Expression and analysis of the glycosylation properties of recombinant human erythropoietin expressed in Pichia pastoris

The Pichia pastoris expression system was used to produce recombinant human erythropoietin, a protein synthesized by the adult kidney and responsible for the regulation of red blood cell production. The entire recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) gene was constructed using the Splicing by Overlap Extension by PCR (SOE-PCR) technique, cloned and expressed through the secretory pathway of the Pichia expression system. Recombinant erythropoietin was successfully expressed in P. pastoris. The estimated molecular mass of the expressed protein ranged from 32 kDa to 75 kDa, with the variation in size being attributed to the presence of rhEPO glycosylation analogs. A crude functional analysis of the soluble proteins showed that all of the forms were active in vivo.     

Large-scale production,purification, and characterisation of recombinant Phaseolus vulgaris phytohemagglutinin E-form expressed in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris

The kidney bean lectin Phaseolus vulgaris phytohemagglutinin E-form (PHA-E) was expressed and secreted by the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. To optimise yields of PHA-E, transformants of P. pastoris were selected for high-level production of the recombinant protein. A scaleable process for the production and purification of gram quantities of recombinant PHA-E is reported. PHA-E was secreted at approximately 100 mg/L at the 2- and 200-L scale and was purified to 95% homogeneity in a single step using cation-exchange chromatography. The purified recombinant PHA-E consists of four forms with molecular masses between 28.5 and 31.5 kDa, as assessed by MALDI-TOF, whereas its native counterpart has a molecular mass of approximately 30.5 kDa. Endoglycosidase treatment revealed that the range in size of the recombinant protein was attributed to differences in the nature of the N-linked oligosaccharides bound to the protein. The primary amino acid sequence of the recombinant PHA-E was found to be identical to the native protein and to have an agglutination activity similar to that of native PHA-E. The data presented here suggest that, using P. pastoris, gram quantities of a recombinant phytohemagglutinin E-form can be produced and that the recombinant protein is similar to the protein synthesised in plants with respect to structure and biological activity.     

Expression,purification, and characterization of equine lactoferrin in Pichia pastoris

Lactoferrin is an 80kDa iron-binding glycoprotein. It is secreted by exocrine glands. Many functions such as iron sequestering, anti-bacterial activity, regulation of gene expression, and immunomodulation are attributed to it. In the present study, we report the production of recombinant equine lactoferrin (ELF) in the methylotropic yeast Pichia pastoris using pPIC9K vector. The recombinant protein was purified by one-step affinity chromatography using heparin-Sepharose column. The purified protein has a molecular weight of 80kDa and reacted with antibody raised against the native equine lactoferrin. Its N-terminal sequence was identical to that of the native ELF. The iron-binding behavior and circular dichroism studies of the purified protein indicate that it has folded properly. The recombinant protein appears to be hyperglycosylated by the host strain, GS115. This is the first heterologous expression of equine lactoferrin and also the first report of intact lactoferrin expression using P. pastoris system. An yield of 40mg/l obtained in shake-flask cultures with this system, which is higher than the reported values for other systems.     

Production and synthetic dyes decolourization capacity of a recombinant laccase from Pichia pastoris

Aims:  To produce and purify a recombinant laccase from Pichia pastoris and to test its ability in decolourization of synthetic dyes.
Methods and Results:  A cDNA encoding for a laccase was isolated from Pycnoporus sanguineus and was expressed in P. pastoris strain SMD1168H under the control of the alcohol oxidase (AOX1) promoter. The laccase native signal peptide efficiently directed the secretion of the recombinant laccase in an active form. Factors influencing laccase expression, such as cultivation temperature, pH, copper concentration and methanol concentration, were investigated. The recombinant enzyme was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity, and was estimated to have a molecular mass of about 62·8 kDa. The purified enzyme showed a similar behaviour to the native laccase produced by P. sanguineus . Four different synthetic dyes including azo, anthraquinone, triphenylmethane and indigo dyes could be efficiently decolourized by the purified recombinant laccase without the addition of redox mediators.
Conclusions:  Heterologous production of P. sanguineus laccase in P. pastoris was successfully achieved. The purified recombinant laccase could efficiently decolourize synthetic dyes in the absence of mediators.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  This study is the first report on the synthetic dye decolourization by the recombinant P. sanguineus laccase. The decolourization capacity of this recombinant enzyme suggested that it could be a useful biocatalyst for the treatment of dye-containing effluents.     

