Codon usage bias regulates gene expression and protein conformation in yeast expression system P. pastoris

Intraspecific and interspecific variations in the synonymous codon usage in mitochondrial genomes of 8 pleurotus strains

In this study, we investigated the codon bias of twelve mitochondrial core protein coding genes (PCGs) in eight Pleurotus strains, two of which are from the same species. The results revealed that the codons of all Pleurotus strains had a preference for ending in A/T. Furthermore, the correlation between codon base compositions and codon adaptation index (CAI), codon bias index (CBI) and frequency of optimal codons (FOP) indices was also detected, implying the influence of base composition on codon bias. The two P. ostreatus species were found to have differences in various base bias indicators. The average effective number of codons (ENC) of mitochondrial core PCGs of Pleurotus was found to be less than 35, indicating strong codon preference of mitochondrial core PCGs of Pleurotus. The neutrality plot analysis and PR2-Bias plot analysis further suggested that natural selection plays an important role in Pleurotus codon bias. Additionally, six to ten optimal codons (ΔRSCU > 0.08 and RSCU > 1) were identified in eight Pleurotus strains, with UGU and ACU being the most widely used optimal codons in Pleurotus. Finally, based on the combined mitochondrial sequence and RSCU value, the genetic relationship between different Pleurotus strains was deduced, showing large variations between them. This research has improved our understanding of synonymous codon usage characteristics and evolution of this important fungal group.

Alter codon bias of the P. pastoris genome to overcome a bottleneck in codon optimization strategy development and improve protein expression

Apart from its role in translation, codon bias is also an important mechanism to regulate mRNA levels. The traditional frequency-based codon optimization strategy is rather efficient in organisms such as N. crassa, but much less in yeast P. pastoris which is a popular host for heterologous protein expression. This is because that unlike N. crassa, the preferred codons of P. pastoris are actually AU-rich and hence codon optimization for extremely low GC content comes with issues of pre-mature transcriptional termination or low RNA stability in spite of translational advantages. To overcome this bottleneck, we focused on three reporter genes in P. pastoris first and confirmed the great advantage of GC-prone codon optimization on mRNA levels. Then we altered the codon bias profile of P. pastoris by introducing additional rare tRNA gene copies. Prior to that we constructed IPTG-regulated tRNA species to enable chassis cells to switch between different codon bias status. As demonstrated again with reporter genes, protein yield of luc and 0788 was successfully increased by 4-5 folds in chassis cells. In summary, here we provide an alternative codon optimization strategy for genes with unsatisfactory performance under traditional codon frequency-based optimization.

The evolutionary characterization of Gamasida based on mitochondrial genes codon usage pattern

Mites belonging to the suborder Gamasida are species-rich and habitat-diverse, with a worldwide distribution. To adapt to the environment and obtain better living conditions, all species of the suborder Gamasida have been undergoing constant evolution. The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) is an invaluable molecular marker for studying the origin of species, genetic differentiation between closely related species, and between intraspecific groups. In some species of the suborder Gamasida, mitochondrial tRNA genes are truncated and carried unstable genetic information. This study presents a comparative analysis of codon usage pattern and preference of 13 protein-coding genes of 24 species in 17 genera and 10 families of the suborder Gamasida. Results showed that have an obvious AT preference (0.664-0.829) for codon usage in the suborder Gamasida. Most of the optimal and high-frequency codons also end in A/T. The degree of natural selection varies between the same protein-coding genes of different gamasid mites or among different protein-coding genes within the same gamasid mites. Base and codon usage pattern and preference are very similar between the same species and genus, namely the closer species, the more similar their bases and codons usage patterns and preference are. T bases and C bases were the preference bases for codon usage of 24 species in the suborder Gamasida. Evolution of the suborder Gamasida was dominated by natural selection (64.1%). This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of codon usage in the suborder Gamasida, which will greatly improve our understanding of codon usage patterns and preference, genetics, and evolution of the suborder Gamasida. It will help to evaluate the degree of molecular adaptation in the suborder Gamasida and to further explore evolutionary features of the suborder Gamasida.

