Integration of production and aqueous two-phase systems extraction of extracellular Fusarium solani pisi cutinase fusion proteins

Genetic engineering was integrated with the production and purification of Fusarium solani pisi cutinases, in order to obtain the highest amount of enzyme activity units, after purification. An aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) of polyethylene glycol 3350, dipotassium phosphate and whole broth was used for the extraction of three extracellular cutinases expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The production/extraction process was evaluated regarding cutinases secretion in the medium, partition behaviour and extraction yields in the ATPS. The proteins studied were cutinase wild type and two fusion proteins of cutinase with the tryptophane-proline (WP) fusion tags, namely (WP)(2) and (WP)(4). The (WP)(4) fusion protein enabled a 300-fold increase of the cutinase partition coefficient when comparing to the wild type. However, the secretion of the fusion proteins was lower than of the wild type cutinase secretion. A batch extraction strategy was compared with a continuous extraction in a perforated rotating disc contactor (PRDC). The batch and continuous systems were loaded with as much as 60% (w/w) whole cultivation broth. The continuous extraction strategy provided a 2.5 higher separation capacity than the batch extraction strategy. Considering the integrated process, the cutinase-(WP)(2) proved to lead to the highest product activity, enabling five and six times more product activity than the wild type and the (WP)(4) fusion proteins, respectively.     

Influence of tryptophan tags on the purification of cutinase, secreted by a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae, using cationic expanded bed adsorption and hydrophobic interaction chromatography

During cationic bed adsorption (EBA), with cutinase with varying length tryptophan tags (WP)(2)and (WP)(4), 33% and 10% of adsorption capacity and 80% and 32% eluted specific activity were observed in relation to wild type (wt)-cutinase in the conventional process. Therefore, as the hydrophobicity of the protein increases, it is important to integrate the EBA step with a hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) process. As the length of the hydrophobic tag-(WP) increases from n = 2 to n = 4, the purification factor obtained by HIC was 1.8 and 2.2-fold higher than wt-cutinase. However, the recovery yield obtained in HIC decreases substantially as the length of hydrophobic tag increases (97%, 84% and 70% for wt-cutinase, cutinase-(WP)(2) and cutinase-(WP)(4)). The integration of two purification steps, EBA followed by HIC, resulted in the highest overall purity level for cutinase-(WP)(2), and the highest overall recovery yield for wt-cutinase. When optimizing the design of a hydrophobic tag fused to a protein secreted by Saccharomyces cerevisiae it must be considered that the cultivation parameters could impair the downstream process, and consequently the optimum tag is not necessarily the one that presents the highest purification factor in HIC.     

Fed-batch bioreactor performance and cell line stability evaluation of the artificial chromosome expression technology expressing an IgG1 in Chinese hamster ovary cells

The artificial chromosome expression (ACE) technology system uses an engineered artificial chromosome containing multiple site-specific recombination acceptor sites for the rapid and efficient construction of stable cell lines. The construction of Chinese hamster ovary(CHO) cell lines expressing an IgG1 monoclonal antibody (MAb) using the ACE system has been previously described (Kennard et al., Biotechnol Bioeng. 2009;104:540-553). To further demonstrate the manufacturing feasibility of the ACE system, four CHO cell lines expressing the human IgG1 MAb 4A1 were evaluated in batch and fed-batch shake flasks and in a 2-L fed-batch bioreactor. The batch shake flasks achieved titers between 0.7 and 1.1 g/L, whereas the fed-batch shake flask process improved titers to 2.5–3.0 g/L. The lead 4A1 ACE cell line achieved titers of 4.0 g/L with an average specific productivity of 40 pg/(cell day) when cultured in a non optimized 2-L fed-batch bioreactor using a completely chemically defined process. Generational stability characterization of the lead 4A1-expressing cell line demonstrated that the cell line was stable for up to 75 days in culture. Product quality attributes of the 4A1 MAb produced by the ACE system during the stability evaluation period were unchanged and also comparable to existing expression technologies such as the CHO-dhfr system. The results of this evaluation demonstrate that a clonal, stable MAb-expressing CHO cell line can be produced using ACE technology that performs competitively using a chemically defined fed-batch bioreactor process with comparable product quality attributes to cell lines generated by existing technologies.     

