Project description:α-Galactosidases are broadly used in feed, food, chemical, pulp, and pharmaceutical industries. However, there lacks a satisfactory microbial cell factory that is able to produce α-galactosidases efficiently and cost-effectively to date, which prevents these important enzymes from greater application. In this study, the secretory expression of an Aspergillus niger α-galactosidase (AGA) in Pichia pastoris was systematically investigated. Through codon optimization, signal peptide replacement, comparative selection of host strain, and saturation mutagenesis of the P1' residue of Kex2 protease cleavage site for efficient signal peptide removal, a mutant P. pastoris KM71H (Muts) strain of AGA-I with the specific P1' site substitution (Glu to Ile) demonstrated remarkable extracellular α-galactosidase activity of 1299 U/ml upon a 72 h methanol induction in 2.0 L fermenter. The engineered yeast strain AGA-I demonstrated approximately 12-fold higher extracellular activity compared to the initial P. pastoris strain. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the highest yield and productivity of a secreted α-galactosidase in P. pastoris, thus holding great potential for industrial application.
Project description:A novel aminopeptidase B (APB-AN) was identified from Aspergillus niger CGMCC 3.1454 for the first time and was cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris. The mature enzyme of approximately 100 kDa was purified for characterization. The optimum pH and temperature of the recombinant APB-AN were determined to be 7.0 and 40 °C, respectively. The enzyme was stable below 40 °C and at pH values from 5.0 to 8.0. The K m and V max values were determined to be 0.61 mmol/L and 11.45 mmol/L/min, respectively, using Arg-pNA as the substrate. APB-AN was inhibited by Cu2+ and Fe2+ and activated by Co2+ and Na+. Most metal chelators (Ca2+, Mg2+ and Mn2+) and aminopeptidase inhibitors (bestatin and puromycin) suppressed its activity. APB-AN was found to be active towards 13 kinds of amino acid p-nitroanilide (pNA) substrates:Arg-pNA, Lys-pNA, Tyr- pNA, Trp-pNA, Phe-pNA, His-pNA, Ala-pNA, Met-pNA, Leu-pNA, Glu-pNA, Val-pNA, Pro-pNA and Ile-pNA, and the most preferred N-terminal amino acids were arginine and lysine. APB-AN also hydrolyzed 4 natural proteins: casein, bovine serum albumin, soy protein isolate and water-soluble wheat protein. It is expected that APB-AN has potential food processing applications.
Project description:Mannans are key components of lignocellulose present in the hemicellulosic fraction of plant primary cell walls. Mannan endo-1,4-beta-mannosidases (1,4-beta-D-mannanases) catalyze the random hydrolysis of beta-1,4-mannosidic linkages in the main chain of beta-mannans. Biodegradation of beta-mannans by the action of thermostable mannan endo-1,4-beta-mannosidase offers significant technical advantages in biotechnological industrial applications, i.e. delignification of kraft pulps or the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass rich in mannan for the production of second generation biofuels, as well as for applications in oil and gas well stimulation, extraction of vegetable oils and coffee beans, and the production of value-added products such as prebiotic manno-oligosaccharides (MOS).A gene encoding mannan endo-1,4-beta-mannosidase or 1,4-beta-D-mannan mannanohydrolase (E.C. 3.2.1.78), commonly termed beta-mannanase, from Aspergillus niger BK01, which belongs to glycosyl hydrolase family 5 (GH5), was cloned and successfully expressed heterologously (up to 243 microg of active recombinant protein per mL) in Pichia pastoris. The enzyme was secreted by P. pastoris and could be collected from the culture supernatant. The purified enzyme appeared glycosylated as a single band on SDS-PAGE with a molecular mass of approximately 53 kDa. The recombinant beta-mannanase is highly thermostable with a half-life time of approximately 56 h at 70 degrees C and pH 4.0. The optimal temperature (10-min assay) and pH value for activity are 80 degrees C and pH 4.5, respectively. The enzyme is not only active towards structurally different mannans but also exhibits low activity towards birchwood xylan. Apparent Km values of the enzyme for konjac glucomannan (low viscosity), locust bean gum galactomannan, carob galactomannan (low viscosity), and 1,4-beta-D-mannan (from carob) are 0.6 mg mL-1, 2.0 mg mL-1, 2.2 mg mL-1 and 1.5 mg mL-1, respectively, while the kcat values for these substrates are 215 s-1, 330 s-1, 292 s-1 and 148 s-1, respectively. Judged from the specificity constants kcat/Km, glucomannan is the preferred substrate of the A. niger beta -mannanase. Analysis by thin layer chromatography showed that the main product from enzymatic hydrolysis of locust bean gum is mannobiose, with only low amounts of mannotriose and higher manno-oligosaccharides formed.This study is the first report on the cloning and expression of a thermostable mannan endo-1,4-beta-mannosidase from A. niger in Pichia pastoris. The efficient expression and ease of purification will significantly decrease the production costs of this enzyme. Taking advantage of its acidic pH optimum and high thermostability, this recombinant beta-mannanase will be valuable in various biotechnological applications.