The Lichen Flavin-Dependent Halogenase, DnHal: Identification, Heterologous Expression and Functional Characterization

Enzymatic halogenation captures scientific interest considering its feasibility in modifying compounds for chemical diversity. Currently, majority of flavin-dependent halogenases (F-Hals) were reported from bacterial origin, and as far as we know, none from lichenized fungi. Fungi are well-known producers of halogenated compounds, so using available transcriptomic dataset of Dirinaria sp., we mined for putative gene encoding for F-Hal. Phylogenetic-based classification of the F-Hal family suggested a non-tryptophan F-Hals, similar to other fungal F-Hals, which mainly act on aromatic compounds. However, after the putative halogenase gene from Dirinaria sp., dnhal was codon-optimized, cloned, and expressed in Pichia pastoris, the ~63 kDa purified enzyme showed biocatalytic activity towards tryptophan and an aromatic compound methyl haematommate, which gave the tell-tale isotopic pattern of a chlorinated product at m/z 239.0565 and 241.0552; and m/z 243.0074 and 245.0025, respectively. This study is the start of understanding the complexities of lichenized fungal F-hals and its ability to halogenate tryptophan and other aromatic. compounds which can be used as green alternatives for biocatalysis of halogenated compounds.

Engineering and Expression Strategies for Optimization of L-Asparaginase Development and Production

Genetic engineering for heterologous expression has advanced in recent years. Model systems such as Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Pichia pastoris are often used as host microorganisms for the enzymatic production of L-asparaginase, an enzyme widely used in the clinic for the treatment of leukemia and in bakeries for the reduction of acrylamide. Newly developed recombinant L-asparaginase (L-ASNase) may have a low affinity for asparagine, reduced catalytic activity, low stability, and increased glutaminase activity or immunogenicity. Some successful commercial preparations of L-ASNase are now available. Therefore, obtaining novel L-ASNases with improved properties suitable for food or clinical applications remains a challenge. The combination of rational design and/or directed evolution and heterologous expression has been used to create enzymes with desired characteristics. Computer design, combined with other methods, could make it possible to generate mutant libraries of novel L-ASNases without costly and time-consuming efforts. In this review, we summarize the strategies and approaches for obtaining and developing L-ASNase with improved properties.

An outlook to sophisticated technologies and novel developments for metabolic regulation in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae expression system

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the most extensively used biosynthetic systems for the production of diverse bioproducts, especially biotherapeutics and recombinant proteins. Because the expression and insertion of foreign genes are always impaired by the endogenous factors of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and nonproductive procedures, various technologies have been developed to enhance the strength and efficiency of transcription and facilitate gene editing procedures. Thus, the limitations that block heterologous protein secretion have been overcome. Highly efficient promoters responsible for the initiation of transcription and the accurate regulation of expression have been developed that can be precisely regulated with synthetic promoters and double promoter expression systems. Appropriate codon optimization and harmonization for adaption to the genomic codon abundance of S. cerevisiae are expected to further improve the transcription and translation efficiency. Efficient and accurate translocation can be achieved by fusing a specifically designed signal peptide to an upstream foreign gene to facilitate the secretion of newly synthesized proteins. In addition to the widely applied promoter engineering technology and the clear mechanism of the endoplasmic reticulum secretory pathway, the innovative genome editing technique CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated system) and its derivative tools allow for more precise and efficient gene disruption, site-directed mutation, and foreign gene insertion. This review focuses on sophisticated engineering techniques and emerging genetic technologies developed for the accurate metabolic regulation of the S. cerevisiae expression system.