Expression of a Phanerochaete chrysosporium manganese peroxidase gene in the yeast Pichia pastoris

A gene encoding manganese peroxidase (mnp1) from Phanerochaete chrysosporium was cloned downstream of a constitutive glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. Three different expression vectors were constructed: pZBMNP contains the native P. chrysosporium fungal secretion signal, palphaAMNP contains an alpha-factor secretion signal derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and pZBIMNP has no secretion signal and was used for intracellular expression. Both the native fungal secretion signal sequence and alpha-factor secretion signal sequence directed the secretion of active recombinant manganese peroxidase (rMnP) from P. pastoris transformants. The majority of the rMnP produced by P. pastoris exhibited a molecular mass (55-100 kDa) considerably larger than that of the wild-type manganese peroxidase (wtMnP, 46 kDa). Deletion of the native fungal secretion signal yielded a molecular mass of 39 kDa for intracellular rMnP in P. pastoris. Treatment of the secreted rMnP with endoglycosidase H (Endo H) resulted in a considerable decrease in the mass of rMnP, indicating N-linked hyperglycosylation. Partially purified rMnP showed kinetic characteristics similar to those of wtMnP. Both enzymes also had similar pH stability profiles. Addition of exogenous Mn(II), Ca(II), and Fe(III) conferred additional thermal stability to both enzymes. However, rMnP was slightly less thermostable than wtMnP, which demonstrated an extended half-life at 55 degrees C.     

Expression of recombinant hybrid peptide cecropinA(1-8)-magainin2(1-12) in Pichia pastoris: purification and characterization

Hybrid antibacterial peptide CA-MA (cecropinA(1-8)-magainin2(1-12)) is a linear cationic peptide that has potent antimicrobial properties without hemolytic activity. To explore a new approach of expression of hybrid peptide CA-MA in methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris, the gene of CA-MA was obtained by recursive PCR (rPCR) and cloned into the vector pPICZalpha-A. The SalI-linearized plasmid pPICZalpha-CA-MA was transformed into P. pastoris SMD1168 by electroporation. The expression was induced for 96h with 1.0% methanol at 28 degrees C, pH 5.0. Recombinant CA-MA was purified by reversed-phase HPLC and 22 mg pure active CA-MA was obtained from 1L fermentation culture. Tricine-SDS-PAGE indicated that recombinant CA-MA protein molecular weight is 2.6 kDa. Mass spectrometry of purified CA-MA demonstrated a single large signal for the molecular ion [M+2H+](2+) at 1281.07 m/z, identical to that of the putative protein (2.56 kDa). Antimicrobial assays showed that CA-MA has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial property against fungi, as well as Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. This is the first report on the heterologous expression of a hybrid antibacterial peptide with molecular weight below 3.0 kDa in P. pastoris. Our results demonstrate that functional CA-MA can be produced in sufficient quantities using P. pastoris for use in further studies on functionality and diagnostic applications.     

Molecular cloning, expression and purification of L-amino acid oxidase from the Malayan pit viper Calloselasma rhodostoma

A cDNA encoding LAAO from the Malayan pit viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma) was cloned into an expression vector of the methylotropic yeast Pichia pastoris. The LAAO open reading frame was inserted after the alpha-MF-signal sequence. Upon induction soluble and active LAAO is produced and exported into the culture supernatant at a concentration of up to 0.4 mg/L. Recombinant LAAO was purified from this by ion exchange and molecular sieve chromatography to yield apparently homogeneous protein in quantities of approximately 0.25 mg/L growth medium. Expressed LAAO exhibits the same electrophoretic mobility as native LAAO (62 kDa) and exhibits approximately the same extent of glycosylation as authentic LAAO from snake venom. Catalytic properties and substrate specificity of recombinant LAAO are similar to those of native enzyme.     

