Analysis of single-chain antibody production in Pichia pastoris using on-line methanol control in fed-batch and mixed-feed fermentations.

In the last few years the Pichia pastoris expression system has been gaining more and more interest for the expression of recombinant proteins. Many groups have employed fermentation technology in their investigations because the system is fairly easy to scale up and suitable for the production in the milligram to gram range. A large number of heterologous proteins from different sources has been expressed, but the fermentation process technology has been investigated to a lesser extent. A large number of fermentations are carried out in standard bioreactors that may be insufficiently equipped to meet the demands of high-cell-density fermentations of methylotrophic yeasts. In particular, the lack of on-line methanol analysis leads to fermentation protocols that may impair the optimal expression of the desired products. We have used a commercially available methanol sensor to investigate in detail the effects of supplementary glycerol feeding while maintaining a constant methanol concentration during the induction of a Mut(+) strain of Pichia pastoris. Specific glycerol feed rates in the range of 38-4.2 mg. g(-1). h(-1) (mg glycerol per gram fresh weight per hour) were investigated. Expression of the recombinant scFv antibody fragment was only observed at specific feed rates below 6 mg. g(-1). h(-1). At low specific feed rates, growth was even lower than with methanol as the sole carbon source and the harvest expression level of the scFv was only half of that found in the control fermentation. These results show that glycerol inhibits expression driven by the AOX1 promoter even at extremely limited availability and demonstrate the benefits of on-line methanol control in Pichia fermentation research.     

Optimization of a glycoengineered Pichia pastoris cultivation process for commercial antibody production

Glycoengineering enabled the production of proteins with human N-linked glycans by Pichia pastoris. This study used a glycoengineered P. pastoris strain which is capable of producing humanized glycoprotein with terminal galactose for monoclonal antibody production. A design of experiments approach was used to optimize the process parameters. Followed by further optimization of the specific methanol feed rate, induction duration, and the initial induction biomass, the resulting process yielded up to 1.6 g/L of monoclonal antibody. This process was also scaled-up to 1,200-L scale, and the process profiles, productivity, and product quality were comparable with 30-L scale. The successful scale-up demonstrated that this glycoengineered P. pastoris fermentation process is a robust and commercially viable process.     

Design of metabolic feed controllers: application to high-density fermentations of Pichia pastoris

High-density cultures of the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris were found to exhibit oscillatory metabolic behavior when fed methanol under closed-loop operations using a dissolved oxygen-based bioreactor feed controller (DOstat). This behavior, if left unattended, led to the irreversible loss of culture productivity, 1 to 2 days after growth on methanol commenced, presumably through the accumulation of incompletely oxidized intermediates. To provide insights into how fermentation operation conditions and strain variations might contribute to this phenomenon a theoretical study was initiated. In this article, a simple mathematical model of the closed-loop DOstat is developed and analyzed with the goal of deriving theoretical stability criteria applicable to the design of metabolic feed controllers during high-cell-density fermentations. The model consists of a system of differential, integral, and algebraic equations describing the biological process and the components of the standard proportional-integral (PI) feedback controller. Inputs into the process model include metabolic pathway information, oxidative metabolism stoichiometry, and substrate uptake kinetics. Frequency-response analysis and the Bode stability criterion are applied to derive controller stability criteria with particular emphasis on elucidating the role(s) that model parameters, both biological and operational, have on system stability. The results of this analysis are used to construct a closed-loop fermentation-operating diagram relating fermentation operating parameters to the oxidative capacity of the culture. The utility of this analysis is demonstrated through the application of the results to the design and stabilization of the DOstat during high-density fermentations of P. pastoris growing on methanol or glycerol. From this analysis, it is possible to conclude that, when the rate of oxygen transfer approaches in magnitude the rate of oxygen utilization, the potential for controller destabilization is greatest. Under these conditions, the region of parameter space associated with stable controller operations is further constrained. Because the only system-specific experimental inputs into the model are the routinely measured residual substrate and dissolved oxygen concentrations, the framework presented should provide simple and practical theoretical guidelines relevant to the design of similar industrial fermentation feed controllers independent of the specifics of the biological system at hand.     