Improvement of Panax notoginseng cell culture for production of ginseng saponin and polysaccharide by high density cultivation in pneumatically agitated bioreactors

A Panax notoginseng cell culture was successfully scaled up from shake flask to 1.0-L bubble column reactor and concentric-tube airlift reactor. High-density bioreactor batch cultivation was carried out using a modified MS medium. The maximum cell density in batch cultures reached 20.1, 21.0 and 24.1 g/L in the shake flask, bubble column and airlift reactors, respectively, and their corresponding biomass productivity was 950, 1140 and 1350 mg/(L x d) for each. The productivity of ginseng saponin was 70, 96 and 99 mg/(L x d) in the flask, bubble column and airlift reactors, respectively; and the polysaccharide productivity reached 104, 119 and 151 mg/(L x d) for each. Furthermore, a fed-batch cultivation strategy was developed on the basis of specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR), i.e., sucrose feeding before a sharp decrease of SOUR, and the highest cell density of 29.7 g/L was successfully achieved in the airlift bioreactor on day 17 with a very high biomass productivity of 1520 mg/(L x d). The concentrations of ginseng saponin and polysaccharide reached about 2.1 and 3.0 g/L, respectively, and their productivity was 106 (saponin) and 158 mg/(L x d) (polysaccharide). This work successfully demonstrated the high-density bioreactor cultivation of P. notoginseng cells in pneumatically agitated bioreactors and the reproduction of the shake flask culture results in bioreactors. The cell density, biomass productivity, production titer and productivity of both ginseng saponin and polysaccharide obtained here were the highest that have been reported on a reactor scale for all the ginseng species.     

Improvement of rifemycins production by Amycolatopsis mediterranei in batch and fed-batch cultures

The production of rifamycins B and SV using glucose as main C-source by Amycolatopsis mediterranei in batch and fed-batch culture was investigated. Fed-batch culture using glucose as mono feeding substrate either in the form of pulse addition, in case of shake flask, or with constant feeding rate, in bioreactor level, proved to be an alternative production system with a significant increase in both volumetric and specific antibiotic production. The maximal concentrations of about 1146 mg/l and 2500 mg/l of rifamycins B and SV, respectively, was obtained in fed-batch culture in bioreactor level under non-oxygen limitation. On the other hand, the rate of rifamycins production was increased from 6.58 to 12.13 mg/l x h for rifamycin B and from 9.47 to 31.83 mg/l x h for rifamycin SV on the bioprocess transfer and improvement from the conventional batch cultivation in shake flask to fed-batch cultivation in stirred tank bioreactor.     

Expression of xyloglucan endotransglycosylases of Gerbera hybrida and Betula pendula in Pichia pastoris

The plant enzyme xyloglucan endotransglycosylase (XET; EC 2.4.1.207, xyloglucan:xyloglucosyl transferase) participates in selective modification of plant cell walls during cell growth. XETs are potential catalysts in various applications. Here, sequences encoding two XETs from Gerbera hybrida and Betula pendula are reported. The encoded proteins, which are 51% identical at the amino acid level, were expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris in secreted form with the aid of mating factor alpha signal sequence. XET production in shake flask cultivations was better at 22 degrees C than at 30 degrees C. Both the yield of protein of expected molecular mass and the XET activity improved at the lower temperature. Under all cultivation conditions studied, higher amounts of XET from B. pendula (BXET) were expressed than XET from G. hybrida (GXET). Both XET enzymes were produced in 16l fed-batch bioreactor cultures. GXET was produced in methanol-limited fed-batch cultivation in minimal medium, and BXET in temperature-limited fed-batch (TLFB) in minimal or complex medium. Production was highest in TLFB in complex medium. BXET was purified from the culture filtrate and characterized. Based on the specific activity of the purified protein, 60-70 mg l(-1) BXET was produced in the TLFB in complex medium.     

Biosynthesis and metabolic engineering of 1-hydroxyphenazine in Pseudomonas chlororaphis H18

The split GFP assay is a well-known technology for activity-independent screening of target proteins. A superfolder GFP is split into two non-fluorescent parts, GFP11 which is fused to the target protein and GFP1-10. In the presence of both, GFP1-10 and the GFP11-tag are self-assembled and a functional chromophore is formed. However, it relies on the availability and quality of GFP1-10 detector protein to develop fluorescence by assembly with the GFP11-tag connected to the target protein. GFP1-10 detector protein is often produced in small scale shake flask cultivation and purified from inclusion bodies. The production of GFP1-10 in inclusion bodies and purification was comprehensively studied based on Escherichia coli as host. Cultivation in complex and defined medium as well as different feed strategies were tested in laboratory-scale bioreactor cultivation and a standardized process was developed providing high quantity of GFP1-10 detector protein with suitable quality. Split GFP assay was standardized to obtain robust and reliable assay results from cutinase secretion strains of Corynebacterium glutamicum with Bacillus subtilis Sec signal peptides NprE and Pel. Influencing factors from environmental conditions, such as pH and temperature were thoroughly investigated. GFP1-10 detector protein production could be successfully scaled from shake flask to laboratory scale bioreactor. A single run yielded sufficient material for up to 385 96-well plate screening runs. The application study with cutinase secretory strains showed very high correlation between measured cutinase activity to split GFP fluorescence signal proofing applicability for larger screening studies.     