Ultradeep characterisation of translational sequence determinants refutes rare-codon hypothesis and unveils quadruplet base pairing of initiator tRNA and transcript

Translation is a key determinant of gene expression and an important biotechnological engineering target. In bacteria, 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) and coding sequence (CDS) are well-known mRNA parts controlling translation and thus cellular protein levels. However, the complex interaction of 5'-UTR and CDS has so far only been studied for few sequences leading to non-generalisable and partly contradictory conclusions. Herein, we systematically assess the dynamic translation from over 1.2 million 5'-UTR-CDS pairs in Escherichia coli to investigate their collective effect using a new method for ultradeep sequence-function mapping. This allows us to disentangle and precisely quantify effects of various sequence determinants of translation. We find that 5'-UTR and CDS individually account for 53% and 20% of variance in translation, respectively, and show conclusively that, contrary to a common hypothesis, tRNA abundance does not explain expression changes between CDSs with different synonymous codons. Moreover, the obtained large-scale data provide clear experimental evidence for a base-pairing interaction between initiator tRNA and mRNA beyond the anticodon-codon interaction, an effect that is often masked for individual sequences and therefore inaccessible to low-throughput approaches. Our study highlights the indispensability of ultradeep sequence-function mapping to accurately determine the contribution of parts and phenomena involved in gene regulation.

Analysis of synonymous codon usage patterns in mitochondrial genomes of nine Amanita species

Introduction

Codon basis is a common and complex natural phenomenon observed in many kinds of organisms.

Methods

In the present study, we analyzed the base bias of 12 mitochondrial core protein-coding genes (PCGs) shared by nine Amanita species.

Results

The results showed that the codons of all Amanita species tended to end in A/T, demonstrating the preference of mitochondrial codons of Amanita species for a preference for this codon. In addition, we detected the correlation between codon base composition and the codon adaptation index (CAI), codon bias index (CBI), and frequency of optimal codons (FOP) indices, indicating the influence of base composition on codon bias. The average effective number of codons (ENC) of mitochondrial core PCGs of Amanita is 30.81, which is <35, demonstrating the strong codon preference of mitochondrial core PCGs of Amanita. The neutrality plot analysis and PR2-Bias plot analysis further demonstrated that natural selection plays an important role in Amanita codon bias. In addition, we obtained 5–10 optimal codons (ΔRSCU > 0.08 and RSCU > 1) in nine Amanita species, and GCA and AUU were the most widely used optimal codons. Based on the combined mitochondrial sequence and RSCU value, we deduced the genetic relationship between different Amanita species and found large variations between them.

Discussion

This study promoted the understanding of synonymous codon usage characteristics and evolution of this important fungal group.

Codon Usage Provide Insights into the Adaptation of Rice Genes under Stress Condition

Plants experience different stresses, i.e., abiotic, or biotic, and to combat them, plants re-program the expression of growth-, metabolism-, and resistance-related genes. These genes differ in their synonymous codon usage frequency and show codon usage bias. Here, we investigated the correlation among codon usage bias, gene expression, and underlying mechanisms in rice under abiotic and biotic stress conditions. The results indicated that genes with higher expression (up- or downregulated) levels had high GC content (≥60%), a low effective number of codon usage (≤40), and exhibited strong biases towards the codons with C/G at the third nucleotide position, irrespective of stress received. TTC, ATC, and CTC were the most preferred codons, while TAC, CAC, AAC, GAC, and TGC were moderately preferred under any stress (abiotic or biotic) condition. Additionally, downregulated genes are under mutational pressure (R² ≥ 0.5) while upregulated genes are under natural selection pressure (R² ≤ 0.5). Based on these results, we also identified the possible target codons that can be used to design an optimized set of genes with specific codons to develop climate-resilient varieties. Conclusively, under stress, rice has a bias towards codon usage which is correlated with GC content, gene expression level, and gene length.

Comprehensive Analysis of Signal Peptides in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Reveals Features for Efficient Secretion

Signal peptides (SPs) are N-terminus sequences on the nascent polypeptide for protein export or localization delivery, which are essential for maintaining cell function. SPs are also employed as a key element for industrial production of secreted recombinant proteins. Yet, detailed information and rules about SPs and their cellular interactions are still not well understood. Here, systematic bioinformatics analysis and secretion capacity measurement of genome-wide SPs from the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae is performed. Several key features of SPs, including region properties, consensus motifs, evolutionary relationships, codon bias, e.g., are successfully revealed. Diverse cell metabolism can be trigged by using different SPs for heterologous protein secretion. Influences on SPs with different properties by chaperones can cause different secretory efficiencies. Protein secretion by the SP NCW2 in SEC72 deletion strain is 10 times than the control. These findings provide insights into the properties and functions of SPs and contribute to both fundamental research and industrial application.

