
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, 155 Fifth Street, San Francisco, CA 94103..
| | - Nan Xiao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, 155 Fifth Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
| | - Ryan Yu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, 155 Fifth Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
| | - Anita Jivan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, 155 Fifth Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
| | - Bomi Cha
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, 155 Fifth Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
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13
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Zahrl RJ, Gasser B, Mattanovich D, Ferrer P. Detection and Elimination of Cellular Bottlenecks in Protein-Producing Yeasts. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1923:75-95. [PMID: 30737735 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9024-5_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Yeasts are efficient cell factories and are commonly used for the production of recombinant proteins for biopharmaceutical and industrial purposes. For such products high levels of correctly folded proteins are needed, which sometimes requires improvement and engineering of the expression system. The article summarizes major breakthroughs that led to the efficient use of yeasts as production platforms and reviews bottlenecks occurring during protein production. Special focus is given to the metabolic impact of protein production. Furthermore, strategies that were shown to enhance secretion of recombinant proteins in different yeast species are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Zahrl
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria.,Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (acib), Vienna, Austria
| | - Brigitte Gasser
- Christian Doppler-Laboratory for Growth-Decoupled Protein Production in Yeast, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) and Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (acib), Vienna, Austria
| | - Diethard Mattanovich
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) and Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (acib), Vienna, Austria
| | - Pau Ferrer
- Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Belvaux, Luxembourg. .,Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain.
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14
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Zhu J, Zhu Q, Gong R, Xu Q, Cai M, Jiang T, Zhou X, Zhou M, Zhang Y. PiggyBac transposon-mediated mutagenesis and application in yeast Komagataella phaffii. Biotechnol Lett 2018; 40:1365-1376. [PMID: 30003383 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-018-2592-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Around one-fourth of the Komagataella phaffii genes encode hypothetical proteins with unknown functions. However, lack of powerful tools for genetic screening in K. phaffii significantly limits the functional analysis of these unknown genes. Transposon mutagenesis has been utilized as an insertional mutagenesis tool in many other organisms and would be extremely valuable if it could be applied in K. phaffii. RESULTS In this study, we investigated in K. phaffii the transposition activity and efficiency of piggyBac (PB) transposon, a DNA transposon from the cabbage looper moth Trichoplusia ni through the integrated-plasmid system. We also designed a binary-plasmid system which could generate stable mutants. Finally we evaluated the quality of this mutagenesis system by a simple screening for functional genes involved in K. phaffii carbon catabolite repression. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that PB-mediated mutagenesis could be a feasible and useful tool for functional gene screening in K. phaffii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxiang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiaoyun Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruiqing Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Qin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Menghao Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianyi Jiang
- Roche R&D Center (China) Ltd., Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangshan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Mian Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yuanxing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China.,Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing (SCICB), Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
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15
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Mattanovich D, Sauer M, Gasser B. Industrial Microorganisms: Pichia pastoris. Ind Biotechnol (New Rochelle N Y) 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/9783527807796.ch19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Diethard Mattanovich
- BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences; Department of Biotechnology; Muthgasse 18 1190 Vienna Austria
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB GmbH); Muthgasse 18 1190 Vienna Austria
| | - Michael Sauer
- BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences; Department of Biotechnology; Muthgasse 18 1190 Vienna Austria
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB GmbH); Muthgasse 18 1190 Vienna Austria
- BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences; CD-Laboratory for Biotechnology of Glycerol; Muthgasse 18 1190 Vienna Austria
| | - Brigitte Gasser
- BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences; Department of Biotechnology; Muthgasse 18 1190 Vienna Austria
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB GmbH); Muthgasse 18 1190 Vienna Austria
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16
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Wendisch VF, Brito LF, Gil Lopez M, Hennig G, Pfeifenschneider J, Sgobba E, Veldmann KH. The flexible feedstock concept in Industrial Biotechnology: Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium glutamicum, Pseudomonas, Bacillus and yeast strains for access to alternative carbon sources. J Biotechnol 2016; 234:139-157. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2016.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Revised: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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17
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Moua PS, Gonzalez A, Oshiro KT, Tam V, Li ZH, Chang J, Leung W, Yon A, Thor D, Venkatram S, Franz AH, Risser DD, Lin-Cereghino J, Lin-Cereghino GP. Differential secretion pathways of proteins fused to the Escherichia coli maltose binding protein (MBP) in Pichia pastoris. Protein Expr Purif 2016; 124:1-9. [PMID: 27079175 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2016.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2016] [Revised: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The Escherichia coli maltose binding protein (MBP) is an N-terminal fusion partner that was shown to enhance the secretion of some heterologous proteins from the yeast Pichia pastoris, a popular host for recombinant protein expression. The amount of increase in secretion was dependent on the identity of the cargo protein, and the fusions were proteolyzed prior to secretion, limiting its use as a purification tag. In order to overcome these obstacles, we used the MBP as C-terminal partner for several cargo peptides. While the Cargo-MBP proteins were no longer proteolyzed in between these two moieties when the MBP was in this relative position, the secretion efficiency of several fusions was lower than when MBP was located at the opposite end of the cargo protein (MBP-Cargo). Furthermore, fluorescence analysis suggested that the MBP-EGFP and EGFP-MBP proteins followed different routes within the cell. The effect of several Pichia pastoris beta-galactosidase supersecretion (bgs) strains, mutants showing enhanced secretion of select reporters, was also investigated on both MBP-EGFP and EGFP-MBP. While the secretion efficiency, proteolysis and localization of the MBP-EGFP was influenced by the modified function of Bgs13, EGFP-MBP behavior was not affected in the bgs strain. Taken together, these results indicate that the location of the MBP in a fusion affects the pathway and trans-acting factors regulating secretion in P. pastoris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pachai S Moua
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, United States
| | - Alfonso Gonzalez
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, United States
| | - Kristin T Oshiro
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, United States
| | - Vivian Tam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, United States
| | - Zhiguo Harry Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, United States
| | - Jennifer Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, United States
| | - Wilson Leung
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, United States
| | - Amy Yon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, United States
| | - Der Thor
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA 94103, United States
| | - Sri Venkatram
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, United States
| | - Andreas H Franz
- Department of Chemistry, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, United States
| | - Douglas D Risser
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, United States
| | - Joan Lin-Cereghino
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, United States
| | - Geoff P Lin-Cereghino
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, United States.