发酵条件对毕赤酵母表达重组人干扰素ω糖基化的影响

发酵条件是影响毕赤酵母 (P .pastoris)表达外源重组糖蛋白时糖基化的重要因素。通过菌体浓度、起始pH值、甲醇诱导浓度和周期、装液量等摇瓶发酵实验 ,研究不同发酵条件对毕赤酵母表达分泌型重组人干扰素ω(rhIFNω)过程中糖基化的影响 ;同时 ,在连续培养过程中考察pH值变化对rhIFNω糖基化的影响和分批发酵过程中rhIFNω糖基化的变化。结果表明 ,控制菌体密度 250g L(WCW)、起始pH值 6 0、装液量小于 30mL、甲醇诱导浓度 15g L、甲醇诱导 3次 (每 24h诱导一次 )等发酵条件 ,有利于摇瓶发酵过程中rhIFNω的糖基化 ;控制pH值 70～75可促进rhIFNω的糖基化 ;分批发酵过程中 ,糖基化与非糖基化rhIFNω的含量有同比变化趋势 ,但糖基化rhIFNω所占比例明显低于摇瓶发酵实验的结果 ,其原因有待进一步研究。     

Cell bank characterization and fermentation optimization for production of recombinant heavy chain C-terminal fragment of botulinum neurotoxin serotype E (rBoNTE(H(c)): antigen E) by Pichia pastoris

A process was developed for production of a candidate vaccine antigen, recombinant C-terminal heavy chain fragment of the botulinum neurotoxin serotype E, rBoNTE(H(c)) in Pichia pastoris. P. pastoris strain GS115 was transformed with the rBoNTE(H(c)) gene inserted into pHILD4 Escherichia coli-P. pastoris shuttle plasmid. The clone was characterized for genetic stability, copy number, and BoNTE(H(c)) sequence. Expression of rBoNTE(H(c)) from the Mut(+) HIS4 clone was confirmed in the shake-flask, prior to developing a fed-batch fermentation process at 5 and 19 L scale. The fermentation process consists of a glycerol growth phase in batch and fed-batch mode using a defined medium followed by a glycerol/methanol transition phase for adaptation to growth on methanol and a methanol induction phase resulting in the production of rBoNTE(H(c)). Specific growth rate, ratio of growth to induction phase, and time of induction were critical for optimal rBoNTE(H(c)) production and minimal proteolytic degradation. A computer-controlled exponential growth model was used for process automation and off-gas analysis was used for process monitoring. The optimized process had an induction time of 9 h on methanol and produced up to 3 mg of rBoNTE(H(c)) per gram wet cell mass as determined by HPLC and Western blot analysis.     

Design of methanol Feed control in Pichia pastoris fermentations based upon a growth model

The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris is an effective system for recombinant protein productions that utilizes methanol as an inducer, and also as carbon and energy source for a Mut(+) (methanol utilization plus) strain. Pichia fermentation is conducted in a fed-batch mode to obtain a high cell density for a high productivity. An accurate methanol control is required in the methanol fed-batch phase (induction phase) in the fermentation. A simple "on-off" control strategy is inadequate for precise control of methanol concentrations in the fermentor. In this paper we employed a PID (proportional, integral and derivative) control system for the methanol concentration control and designed the PID controller settings on the basis of a Pichia growth model. The closed-loop system was built with four components: PID controller, methanol feed pump, fermentation process, and methanol sensor. First, modeling and transfer functions for all components were derived, followed by frequency response analysis, a powerful method for calculating the optimal PID parameters K(c) (controller gain), tau(I) (controller integral time constant), and tau(D) (controller derivative time constant). Bode stability criteria were used to develop the stability diagram for evaluating the designed settings during the entire methanol fed-batch phase. Fermentations were conducted using four Pichia strains, each expressing a different protein, to verify the control performance with optimal PID settings. The results showed that the methanol concentration matched the set point very well with only small overshoot when the set point was switched, which indicated that a very good control performance was achieved. The method developed in this paper is robust and can serve as a framework for the design of other PID feedback control systems in biological processes.     

Improving the monitoring of methanol concentration during high cell density fermentation of Pichia pastoris

The Pichia pastoris expression system is widely used for the production of recombinant proteins. A simple and efficient experimental set-up allowing on-line monitoring of the methanol concentration during the fermentation of P. pastoris based on the detection of the methanol vapor concentration in the exhaust air from fermenter by a tin dioxide (SnO2) semiconductor sensor is described. An experimental procedure to allow precise calibration of the system and to reduce methanol sensor's interferences (>95% reduction) are also presented and discussed. Accuracy and measurement error were estimated about 0.05 g x l(-1) and 6%, respectively. The efficient monitoring of methanol will help to advanced control of recombinant protein production and process optimization.     