Integration of the production and the purification processes of cutinase secreted by a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae SU50 strain

By expanded bed adsorption (EBA) it was possible to simultaneously recover and purify the heterologous cutinase directly from the crude feedstock. However, it was observed that in a highly condensed and consequently economically advantageous purification process as EBA, the cultivation step highly influences the following purification step. Thus, the yeast cultivation and cutinase purification by EBA cannot be considered as independent entities, and the understanding of the interactions between them are crucial for the development of a highly cost effective overall cutinase production process. From the cultivation strategies studied, one batch, one continuous and two fed-batch cultivations, the strategy that resulted in a more economical cutinase overall production process was a fed-batch mode with a feeding in galactose. This last cultivation strategy, exhibited the highest culture cutinase activity and bioreactor productivity, being obtained 3.8-fold higher cutinase activity and 3.0-fold higher productivity that could compensate the 40% higher cultivation medium costs when compared with a fed-batch culture with a feeding on glucose and galactose. Moreover, a 3.8-fold higher effective cutinase dynamic adsorption capacity and 3.8-fold higher effective purification productivity were obtained in relation to the fed-batch culture with the feeding on glucose and galactose. The cultivation strategy with a feeding on galactose, that presented 5.6-fold higher effective purification productivity, could also compensate the 32% effective adsorption capacity obtained with a continuous cultivation broth. Furthermore, a 205-fold higher cutinase activity, 24-fold higher bioreactor productivity and 6% of the cultivation medium costs were obtained in relation to the continuous culture.     

Highly efficient strategy for enhancing taxoid production by repeated elicitation with a newly synthesized jasmonate in fed-batch cultivation of Taxus chinensis cells

A highly efficient bioprocessing strategy was developed for enhancing the production of plant secondary metabolites by repeatedly eliciting a fed-batch culture with a newly synthesized powerful jasmonate analog, 2,3-dihydroxypropyl jasmonate (DHPJA). In suspension cultures of a high taxuyunnanine C (Tc)-producing cell line of Taxus chinensis, 100 microM DHPJA was added on day 7 to fed-batch cultures with feeding of 20 g L(-1) sucrose on the same day. The synergistic effect of elicitation and substrate feeding on Tc biosynthesis was observed, which resulted in higher Tc accumulation than that by elicitation or sucrose feeding alone. More interestingly, both specific Tc yield (i.e., Tc content) and volumetric yield was further improved by a second addition of 100 microM DHPJA (on day 12) to the fed-batch cultures. In particular, with repeated elicitation and sucrose feeding the Tc volumetric yield was increased to 827 +/- 29 mg L(-1), which was 5.4-fold higher than that of the nonelicited batch culture. Furthermore, the above novel strategy was successfully applied from shake flask to a 1-L airlift bioreactor. A high Tc production and productivity of 738 +/- 41 mg L(-1) and 33.2 +/- 1.9 mg L(-1) d(-1), respectively, was achieved, which is higher than previous reports on Tc production in bioreactors. The results suggest that the aforementioned bioprocessing strategy may potentially be applied to other cell culture systems for efficient production of plant secondary metabolites.     

多拷贝毕赤酵母重组菌表达GCL摇瓶优化和高密度发酵

目的:构建高效表达白地霉脂肪酶的毕赤酵母重组菌株,并对筛选得到的菌株进行摇瓶发酵条件优化和分批补料高密度发酵工艺研究。方法:将诱导型表达载体pPIC9K-gcl电转化至毕赤酵母GS115。通过橄榄油-罗丹明B平板和摇瓶发酵筛选高脂肪酶活力的重组菌株,运用基于TaqMan探针的实时荧光定量PCR 法确定其拷贝数,并对菌株进行摇瓶发酵条件优化。在此基础上,研究重组菌在3L 发酵罐中的高密度发酵工艺。结果:筛选得到一株具有3 个白地霉脂肪酶基因拷贝的菌株GS115/pPIC9K-gcl 78#,初始酶活力为220 U/ml。当摇瓶发酵条件为甲醇诱导96 h,每24 h甲醇添加量1 %,接种量2 %,培养基初始pH 7.0,500 ml摇瓶装液量50 ml,甲醇诱导温度25℃ 时酶活力达735 U/ml。3L 发酵罐高密度发酵176.5 h,酶活力达到3360 U/ml,总蛋白含量达到4.30 g/L,且发酵过程中细胞活性一直保持在96 % 以上。结论:基因拷贝数与重组菌株的产酶水平呈正相关,摇瓶优化可显著提高重组菌株的产酶能力,为白地霉脂肪酶的工业化生产奠定了技术基础。     