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18
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Quo vadis? The challenges of recombinant protein folding and secretion in Pichia pastoris. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2015; 99:2925-38. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-015-6470-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2014] [Revised: 02/05/2015] [Accepted: 02/08/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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19
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20
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Improved production of a heterologous amylase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by inverse metabolic engineering. Appl Environ Microbiol 2014; 80:5542-50. [PMID: 24973076 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00712-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing demand for industrial enzymes and biopharmaceutical proteins relies on robust production hosts with high protein yield and productivity. Being one of the best-studied model organisms and capable of performing posttranslational modifications, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is widely used as a cell factory for recombinant protein production. However, many recombinant proteins are produced at only 1% (or less) of the theoretical capacity due to the complexity of the secretory pathway, which has not been fully exploited. In this study, we applied the concept of inverse metabolic engineering to identify novel targets for improving protein secretion. Screening that combined UV-random mutagenesis and selection for growth on starch was performed to find mutant strains producing heterologous amylase 5-fold above the level produced by the reference strain. Genomic mutations that could be associated with higher amylase secretion were identified through whole-genome sequencing. Several single-point mutations, including an S196I point mutation in the VTA1 gene coding for a protein involved in vacuolar sorting, were evaluated by introducing these to the starting strain. By applying this modification alone, the amylase secretion could be improved by 35%. As a complement to the identification of genomic variants, transcriptome analysis was also performed in order to understand on a global level the transcriptional changes associated with the improved amylase production caused by UV mutagenesis.
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21
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Protein expression in Pichia pastoris: recent achievements and perspectives for heterologous protein production. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 98:5301-17. [PMID: 24743983 PMCID: PMC4047484 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-014-5732-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 602] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2014] [Revised: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Pichia pastoris is an established protein expression host mainly applied for the production of biopharmaceuticals and industrial enzymes. This methylotrophic yeast is a distinguished production system for its growth to very high cell densities, for the available strong and tightly regulated promoters, and for the options to produce gram amounts of recombinant protein per litre of culture both intracellularly and in secretory fashion. However, not every protein of interest is produced in or secreted by P. pastoris to such high titres. Frequently, protein yields are clearly lower, particularly if complex proteins are expressed that are hetero-oligomers, membrane-attached or prone to proteolytic degradation. The last few years have been particularly fruitful because of numerous activities in improving the expression of such complex proteins with a focus on either protein engineering or on engineering the protein expression host P. pastoris. This review refers to established tools in protein expression in P. pastoris and highlights novel developments in the areas of expression vector design, host strain engineering and screening for high-level expression strains. Breakthroughs in membrane protein expression are discussed alongside numerous commercial applications of P. pastoris derived proteins.
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22
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Aw R, Polizzi KM. Can too many copies spoil the broth? Microb Cell Fact 2013; 12:128. [PMID: 24354594 PMCID: PMC3878197 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2859-12-128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The success of Pichia pastoris as a heterologous expression system lies predominantly in the impressive yields that can be achieved due to high volumetric productivity. However, low specific productivity still inhibits the potential success of this platform. Multi-(gene) copy clones are potentially a quick and convenient method to increase recombinant protein titer, yet they are not without their pitfalls. It has been more than twenty years since the first reported use of multi-copy clones and it is still an active area of research to find the fastest and most efficient method for generating these strains. It has also become apparent that there is not always a linear correlation between copy number and protein titer, leading to in-depth investigations into how to minimize the negative impact of secretory stress and achieve clonal stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rochelle Aw
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
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