Non-Mammalian Eukaryotic Expression Systems Yeast and Fungi in the Production of Biologics

Biologics have become an important area of medical research generating therapeutics essential for the treatment of many disease states. Biologics are defined as biologically active compounds manufactured by living cells or through biological processes termed bioprocessing. Compared to small molecules which are chemically synthesised they are relatively complex and therapeutically specific molecules. Biologics include hormones, vaccines, blood products, monoclonal antibodies, recombinant therapeutic proteins, enzymes, gene and cellular therapies amongst others. For biologic production prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells (mammalian and non-mammalian) are used as expression systems. Eukaryotic expression systems offer many advantages over prokaryotic based systems. The manufacture of high-quality proteins for human clinical use via recombinant technologies has been achieved in yeast and filamentous fungal systems. Advances in bioprocessing such as genetic engineering, bioreactor design, continuous processing, and quality by design has allowed for increased productivity and higher yield in in these non-mammalian eukaryotic systems with protein translation similar to mammalian systems. The application of eukaryotic expressions systems for the manufacture of biologics of therapeutic importance are described herein.

Design of a novel switchable antibody display system in Pichia pastoris

Yeast surface display (YSD) has been shown to represent a powerful tool in the field of antibody discovery and engineering as well as for selection of high producer clones. However, YSD is predominantly applied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, whereas expression of heterologous proteins is generally favored in the non-canonical yeast Pichia pastoris (Komagataella phaffii). Establishment of surface display in P. pastoris would therefore enable antibody selection and expression in a single host. Here we describe the generation of a Pichia surface display (PSD) system based on antibody expression from episomal plasmids. By screening a diverse set of expression vectors using Design of Experiments (DoE), the effect of different genetic elements on the surface expression of antibody fragments was analyzed. Among the tested genetic elements, we found that the combination of P. pastoris formaldehyde dehydrogenase (FLD1) promoter, S. cerevisiae invertase 2 signal peptide (SUC2), and α-agglutinin cell wall protein (SAG1) including an autonomously replicating sequence of Kluyveromyces lactis (panARS) were contributing most strongly to higher display levels of three tested antibody fragments. Employing this combination resulted in the display of antibody fragments for up to 25% of cells. Despite significantly reduced expression levels in PSD compared to well-established YSD in S. cerevisiae, similar fractions of antigen binding single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) were observed (80% vs. 84%). In addition, plasmid stability assays and flow cytometric analysis demonstrated the efficient plasmid clearance of cells and associated loss of antibody fragment display after removal of selective pressure. KEY POINTS: • First report of antibody display in P. pastoris using episomal plasmids. • Identification of genetic elements conferring highest levels of antibody display. • Comparable antigen binding capacity of displayed scFvs for PSD compared to YSD.

Consistent Clustering Pattern of Prokaryotic Genes Based on Base Frequency at the Second Codon Position and its Association with Functional Category Preference

In 2002, our research group observed a gene clustering pattern based on the base frequency of A versus T at the second codon position in the genome of Vibrio cholera and found that the functional category distribution of genes in the two clusters was different. With the availability of a large number of sequenced genomes, we performed a systematic investigation of A2–T2 distribution and found that 2694 out of 2764 prokaryotic genomes have an optimal clustering number of two, indicating a consistent pattern. Analysis of the functional categories of the coding genes in each cluster in 1483 prokaryotic genomes indicated, that 99.33% of the genomes exhibited a significant difference (p < 0.01) in function distribution between the two clusters. Specifically, functional category P was overrepresented in the small cluster of 98.65% of genomes, whereas categories J, K, and L were overrepresented in the larger cluster of over 98.52% of genomes. Lineage analysis uncovered that these preferences appear consistently across all phyla. Overall, our work revealed an almost universal clustering pattern based on the relative frequency of A2 versus T2 and its role in functional category preference. These findings will promote the understanding of the rationality of theoretical prediction of functional classes of genes from their nucleotide sequences and how protein function is determined by DNA sequence.