Biochemical characterization of recombinant Drosophila type 1 serine/threonine protein phosphatase (PP1c) produced in Pichia pastoris.

The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris was used to express Drosophila melanogaster type 1beta serine/threonine phosphoprotein phosphatase catalytic subunit (PP1beta9C). A construct encoding PP1beta9C with a short NH(2)-terminal fusion including six histidine residues was introduced into the X-33 and KM71H strains of P. pastoris by homologous recombination. Recombinant protein was purified from cell free extracts 24 h after methanol induction. PP1beta9C was purified to a specific activity of 12,077 mU/mg by a three-step purification method comprising (NH(4))(2)SO(4)-ethanol precipitation followed by Ni(2+)-agarose affinity chromatography and Mono Q anion-exchange chromatography. This purification scheme yielded approximately 80 microg of active, soluble PP1beta9C per 1 L of culture. In contrast to recombinant PP1beta9C overexpressed in bacteria, which differs from native PP1c in several biochemical criteria including the requirement for divalent cations, sensitivity to vanadate, and p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) phosphatase activity, recombinant PP1beta9C produced in P. pastoris has native-like properties. P. pastoris thus provides a reliable and convenient system for the production of active, native-like recombinant PP1beta9C.     

A recombinant group 1 house dust mite allergen, rDer f 1, with biological activities similar to those of the native allergen

Serum IgE directed against Der f 1, a protease found in the feces of Dermatophagoides farinae, correlates well with allergic sensitization to house dust mite in humans and is a risk factor for developing asthma. Native Der f 1 (nDer f 1) is produced as a pre-pro form and processed to an approximately 25-kDa mature form. We have expressed recombinant forms of Der f 1 (rDer f 1) in Pichia pastoris using AOX1-promoter expression vectors. Fusion of either the pro-enzyme form or the mature form to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha factor pre-pro sequence resulted in secretion of the mature form of the protein from P. pastoris. The secreted protein was heterogeneously glycosylated at a single N-glycosylation site and had an apparent molecular mass of 35-50 kDa. Both the alpha factor signal peptide and the pro-enzyme region were efficiently processed during secretion. A version of the pro-enzyme with a mutated consensus N-linked glycosylation site was secreted from P. pastoris as a mature, unglycosylated, approximately 25-kDa protein. The IgE binding activity of this unglycosylated rDer f 1 was similar to that of glycosylated forms produced by P. pastoris and to nDer f 1 obtained from mites. Thus, oligosaccharides are not required for secretion from P. pastoris or for IgE binding in vitro. Recombinant and native versions of Der f 1 displayed protease activity on casein zymogram gels. The availability of a highly purified recombinant Der f 1 will facilitate experimental and clinical studies of mite allergy.     

Production of enzymatically active recombinant full-length barley high pI alpha-glucosidase of glycoside family 31 by high cell-density fermentation of Pichia pastoris and affinity purification

Recombinant barley high pI alpha-glucosidase was produced by high cell-density fermentation of Pichia pastoris expressing the cloned full-length gene. The gene was amplified from a genomic clone and exons (coding regions) were assembled by overlap PCR. The resulting cDNA was expressed under control of the alcohol oxidase 1 promoter using methanol induction of P. pastoris fermentation in a Biostat B 5 L reactor. Forty-two milligrams alpha-glucosidase was purified from 3.5 L culture in four steps applying an N-terminal hexa-histidine tag. The apparent molecular mass of the recombinant alpha-glucosidase was 100 kDa compared to 92 kDa of the native barley enzyme. The secreted recombinant enzyme was highly stabile during the 5-day fermentation and had significantly superior specific activity of the enzyme purified previously from barley malt. The kinetic parameters Km, Vmax, and kcat were determined to 1.7 mM, 139 nM x s(-1), and 85 s(-1) using maltose as substrate. This work presents the first production of fully active recombinant alpha-glucosidase of glycoside hydrolase family 31 from higher plants.     