Production of recombinant bacteriocin divercin V41 by high cell density <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> batch and fed-batch cultures

To increase the yield of heterologous production of the class II bacteriocin DvnRV41 with Escherichia coli Origami (DE3) (pLysS/pCR03), induction of bacteriocin gene expression was optimized by varying the inducer isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) concentration (0-2 mM), and controlled batch and fed-batch cultures were tested on a 2-L scale. A concentration of 0.5 mM IPTG was found to be optimal for cell growth and bacteriocin production. Shake flask cultivation of E. coli Origami (DE3) (pLysS/pCR03) gave biomass and bacteriocin yields of 1.54 +/- 0.06 g cdw/l and 18 +/- 1 mg DvnRV41/l, respectively. Biomass (2.70 +/- 0.06 and 6.8 +/- 0.6 g cdw/l, respectively) and bacteriocin yields (30 and 74 mg DvnRV41 per liter, respectively) were both increased with batch and fed-batch compared to shake flask cultures. Bacteriocin yields reported in this study are among the highest published for other heterologous expression systems in shake flasks.     

Large-scale production of endotoxin-free plasmids for transient expression in mammalian cell culture

Transient expression of recombinant proteins in mammalian cell culture in a 100-L scale requires a large quantity of plasmid that is very labour intensive to achieve with shake flask cultures and commercially available plasmid purification kits. In this paper we describe a process for plasmid production in 100-mg scale. The fermentation is carried out in a 4-L fed-batch culture with a minimal medium. The detection of the end of batch and triggering the exponential (0.1 h(-1)) feed profile was unattended and controlled by Multi-fermenter Control System. A restricted specific growth rate in fed-batch culture increased the specific plasmid yield compared to batch cultures with minimal and rich media. This together with high biomass concentration (68-107 g L(-1) wet weight) achieves high volumetric yields of plasmid (95-277 mg L(-1) depending on the construct). The purification process consisted of alkaline lysis, lysate clarification and ultrafiltration, two-phase extraction with Triton X-114 for endotoxin removal, anion-exchange chromatography as a polishing step, ultrafiltration and sterile filtration. Both fermentation and purification processes were used without optimisation for production of four plasmids yielding from 39 to 163 mg of plasmids with endotoxin content of 2.5 EU mg(-1) or less.     

High-density Escherichia coli cultivation process for hyperexpression of recombinant porcine growth hormone.

Fermentation studies were performed on an Escherichia coli culture that carries a recombinant plasmid composed of an ampicillin-resistant gene, a temperature-regulated pL promoter, and a porcine pituitary cDNA sequence coding for growth hormone. The objective was to achieve high cell density while maintaining the specific expression level of recombinant porcine growth hormone (r-pGH) observed in shake flasks. At a specific expression level of 20% of total cell protein, the cell density of a glucose-limited fed-batch process reached 38 units of OD600 in 14 h, compared to flask cultivation, which resulted in only 1.4 units of OD600 in the same period. The observed critical fermentation conditions for maximal expression included (1) limiting glucose concentration below 1 g l-1 throughout the fed-batch growth and induction phases, (2) keeping postinduction temperature at 42 degrees C for 5-7 h, and (3) maintaining a postinduction growth rate around 0.17-0.21 h-1.     

Intracellular monitoring of superoxide dismutase expression in an Escherichia coli fed-batch cultivation using on-line disruption with at-line surface plasmon resonance detection

An on-line cell disruption system for at-line monitoring of the intracellular concentration of recombinant human superoxide dismutase (rhSOD) in a genetically modified Escherichia coli strain, HMS174(DE3) (pET11a/rhSOD), in bioreactor cultivations is described. The sampled bacteria were disrupted on-line by rapid mixing with a nonionic detergent. The recombinant protein content of the lysed bacterial sample was quantitated by a subsequent surface plasmon resonance biosensor with a specific monoclonal antibody. Extraction efficiency of the monitoring system was optimized with respect to the flow rate ratio of the cell suspension and the detergent at relevant cell densities with the aim to attain rapid monitoring. Monitoring was demonstrated for a shake flask culture and a glucose-limited fed-batch cultivation. The results are compared with a traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method showing a correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.97. Extraction efficiency of rhSOD reached 95-99% at a total processing time of 1.8-2.6 min and a contact time of 0.8-1.4 min. The possibility of extending the monitoring system to other intracellular proteins is discussed.     