Project description:A gene encoding a third alpha-galactosidase (AglB) from Aspergillus niger has been cloned and sequenced. The gene consists of an open reading frame of 1,750 bp containing six introns. The gene encodes a protein of 443 amino acids which contains a eukaryotic signal sequence of 16 amino acids and seven putative N-glycosylation sites. The mature protein has a calculated molecular mass of 48,835 Da and a predicted pI of 4.6. An alignment of the AglB amino acid sequence with those of other alpha-galactosidases revealed that it belongs to a subfamily of alpha-galactosidases that also includes A. niger AglA. A. niger AglC belongs to a different subfamily that consists mainly of prokaryotic alpha-galactosidases. The expression of aglA, aglB, aglC, and lacA, the latter of which encodes an A. niger beta-galactosidase, has been studied by using a number of monomeric, oligomeric, and polymeric compounds as growth substrates. Expression of aglA is only detected on galactose and galactose-containing oligomers and polymers. The aglB gene is expressed on all of the carbon sources tested, including glucose. Elevated expression was observed on xylan, which could be assigned to regulation via XlnR, the xylanolytic transcriptional activator. Expression of aglC was only observed on glucose, fructose, and combinations of glucose with xylose and galactose. High expression of lacA was detected on arabinose, xylose, xylan, and pectin. Similar to aglB, the expression on xylose and xylan can be assigned to regulation via XlnR. All four genes have distinct expression patterns which seem to mirror the natural substrates of the encoded proteins.
Project description:Urate oxidase is an important enzyme with therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Rasburicase is a recombinant urate oxidase enzyme approved by FDA to use in the treatment of hyperuricemia conditions. Various hosts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Hansenula polymorpha and Escherichia coli have been used to express the enzyme. Today, Pichia pastoris is considered as an important host for heterologous protein expression since it has beneficial characteristics such as strong promoters, simple scale up, post translational modifications, high cell density cultivation and simple genetic manipulation. In this study, Aspergillus flavus urate oxidase gene was cloned in pPICZ?A expression vector and expressed in P. pastoris. The recombinant urate oxidase was expressed in secretory form and was confirmed through RT-PCR, SDS-PAGE analysis and western blotting. The enzyme activity was determined using a colorimetric assay. A production yield of 0.43 U/ml of culture supernatant was obtained.
Project description:A lipase gene (atl) was cloned from Aspergillus tamarii FS132 for the first time. The gene was found to have an open reading frame of 1024 base pairs (bp), and the coding region of the gene contained two introns (51 bp and 52 bp). Multi-alignment analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence indicated high homology between the enzyme and mono-and diacylglycerol lipases from fungi Aspergillus. The recombinant lipase was expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115 cells. The recombinant lipase was found to have a molecular mass of 36.7 kDa, and it exhibited lipase activity of 20 U/mL in culture supernatant when tributyrin was used as the substrate.