Purification and characterization of keratinase from recombinant Pichia and Bacillus strains

The keratinase gene from Bacillus licheniformis MKU3 was cloned and successfully expressed in Bacillus megaterium MS941 as well as in Pichia pastoris X33. Compared with parent strain, the recombinant B. megaterium produced 3-fold increased level of keratinase while the recombinant P. pastoris strain had produced 2.9-fold increased level of keratinase. The keratinases from recombinant P. pastoris (pPZK3) and B. megaterium MS941 (pWAK3) were purified to 67.7- and 85.1-folds, respectively, through affinity chromatography. The purified keratinases had the specific activity of 365.7 and 1277.7 U/mg, respectively. Recombinant keratinase from B. megaterium was a monomeric protein with an apparent molecular mass of 30 kDa which was appropriately glycosylated in P. pastoris to have a molecular mass of 39 kDa. The keratinases from both recombinant strains had similar properties such as temperature and pH optimum for activity, and sensitivity to various metal ions, additives and inhibitors. There was considerable enzyme stability due to its glycosylation in yeast system. At pH 11 the glycosylated keratinase retained 95% of activity and 75% of its activity at 80 degrees C. The purified keratinase hydrolyzed a broad range of substrates and displayed effective degradation of keratin substrates. The K(m) and V(max) of the keratinase for the substrate N-succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-pNA was found to be 0.201 mM and 61.09 U/s, respectively. Stability in the presence of detergents, surfactants, metal ions and solvents make this keratinase suitable for industrial processes.     

Cloning, expression, purification, and characterization of the acid alpha-mannosidase from Trypanosoma cruzi

The acid alpha-mannosidase of Trypanosoma cruzi is a broad-specificity hydrolase involved in the catabolism of glycoconjugates, presumably in the digestive vacuole. We have cloned the alpha-mannosidase gene from a T.cruzi epimastigote genomic library. The alpha-mannosidase gene was determined to be single copy by Southern analysis, and similar sequences were not detected in genomic digests of either Trypanosoma brucei or Leishmania donovani. The coding region was subcloned into the Pichia pastoris expression vector pPICZ, and alpha-mannosidase activity was detected in the medium of induced cultures. The recombinant alpha- mannosidase demonstrated a pH optimum, inhibition by swainsonine, Km, and substrate specificity consistent with the characteristics of the alpha-mannosidase previously purified from T.cruzi epimastigotes. The recombinant enzyme was purified 103-fold from the culture medium of Pichia pastoris and had a native molecular mass of 359 kDa by gel filtration. A combination of SDS-PAGE, deglycosylation with endo H, and NH2-terminal sequencing indicates that the enzyme is originally synthesized as a homodimeric polypeptide that is subsequently cleaved to form a heterotetramer composed of 57 and 46 kDa subunits. A polyclonal antibody raised to the recombinant enzyme was shown to immunoprecipitate the alpha-mannosidase from T.cruzi cell extracts and will be used in future immunolocalization studies.      

Production of recombinant human erythropoietin from Pichia pastoris and its structural analysis

