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Kim MJ, Park SL, Kim SH, Park HJ, Sung BH, Sohn JH, Bae JH. Modulation of Kex2p Cleavage Site for In Vitro Processing of Recombinant Proteins Produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 33:1513-1520. [PMID: 37482809 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2306.06024] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Kex2 protease (Kex2p) is a membrane-bound serine protease responsible for the proteolytic maturation of various secretory proteins by cleaving after dibasic residues in the late Golgi network. In this study, we present an application of Kex2p as an alternative endoprotease for the in vitro processing of recombinant fusion proteins produced by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The proteins were expressed with a fusion partner connected by a Kex2p cleavage sequence for enhanced expression and easy purification. To avoid in vivo processing of fusion proteins by Kex2p during secretion and to guarantee efficient removal of the fusion partners by in vitro Kex2p processing, P1', P2', P4, and P3 sites of Kex2p cleavage sites were elaborately manipulated. The general use of Kex2p in recombinant protein production was confirmed using several recombinant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi-Jin Kim
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Se-Lin Park
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Hwa Kim
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biosystem and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Joo Park
- Cellapy Bio Inc., Bio-Venture Center 211, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Bong Hyun Sung
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biosystem and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hoon Sohn
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biosystem and Bioengineering, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
- Cellapy Bio Inc., Bio-Venture Center 211, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hoon Bae
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
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Jin Y, Yang N, Teng D, Hao Y, Mao R, Wang J. Molecular Modification of Kex2 P1' Site Enhances Expression and Druggability of Fungal Defensin. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12040786. [PMID: 37107149 PMCID: PMC10135057 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12040786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Pichia pastoris is the widely used expression system for producing recombinant secretory proteins. It is known that Kex2 protease plays a vital role in the process of protein secretion, in which the P1' site affects its cleavage efficiency. To enhance the expression level of fungal defensin-derived peptide NZ2114, this work attempts to optimize the P1' site of Kex2 by replacing it with 20 amino acids in turn. The results showed that when the amino acid of the P1' site was changed to Phe (F), the yield of target peptide significantly increased from 2.39 g/L to 4.81 g/L. Additionally, the novel peptide F-NZ2114 (short for FNZ) showed strong antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive (G+) bacteria, especially for Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae (MIC: 4-8 μg/mL). The FNZ was very stable and retained high activity in various conditions; in addition, a low cytotoxicity and no hemolysis were observed even at a high concentration of 128 μg/mL, and a longer postantibiotic effect was reached. The above results indicate that this engineering strategy provided a feasible optimization scheme for enhancing the expression level and druggability of this antimicrobial peptide from fungal defensin and other similar targets by this updated recombinant yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Jin
- Gene Engineering Laboratory, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Innovative Team of Antimicrobial Peptides and Alternatives to Antibiotics, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Na Yang
- Gene Engineering Laboratory, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Innovative Team of Antimicrobial Peptides and Alternatives to Antibiotics, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Da Teng
- Gene Engineering Laboratory, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Innovative Team of Antimicrobial Peptides and Alternatives to Antibiotics, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ya Hao
- Gene Engineering Laboratory, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Innovative Team of Antimicrobial Peptides and Alternatives to Antibiotics, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ruoyu Mao
- Gene Engineering Laboratory, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Innovative Team of Antimicrobial Peptides and Alternatives to Antibiotics, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jianhua Wang
- Gene Engineering Laboratory, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Innovative Team of Antimicrobial Peptides and Alternatives to Antibiotics, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081, China