Graphical abstract

Selection signatures in melanocortin-1 receptor gene of turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) raised in hot humid tropics

Feather colours are used by avian species for defense, adaptation and signaling. Melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene is one of the genes responsible for feather colour. This study identified selection signatures in MC1R gene of Nigerian indigenous turkeys (NIT) using British United turkeys (BUT) as control breed to investigate the evolutionary processes that have shaped NIT with various feather colours. Complete MC1R gene of 146 NIT (76 males and 70 females) and 32 BUT (18 males and 14 females) were sequenced. Transition/transversion and codon usage biases were predicted using MEGA v6 software. The selective force acting on the gene was predicted using HyPhy software. The FST values were estimated using Arlequin v3.5. The highest transition/transversion bias was predicted for white BUT (1.00) while the lowest was predicted for black NIT (0.50). Negative dN-dS values, indicative of purifying selection, were observed in MC1R gene of all the turkeys. The highest pairwise FST was observed between the MC1R gene of white BUT and black NIT while the least was observed between lavender NIT and white NIT. No recombination event was observed in black NIT and white BUT. The relative synonymous codon usage was the same among different colours for some codons. Presence of purifying selection in MC1R gene of all the turkeys with different feather colours confirms that the gene plays role in many biological processes such as feather colouration, behaviour, pain perception, immunity, growth and adaptation. The results also suggested that the genetic mechanisms generating different feather colours in turkeys are conserved.

Burden Imposed by Heterologous Protein Production in Two Major Industrial Yeast Cell Factories: Identifying Sources and Mitigation Strategies

Production of heterologous proteins, especially biopharmaceuticals and industrial enzymes, in living cell factories consumes cellular resources. Such resources are reallocated from normal cellular processes toward production of the heterologous protein that is often of no benefit to the host cell. This competition for resources is a burden to host cells, has a negative impact on cell fitness, and may consequently trigger stress responses. Importantly, this often causes a reduction in final protein titers. Engineering strategies to generate more burden resilient production strains offer sustainable opportunities to increase production and profitability for this growing billion-dollar global industry. We review recently reported impacts of burden derived from resource competition in two commonly used protein-producing yeast cell factories: Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Komagataella phaffii (syn. Pichia pastoris). We dissect possible sources of burden in these organisms, from aspects related to genetic engineering to protein translation and export of soluble protein. We also summarize advances as well as challenges for cell factory design to mitigate burden and increase overall heterologous protein production from metabolic engineering, systems biology, and synthetic biology perspectives. Lastly, future profiling and engineering strategies are highlighted that may lead to constructing robust burden-resistant cell factories. This includes incorporation of systems-level data into mathematical models for rational design and engineering dynamical regulation circuits in production strains.

Cloning and codon optimization of a novel feline interferon omega gene for production by Pichia pastoris and its antiviral efficacy in polyethylene glycol-modified form