毕赤酵母高密度发酵工艺的研究

高密度发酵是毕赤酵母提高蛋白表达量的一种重要策略,发酵工艺是高密度发酵的一个重要因素。采用下列措施均可以有效地提高表达水平：调节基础培养基,采用变pH和变温发酵,提高DO,选择最适的诱导前菌体密度和比生长速率并降低甘油初始浓度和采用分段式指数流加进行调控。选择合适的甲醇补料策略：甲醇限制补料（MLFB）、氧气限制补料（OLFB）、甲醇不限制补料（MNLFB）和温度限制补料（TLFB）。采用两种方式调控补料：诱导阶段菌体生长时,甲醇比消耗速率(qMeOH)为0.02-0.03gg-1h-1,而菌体不生长时,qMeOH采用较高值。     

Increasing secretion of a bivalent anti-T-cell immunotoxin by Pichia pastoris

The bivalent anti-T-cell immunotoxin A-dmDT390-bisFv(G(4)S) was developed for treatment of T-cell leukemia and autoimmune diseases and for tolerance induction for transplantation. This immunotoxin was produced extracellularly in toxin-sensitive Pichia pastoris JW102 (Mut(+)) under control of the AOX1 promoter. There were two major barriers to efficient immunotoxin production, the toxicity of the immunotoxin for P. pastoris and the limited capacity of P. pastoris to secrete the immunotoxin. The immunotoxin toxicity resulted in a decrease in the methanol consumption rate, cessation of cell growth, and low immunotoxin productivity after the first 22 h of methanol induction. Continuous cell growth and continuous immunotoxin secretion after the first 22 h of methanol induction were obtained by adding glycerol to the methanol feed by using a 4:1 methanol-glycerol mixed feed as an energy source and by continuously adding a yeast extract solution during methanol induction. The secretory capacity was increased from 22.5 to 37 mg/liter by lowering the induction temperature. A low temperature reduced the methanol consumption rate and protease activity in the supernatant but not cell growth. The effects of adding glycerol and yeast extract to the methanol feed were synergistic. Adding yeast extract primarily enhanced methanol utilization and cell growth, while adding glycerol primarily enhanced immunotoxin production. The synergy was further enhanced by decreasing the induction temperature from 23 to 15 degrees C, which resulted in a robust process with a yield of 37 mg/liter, which was sevenfold greater than the yield previously reported for a toxin-resistant CHO cell expression system. This methodology should be applicable to other toxin-related recombinant proteins in toxin-sensitive P. pastoris.     

毕赤酵母表达重组人白细胞介素11的连续培养研究

对毕赤酵母表达重组人白细胞介素11(rhIL11)工程菌的连续培养进行了工艺研究。连续培养在10L工作体积的发酵罐中进行,整个发酵过程历时约20天,发酵上清中rhIL11表达浓度约400mgml。在稀释率D=005h下,菌浓OD600达到100以上。     

表达重组咖啡豆α-半乳糖苷酶的酵母工程菌的高密度发酵

用5 L发酵罐优化了重组咖啡豆α-半乳糖苷酶酵母工程菌pPIC9K-Gal/GS115(本室构建)的高密度发酵工艺.通过对发酵条件的优化,包括甘油补充量及补充时机、甲醇诱导量及诱导时机、溶氧控制、诱导时间等,重组咖啡豆α-半乳糖苷酶在毕赤酵母中得到了高效表达.利用所确定的最适条件进行发酵,菌体密度最终达到368 g/L以上,每批发酵液离心后可获得3.5 L的发酵上清,上清中的蛋白含量达到3 g/L以上,目的蛋白占上清总蛋白的50%以上,含量约为1.5 g/L,上清中α-半乳糖苷酶的活性维持在80 U/ml左右.确立工艺后又进行了3次发酵试验,证明了工艺的可行性和稳定性.为重组咖啡豆α-半乳糖苷酶在B→O血型改造和酶解大豆低聚糖方面的应用奠定了基础.     