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Dalvie NC, Naranjo CA, Rodriguez-Aponte SA, Johnston RS, Christopher Love J. Steric accessibility of the N-terminus improves the titer and quality of recombinant proteins secreted from Komagataella phaffii. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:180. [PMID: 36064410 PMCID: PMC9444097 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01905-2] [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: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Komagataella phaffii is a commonly used alternative host for manufacturing therapeutic proteins, in part because of its ability to secrete recombinant proteins into the extracellular space. Incorrect processing of secreted proteins by cells can, however, cause non-functional product-related variants, which are expensive to remove in purification and lower overall process yields. The secretion signal peptide, attached to the N-terminus of the recombinant protein, is a major determinant of the quality of the protein sequence and yield. In K. phaffii, the signal peptide from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha mating factor often yields the highest secreted titer of recombinant proteins, but the quality of secreted protein can vary highly. RESULTS We determined that an aggregated product-related variant of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain is caused by N-terminal extension from incomplete cleavage of the signal peptide. We eliminated this variant and improved secreted protein titer up to 76% by extension of the N-terminus with a short, functional peptide moiety or with the EAEA residues from the native signal peptide. We then applied this strategy to three other recombinant subunit vaccine antigens and observed consistent elimination of the same aggregated product-related variant. Finally, we demonstrated that this benefit in quality and secreted titer can be achieved with addition of a single amino acid to the N-terminus of the recombinant protein. CONCLUSIONS Our observations suggest that steric hindrance of proteases in the Golgi that cleave the signal peptide can cause unwanted N-terminal extension and related product variants. We demonstrated that this phenomenon occurs for multiple recombinant proteins, and can be addressed by minimal modification of the N-terminus to improve steric accessibility. This strategy may enable consistent secretion of a broad range of recombinant proteins with the highly productive alpha mating factor secretion signal peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil C Dalvie
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Christopher A Naranjo
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Sergio A Rodriguez-Aponte
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Ryan S Johnston
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - J Christopher Love
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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Pathway engineering facilitates efficient protein expression in Pichia pastoris. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:5893-5912. [PMID: 36040488 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12139-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Pichia pastoris has been recognized as an important platform for the production of various heterologous proteins in recent years. The strong promoter AOX1, induced by methanol, with the help of the α-pre-pro signal sequence, can lead to a high expression level of extracellular protein. However, this combination was not always efficient, as protein secretion in P. pastoris involves numerous procedures mediated by several cellular proteins, including folding assisted by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) molecular chaperones, degradation through ubiquitination, and an efficient vesicular transport system. Efficient protein expression requires the cooperation of various intracellular pathways. This article summarizes the process of protein secretion, modification, and transportation in P. pastoris. In addition, the roles played by the key proteins in these processes and the corresponding co-expression effects are also listed. It is expected to lay the foundation for the industrial protein production of P. pastoris. KEY POINTS: • Mechanisms of chaperones in protein folding and their co-expression effects are summarized. • Protein glycosylation modifications are comprehensively reviewed. • Current dilemmas in the overall protein secretion pathway of Pichia pastoris and corresponding solutions are demonstrated.
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Li Q, Lu J, Zhang G, Liu S, Zhou J, Du G, Chen J. Recent advances in the development of Aspergillus for protein production. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 348:126768. [PMID: 35091037 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.126768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Aspergillus had been widely used in the industrial production of recombinant proteins. In addition to the safety and broad substrate utilization spectrum, its efficient post-translational modification and strong protein secretion capacity have significant advantages for developing an excellent protein-producing cell factory in industrial production. However, the difficulties in genetic manipulation of Aspergillus and varying expression levels of different heterologous proteins hampered its further development and application. Recently, the development of CRISPR genome editing and high-throughput screening platforms has facilitated the Aspergillus development of a wide range of modifications and applications. Meanwhile, multi-omics analysis and multiplexed genetic engineering have promoted effective knowledge mining. This paper provides a comprehensive and updated review of these advances, including high-throughput screening, genome editing, protein expression modules, and fermentation optimization. It also highlights and discusses the latest significant progress, aiming to provide a practical guide for implementing Aspergillus as an efficient protein-producing cell factory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghua Li
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Jinchang Lu
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Guoqiang Zhang
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China.
| | - Song Liu
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Jingwen Zhou
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Guocheng Du
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; The Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; The Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
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