Feline viral diseases, such as feline panleukopenia, feline infectious peritonitis, and feline coronaviral enteritis, seriously endanger the health of cats, and restrict the development of pet industry. Meanwhile, there is a current lack of effective vaccines to protect against feline viral diseases. Thus, effective therapeutic agents are highly desirable. Interferons (IFNs) are important mediators of the antiviral host defense in animals, particularly type I IFNs. In this study, a novel feline IFN omega (feIFN-ω) gene was extracted from the cat stimulated with feline parvovirus (FPV) combined with poly(I:C), and following codon optimization encoding the feIFN-ω, the desired gene (feIFN-ω’) fragment was inserted into plasmid pPICZαA, and transformed into Pichia pastoris GS115, generating a recombinant P. pastoris GS115 strain expressing the feIFN-ω’. After induction, we found that the expression level of the feIFN-ω’ was two times more than that of feIFN-ω (p < 0.01). Subsequently, the feIFN-ω’ was purified and modified with polyethylene glycol, and its antiviral efficacy was evaluated in vitro and in vivo, using vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and FPV as model virus. Our results clearly demonstrated that the feIFN-ω’ had significant antiviral activities on both homologous and heterologous animal cells in vitro. Importantly, the feIFN-ω’ can effectively promote the expression of antiviral proteins IFIT3, ISG15, Mx1, and ISG56, and further enhance host defense to eliminate FPV infection in vivo, suggesting a potential candidate for the development of therapeutic agent against feline viral diseases.

Strong negative correlation between codon usage bias and protein structural disorder impedes protein expression after codon optimization

As a common phenomenon existing in almost all genomes, codon usage bias has been studied for a long time. Codon optimization is a frequently used strategy to accelerate protein synthesis rate. Besides regulating protein translation speed, codon usage bias has also be reported to affect co-translation folding and transcription. P. pastoris is a well-developed expression system, whose efficiency is tightly correlated with commercial value. However, few studies focus on the role of codon usage bias in affecting protein expression in P. pastoris. Besides, many genes in P. pastoris genome show significant negative correlation between codon usage bias and protein structural disorder tendency. It's not known whether this feature is important for their expression. In order to answer these questions, we picked 4P. pastoris gene candidates with strong negative correlation between codon usage bias and protein structural disorder. We then performed full-length codon optimization which completely eliminated the correlation. Protein and RNA assays were then used to compare protein and mRNA levels before and after codon optimization. As a result, codon optimization failed to elevate their protein expression levels, and even resulted in a decrease. As represented by the trypsin sensitivity assays, codon optimization also altered the protein structure of 0616 and 0788. Besides protein, codon optimization also affected mRNA levels. Shown by in vitro and in vivo RNA degradation assays, the mRNA stability of 0616, 0788 and 0135 were also altered by codon optimization. For each gene, the detailed effect may be related with its specific sequence and protein structure. Our results suggest that codon usage bias is an important factor to regulate gene expression level, as well as mRNA and protein stabilities in P. pastoris. "Extreme" codon optimization in genes with strong negative correlation between codon usage bias and protein structural disorder tendency may not be favored. Compromised strategies should be tried if expression is not successful. Besides, codon optimization may affect protein structural conformation more severely in structural disordered proteins.

Expression of an alkaline feruloyl esterases from thermophilic Chaetomium thermophilum and its boosting effect on delignification of pulp

Exploration of feruloyl esterase (FAE) with the resistance to heat and alkali conditions in biobleaching process to improve the separation efficiency of lignocellulose is the key to achieving green papermaking. Herein, we expressed FAEB of C. thermophilum and obtained a thermostable alkaline FAE that can effectively promote the removal of lignin from pulp. The faeB gene was successfully obtained through genomic Blast strategy and high-efficiency expressed under the control of strong alcohol oxidase promoter in Pichia pastoris. The recombinant CtFAEB has an optimal temperature of 65 °C and pH of 7.0. After treated at 65 °C for 1 h, CtFAEB can still retain 63.21 % of its maximum activity, showing a good thermal stability. In addition, the recombinant CtFAEB has broad pH stability and can retain about 56 % of the maximum activity even at pH 11.0. Compared with the effect of mesophilic FAE, pretreatment with thermostable CtFAEB can promote the delignification by laccase and alkaline hydrogen peroxide from the pulp at 70 °C and pH 9.0. Alignment of the protein sequences of CtFAEB and mesophilic FAE suggested that the percentage of amino acids that easily form alpha helix in CtFAEB increases, which enhances its structural rigidity and thereby improves its thermal stability and alkali tolerance. Our study provides an effective method to obtain thermostable and alkaline FAEs, which will promote its application in biobleaching and other biorefining industries.