电子嗅在线反馈控制毕赤酵母糖化酶发酵过程中甲醇浓度新方法的应用

探索了电子嗅传感仪直接通过发酵尾气进行发酵液中甲醇浓度在线检测的方法,建立了毕赤酵母表达糖化酶过程中甲醇浓度的自动化反馈补料控制模型,可准确实现发酵过程中甲醇浓度的精确控制;研究表明,当利用电子嗅将培养液中甲醇浓度稳定控制在(890±35)ppm水平下,发酵诱导培养到128h时目的蛋白糖化酶酶活达到了8 153U/ml,与甲醇浓度控制在(350±26)ppm时的发酵水平相比提升了48.8%。该方法具有无需前处理、与发酵液非接触、快速和准确性的优点,为提升工程酵母在工业发酵培养过程工艺的优化控制具有重要的指导作用。     

L-蛋氨酸及甲醇浓度对毕赤酵母摇瓶发酵生产S-腺苷蛋氨酸的影响

利用甲醇传感器及高效液相色谱检测毕赤酵母摇瓶发酵过程的甲醇浓度及S-腺苷蛋氨酸(SAM)浓度,发现L-蛋氨酸浓度及甲醇浓度对毕赤酵母细胞生长及合成S-腺苷蛋氨酸具有影响,据此对摇瓶发酵过程的L-蛋氨酸浓度及甲醇浓度进行优化。优化结果表明:当L-蛋氨酸浓度为7.5 g/L时,最适于SAM积累,产量达到0.83 g/L;进而利用甲醇传感器对发酵过程的甲醇浓度进行检测及控制,考察不同甲醇浓度对SAM产量的影响,毕赤酵母产SAM的最佳甲醇浓度为15 g/L,在此浓度下SAM的产量达到1.41 g/L,比对照实验增加了21%。     

Mixed feeds of glycerol and methanol can improve the performance of Pichia pastoris cultures: A quantitative study based on concentration gradients in transient continuous cultures

Transient continuous cultures constitute a means to speed up strain characterization, by avoiding the need for many time-consuming steady-state experiments. In this study, mixed substrate growth on glycerol and methanol of a Pichia pastoris strain expressing and secreting recombinant avidin was characterized quantitatively by performing a nutrient gradient with linear increase of the methanol fraction in the feed medium from 0.5 to 0.93 C-mol C-mol(-1) at a dilution rate of 0.06 h(-1). The influence of the methanol fraction in the feed medium on recombinant avidin productivity and on specific alcohol oxidase activity were also examined. Results showed that, compared with cultures on methanol as sole carbon source, the specific recombinant avidin production rate was the same provided the methanol fraction in the feed medium was higher than 0.6 C-mol C-mol(-1). The volumetric avidin production rate was even 1.1-fold higher with a methanol fraction in the feed medium of 0.62 C-mol C-mol(-1) as a result of the higher biomass yield on mixed substrate growth compared with methanol alone. Moreover, since heat production and oxygen uptake rates are lower during mixed substrate growth on glycerol and methanol, mixed substrate cultures present technical advantages for the performance of high cell density P. pastoris cultures. Results obtained in a high cell density fed-batch culture with a mixed feed of 0.65 C-mol C-mol(-1) methanol and 0.35 C-mol C-mol(-1) glycerol were in agreement with results obtained during the transient nutrient gradient.     

Recombinant protein expression in Pichia pastoris

The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris is now one of the standard tools used in molecular biology for the generation of recombinant protein. P. pastoris has demonstrated its most powerful success as a large-scale (fermentation) recombinant protein production tool. What began more than 20 years ago as a program to convert abundant methanol to a protein source for animal feed has been developed into what is today two important biological tools: a model eukaryote used in cell biology research and a recombinant protein production system. To date well over 200 heterologous proteins have been expressed in P. pastoris. Significant advances in the development of new strains and vectors, improved techniques, and the commercial availability of these tools coupled with a better understanding of the biology of Pichia species have led to this microbe's value and power in commercial and research labs alike.     

Human chymotrypsinogen B production with Pichia pastoris by integrated development of fermentation and downstream processing. Part 1. Fermentation

Based on an integrated approach of genetic engineering, fermentation process development, and downstream processing, a fermentative chymotrypsinogen B production process using recombinant Pichia pastoris is presented. Making use of the P. pastoris AOX1-promotor, the demand for methanol as the single carbon source as well as an inducer of protein secretion enforced the use of an optimized feeding strategy by help of on-line analysis and an advanced controller algorithm. By using an experimental system of six parallel sparged column bioreactors, proteolytic product degradation could be minimized while also optimizing starting conditions for the following downstream processing. This optimization of process conditions resulted in the production of authentic chymotrypsinogen at a final concentration level of 480 mg.L(-)(1) in the whole broth and a biomass concentration of 150 g.L(-)(1) cell dry weight, thus comprising a space-time yield of 5.2 mg.L(-)(1).h(-)(1). Alternatively to the high cell density fermentation approach, a continuous fermentation process was developed to study the effects of reduced cell density toward oxygen demand, cooling energy, and biomass separation. This development led to a process with a highly increased space-time yield of 25 mg.L(-)(1).h(-)(1) while reducing the cell dry weight concentration from 150 g.L(-)(1) in fed-batch to 65 g.L(-)(1) in continuous cultivation.     