Project description:BackgroundPhytase is used as an animal feed additive that degrades phytic acid and reduces feeding costs and pollution caused by fecal excretion of phosphorus. Some phytases have been expressed in Pichia pastoris, among which the phytase from Citrobacter amalonaticus CGMCC 1696 had high specific activity (3548 U/mg). Improvement of the phytase expression level will contribute to facilitate its industrial applications.MethodsTo improve the phytase expression, we use modification of P AOX1 and the α-factor signal peptide, increasing the gene copy number, and overexpressing HAC1 (i) to enhance folding and secretion of the protein in the endoplasmic reticulum. The genetic stability and fermentation in 10-L scaled-up fed-batch fermenter was performed to prepare for the industrial production.ResultsThe phytase gene from C. amalonaticus CGMCC 1696 was cloned under the control of the AOX1 promoter (P AOX1 ) and expressed in P. pastoris. The phytase activity achieved was 414 U/mL. Modifications of P AOX1 and the α-factor signal peptide increased the phytase yield by 35 and 12%, respectively. Next, on increasing the copy number of the Phy gene to six, the phytase yield was 141% higher than in the strain containing only a single gene copy. Furthermore, on overexpression of HAC1 (i) (i indicating induced), a gene encoding Hac1p that regulates the unfolded protein response, the phytase yield achieved was 0.75 g/L with an activity of 2119 U/mL, 412% higher than for the original strain. The plasmids in this high-phytase expression strain were stable during incubation at 30 °C in Yeast Extract Peptone Dextrose (YPD) Medium. In a 10-L scaled-up fed-batch fermenter, the phytase yield achieved was 9.58 g/L with an activity of 35,032 U/mL.DiscussionThe production of a secreted protein will reach its limit at a specific gene copy number where further increases in transcription and translation due to the higher abundance of gene copies will not enhance the secretion process any further. Enhancement of protein folding in the ER can alleviate bottlenecks in the folding and secretion pathways during the overexpression of heterologous proteins in P. pastoris.ConclusionsUsing modification of P AOX1 and the α-factor signal peptide, increasing the gene copy number, and overexpressing HAC1 (i) to enhance folding and secretion of the protein in the endoplasmic reticulum, we have successfully increased the phytase yield 412% relative to the original strain. In a 10-L fed-batch fermenter, the phytase yield achieved was 9.58 g/L with an activity of 35,032 U/mL. Large-scale production of phytase can be applied towards different biocatalytic and feed additive applications.
Project description:Human C-reactive protein (CRP), a classical human acute-phase plasma protein, is not only a sensitive systemic inflammatory marker but also an independent risk predictor of cardiovascular diseases. However, existing heterologous expression systems for expressing CRP is not efficient and cost-effective for large-scale industrial production of CRP to meet the growing market demand for CRP. This study aims to improve the secretion of recombinant CRP by Pichia pastoris via optimizing signal peptides, promoters and carbon sources. The CRP genes with encoding four different signal peptides were designed and synthesized. The genes were cloned into pPICZ?A or pPICZ B, respectively via splicing by overlap extension polymerase chain reaction (SOE-PCR) technology and expressed in P. pastoris X-33, regulated by the alcohol oxidase I promoter (pAOX1). The CRP led by the ?-mating factor secretion signal peptide (?-MF) was secreted at the highest level in these signal peptides. Then, a constitutive construct and expression of the CRP genes were achieved by switching to the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter (pGAP). Subsequently, different carbon sources and at different concentrations were used to further improve the secretion of CRP. The expression of CRP with the ?-MF driven by the pGAP gave the highest yield of secreted CRP, about 3 mg/l of culture on the optimized culture conditions. The purified recombinant CRP exhibited good immunoreactivity determined by ELISA with anti-human CRP monoclonal antibody. The efficient engineering strategy established in this work might provide potential uses in large-scale industrial production of human CRP in the future.
Project description:Background:Pichia pastoris is becoming a promising chassis cell for metabolic engineering and synthetic biology after its whole genome and transcriptome sequenced. However, the current systems for multigene co-expression in P. pastoris are not efficient. The internal ribosome entry site (IRES) has an ability to recruit the ribosome to initiate protein synthesis by cap-independent translation manner. This study seeks to screen IRES sequences that are functional in P. pastoris, which will allow P. pastoris to express multiple proteins in a single mRNA and increase its efficacy as a platform for metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. Results:In order to efficiently screen the IRES sequences, we first set out to create a screening system using LacZ gene. Due to the cryptic transcription of the LacZ gene, we established the ?-complementation system of ?-galactosidase in P. pastoris with the optimum length of the ?-complementing peptide at?~?92 amino acids. The optimal ?-complementing peptide was then used as the second reporter to screen IRESes in the engineered GS115 expressing the corresponding ?-peptide. A total of 34 reported IRESes were screened. After ruling out all false positive or negative IRESes, only seven IRESes were functional in P. pastoris, which were from TEV, PVY, RhPV, TRV, KSHV, crTMV viruses and the 5'-UTR of the YAP1 gene of S. cerevisiae. Conclusions:We showed here that ?-complementation also works in P. pastoris and it can be used in a variety of in vivo studies. The functional IRESes screened in this study can be used to introduce multiple genes into P. pastoris via a prokaryotic-like polycistronic manner, which provided new efficient tools for metabolic engineering and synthetic biology researches in P. pastoris.
Project description: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.