AIMS: To design and investigate a recombinant expression system producing a therapeutically important glycoprotein, human erythropoietin (rHuEPO), by Pichia pastoris. METHODS AND RESULTS: EPO cDNA was cloned into pPICZalphaA for expression under control of AOX1 promoter and fused, on the amino-terminal end, with a polyhistidine tag for rapid purification. A target site for factor Xa protease was also introduced, such that cleavage in vitro produced a mature form of rHuEPO having the native N- and C-termini. RHuEPO was characterized as to the extent and nature of N-linked glycosylation using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and western blotting. The rHuEPO produced was approximately 30 kDa. All three N-linked glycosylation sites were occupied dominantly by Man(17)(GlcNAc)(2). N-glycanase-treated rHuEPO purified but not digested with factor-Xa-protease, showed a spectral peak centered about m/z 20400 Da. CONCLUSIONS: The native polypeptide form of human EPO (c. 18 kDa) was obtained for the first time in P. pastoris expression system, after affinity purification, deglycosylation and factor-Xa-protease digestion. The amount of sodium dodecyl sulfate used prior to deglycosylation was found to be crucial in determining the dominant form of glycan in glycoproteins. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The novel approaches to protein expression and purification system and structural analysis presented, would be important especially for therapeutic proteins expressed in P. pastoris.     

Overexpression of a small medicinal peptide from ginseng in the yeast Pichia pastoris

A medicinal peptide, Gsp, which was initially extracted from the traditional medicinal herb ginseng, has potential use as a drug against diabetes. Gsp is a low molecular weight protein that we have secreted in a recombinant form from the yeast Pichia pastoris. A DNA fragment encoding four copies of the Gsp protein each separated by a basic amino acid was synthesized and inserted into the P. pastoris expression vector plasmid pPIC9. After electroporation of the resulting vector, pPIC9-Gsp, into the yeast, transformants were selected. Recombinant pre-Gsp secreted from P. pastoris had a molecular weight of 5.9 kDa and mature recombinant Gsp had a primary structure indistinguishable from native Gsp. After optimization of the culturing process, the yield of pre-Gsp reached 800 mg/L in the clarified broth. A continuous batch fermentation process was developed that allowed the same population of cells to be reutilized five times without loss of expression level. This continuous culturing process resulted in a substantial saving of both time and cost in pharmaceutical production and should be applicable to the production of other recombinant proteins in P. pastoris.     

Expression,purification, and characterization of recombinant human neurturin secreted from the yeast Pichia pastoris

Neurturin (NTN), a potent neurotrophic factor acting specifically on dopaminergic neurons, is comprised of 102 amino acids as a mature protein. We artificially synthesized a gene for mature human NTN (hNTN) using codons preferred by the yeast Pichia pastoris. This synthesized gene, fused in frame with sequences encoding the alpha-factor signal peptide gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cloned into P. pastoris expression vector pPIC9K. The recombinant plasmid pPIC9K-alpha-hNTN was then transformed into the yeast and stable multicopy recombinant P. pastoris strains were selected by G418 resistance. SDS-PAGE and Western blot assays of culture broth from a methanol-induced expression strain demonstrated that recombinant hNTN, a 16kDa glycosylated protein, was secreted into the culture medium. The recombinant protein was purified to greater than 95% using CM-Sepharose ion exchange and Superdex 75 size-exclusion chromatography steps. Bioactivity of the recombinant hNTN was confirmed by the ability of the protein to stimulate growth of nerve fibers from the dorsal root ganglia of chick embryos in vitro.     

Functional characterization of recombinant batroxobin, a snake venom thrombin-like enzyme, expressed from Pichia pastoris

A thrombin-like enzyme of Bothrops atrox moojeni venom, batroxobin, specifically cleaves fibrinogen alpha chain, resulting in the formation of non-crosslinked fibrin clots. The cDNA encoding batroxobin was cloned, expressed in Pichia pastoris and the molecular function of purified recombinant protein was also characterized. The recombinant batroxobin had an apparent molecular weight of 33 kDa by SDS-PAGE analysis and biochemical activities similar to those of native batroxobin. The purified recombinant protein strongly converted fibrinogen into fibrin clot in vitro, and shortened bleeding time and whole blood coagulation time in vivo. However, it did not make any considerable alterations on other blood coagulation factors. Several lines of experimental evidence in this study suggest that the recombinant batroxobin is a potent pro-coagulant agent.     