A model-based feeding strategy for fed-batch fermentation of recombinant Pichia pastoris

A two stage, exponential feeding strategy with mixed glycerol/methanol substrate was used in a fed-batch recombinant Pichia pastorisfermentation. The feeding strategy was developed using a simple model based on mass balances, Monod-type growth kinetics, and constant specific heterologous protein production rate. The model accurately predicted cell growth, and demonstrated the usefulness of a rational, model-based approach for improving the productivity of recombinant P. pastoris fermentation.     

重组毕赤酵母生产β-葡萄糖苷酶发酵条件初步研究

为提高重组毕赤酵母(P.pastoris KM71/pPIC9K-bgl)生产β-葡萄糖苷酶的产量,在摇瓶条件下对重组P.pastoris产β-葡萄糖苷酶的发酵过程进行了优化,得到最佳的条件:生长阶段甘油浓度为30 g/L,接种量为10%,诱导阶段甲醇的初浓度为4%,过程补加甲醇0.5%,诱导温度30℃,pH7.5,诱导周期120 h,酶活可达到245 U/mL。在此基础上,在3 L发酵罐上进行初步放大,流加甘油提高细胞密度至OD_(600)为170,开始流加甲醇诱导,最终BGL酶活达到1 175 U/mL。比摇瓶提高了4.8倍,为β-葡萄糖苷酶工业化生产打下了坚实的基础。     

重组人抗凝血酶发酵条件的优化

目的:通过实验室发酵条件优化工作,实现在巴斯德毕赤酵母中高效表达重组人抗凝血酶。方法:在摇瓶培养条件下,应用正交实验方法考查人抗凝血酶重组毕赤酵母菌pPIC9K-AT-02的培养温度、培养基pH值、接种比例、甲醇补加间隔时间及甲醇补加浓度等5种因素对重组人抗凝血酶活性的影响,确定最优发酵条件。结果与结论:筛选出的最终发酵条件为培养温度30℃、培养基pH6.0、接种比例20%、甲醇补加间隔时间24 h、甲醇补加浓度2%,重组人抗凝血酶在巴斯德毕赤酵母中表达活性为4098 U/L,比原始活性提高了150%。     

Improved production of recombinant ovine interferon-tau by mut(+) strain of Pichia pastoris using an optimized methanol feed profile

Recombinant ovine interferon-tau (r-oIFN-tau) production by Pichia pastoris was studied using methanol as the sole carbon source during induction. The cells were grown on glycerol up to a certain cell density before induction of the AOX1 promoter by methanol for expression of the recombinant protein. Cell growth on methanol has been modeled using a substrate-feed equation, which served as the basis for an effective computer control of the process. The r-oIFN-tau concentration in the culture began to decline despite continued cell growth after 50 (+/- 6) h of induction, which was associated with an increase in proteolytic activity of the fermentation broth. A specific growth rate of 0.025 h(-1) was found to be optimal for r-oIFN-tau production. No significant improvement in r-oIFN-tau production was observed when the specific growth rate was stepped up before the critical point when r-oIFN-tau concentration started decreasing during fermentation. However, best results were obtained when the specific growth rate was stepped down from 0.025 to 0.02 h(-1) at 38 h of induction, whereby the active production period was prolonged until 70 h of induction and the broth protease activity was correspondingly reduced. The corresponding maximum protein yield was 391.7 mg x L(-1) after 70 h of fermentation. The proteolytic activity could be reduced by performing fermentations at specific growth rates of 0.025 h(-1) or below. The recombinant protein production can be performed at an optimal yield by directly controlling the methanol feed rate by a computer-controlled model. The production profile of r-oIFN-tau was found to be significantly different from other secreted and intracellular recombinant protein processes, which is an indication that recombinant protein production in Pichia pastoris needs to be optimized as individual processes following established principles.