Expression of glycosylated haloalkane dehalogenase LinB in Pichia pastoris

Heterologous expression of the bacterial enzyme haloalkane dehalogenase LinB from Sphingomonas paucimobilis UT26 in methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris is reported. The haloalkane dehalogenase gene linB was subcloned into the pPICZalphaA vector and integrated into the genome of P. pastoris. The recombinant LinB secreted from the yeast was purified to homogeneity and biochemically characterized. The deglycosylation experiment and mass spectrometry measurements showed that the recombinant LinB expressed in P. pastoris is glycosylated with a 2.8 kDa size of high mannose core. The specific activity of the glycosylated LinB was 15.6 +/- 3.7 micromol/min/mg of protein with 1,2-dibromoethane and 1.86 +/- 0.36 micromol/min/mg of protein with 1-chlorobutane. Activity and solution structure of the protein produced in P. pastoris is comparable with that of recombinant LinB expressed in Escherichia coli. The melting temperature determined by the circular dichroism (41.7+/-0.3 degrees C for LinB expressed in P. pastoris and 41.8 +/- 0.3 degrees C expressed in E. coli) and thermal stability measured by specific activity to 1-chlorobutane were also similar for two enzymes. Our results show that LinB can be extracellularly expressed in eukaryotic cell and glycosylation had no effect on activity, protein fold and thermal stability of LinB.     

Establishment of a heterologous system for the expression of Canavalia brasiliensis lectin: a model for the study of protein splicing

During its biosynthesis in developing Canavalia brasiliensis seeds, the lectin ConBr undergoes a form of protein splicing in which the order of the N- and C-domains of the protein is reversed. To investigate whether these events can occur in other eukaryotic organisms, an expression system based on Pichia pastoris cells was established. A DNA fragment encoding prepro-ConBr was cloned into the vector pPICZB, and the recombinant plasmid was transformed in P. pastoris strain GS115. Ten clones were screened for effective recombinant protein production. Based on Western blot analysis of the two clones with the highest level of protein expression: 1) diffuse high-molecular mass immunoreactive bands were produced as early as 24 h after induction; 2) a single-, high-molecular mass protein was secreted into the medium, and 3) a significant fraction of the recombinant polypeptides that cross-reacted with anti-ConBr antibodies comprised a band of approximately 34.5 kDa. Diffuse protein bands with high molecular masses are attributed to hyperglycosylation at the single potential N-glycosylation site located in the linker peptide of prepro-ConBr. In contrast, native ConBr is made up of three polypeptides, the intact alpha chain (aa 1-237) and the fragments beta (aa 1-118) and gamma (aa 119-237), which have apparent molecular masses of 30, 16 and 12 kDa, respectively. Apparently, the yeast P. pastoris is not able to carry out all the complex post-translational proteolytic processing necessary for the biosynthesis of ConBr.     

高温α-淀粉酶基因突变体在大肠杆菌、毕赤酵母中的表达

对地衣芽孢杆菌(Bacillus licheniformis)高温α-淀粉酶(amyE)基因进行改造获得的基因突变体(amyEM),通过PCR扩增,将此基因分别克隆至大肠杆菌表达载体pBV220和毕赤酵母表达载体pPIC9K上,并分别转化大肠杆菌DH5α和毕赤酵母GS115感受态细胞,获得重组大肠杆菌和重组毕赤酵母。通过表达产物的酶活性检测和SDS-PAGE分析,证明突变α-淀粉酶(AmyEM)在大肠杆菌、毕赤酵母中获得有效表达。对重组大肠杆菌产生的α-淀粉酶的粗酶性质分析表明,此酶分子量约为55kDa。其最适反应温度为80℃~90℃,与野生型基因相比,其最适pH均为6.0,但不同的是突变体在pH 5.0~5.5时表现出较高的酶活力;在毕赤酵母细胞的表达产物可分泌至胞外。由于酵母可对蛋白进行糖基化,酶分子量增加到60kDa,最适pH也改变为5.5。此高温α-淀粉酶突变体所具有的在微酸性环境具有较高酶活力的性质,具有重要的潜在工业应用价值。