The improvement of cephalosporin C production by fed-batch culture ofCephalosporium acremonium M25 using rice oil

The objective of this study is to improve cephalosporin C (CPC) production by optimization of medium and culture conditions. A statistical method was introduced to optimize the main culture medium. The main medium for CPC production was optimized using a statistical method. Glucose and corn steep liquor (CSL) were found to be the most effective factors for CPC production. Glucose and CSL were optimized to 2.84 and 6.68%, respectively. CPC production was improved 50% by feeding of 5% rice oil at day 3rd and 5th day during the shake flask culture ofC. acremonium M25. The effect of agitation speeds on CPC production in a 2.5-L bioreactor was also investigated with fed-batch mode. The maximum cell mass (54.5 g/L) was obtained at 600 rpm. However, the maximum CPC production (0.98 g/L) was obtained at 500 rpm. At this condition, the maximum CPC production was improved about 132% compared to the result with batch flask culture.     

Production of flavonoids and polysaccharide by adding elicitor in different cellular cultivation processes of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch

In this study, callus and cell suspension were induced from seedlings of licorice (G. uralensis). In addition, it was revealed that the appropriate concentration of sucrose could promote the callus growth and increase the content of polysaccharide. The methyl jasmonate (MJ) and phenylalanine (PHE) could enhance the callus growth and content of flavonoids for G. uralensis. For producing more flavonoids and polysaccharide, two-stage cultivation was performed. In the first step, 30 g L^?1 sucrose was fed into a 5-L balloon-type bubble bioreactor on 8th day of culture to enhance cell production and metabolite production. In a two-stage cultivation process, PHE (2 mM) and MJ (5 mg L^?1) were added into a 5-L balloon-type bubble bioreactor after 10 days of culture. Using a fed-batch cultivation strategy (30 g L^?1 sucrose was fed into a 5-L balloon-type bubble bioreactor on 8th day), polysaccharide production was enhanced to 1.19 g L^?1, which was 2.12-fold greater than that in batch cultivation. The flavonoids yield (55.42 mg L^?1) which was about 22 % higher than that in batch cultivation was obtained on 21st day. In a two-stage cultivation process, the polysaccharide content was increased by 1.14- and 2.12-fold compared with fed-batch cultivation and batch cultivation on 15th day. Meanwhile, total flavonoids yield (132.36 mg L^?1) on 15th day, was increased by 2.26- and 2.67-fold compared with fed-batch cultivation and batch cultivation. In conclusion, two-stage cultivation process combined with the sucrose and elicitor treatment could promote both the callus growth and the secondary metabolites accumulation.     

Non-invasive methods for determination of cellular growth inPodophyllum hexandrum suspension cultures

Culture conductivity and on-line NADH fluorescence were used to measure cellular growth in plant cell suspension cultures ofPodophyllum hexandrum. An inverse correlation between dry cell weight and medium conductivity was observed during shake flask cultivation. A linear relationship between dry cell weight and culture NADH fluorescence was obtained during the exponential phase of batch cultivation in a bioreactor under the pH stat (pH 6) conditions. It was observed that conductivity measurement were suitable for biomass characterisation under highly dynamic uncontrolled shake flask cultivation conditions. However, if the acid/alkali feeding is done for pH control the conductivity measurement could not be applied. On the other hand the NADH fluorescence measurement allowed online-in situ biomass monitoring of rather heterogenous plant cell suspension cultures in bioreactor even under the most desirable pH stat conditions.     

Ajmalicine production by cell cultures of Catharanthus roseus: from shake flask to bioreactor

The productivity of a cell culture for the production of a secondary metabolite is defined by three factors: specific growth rate, specific product formation rate, and biomass concentration during production. The effect of scaling-up from shake flask to bioreactor on growth and production and the effect of increasing the biomass concentration were investigated for the production of ajmalicine by Catharanthus roseus cell suspensions. Growth of biomass was not affected by the type of culture vessel. Growth, carbohydrate storage, glucose and oxygen consumption, and the carbon dioxide production could be predicted rather well by a structured model with the internal phosphate and the external glucose concentration as the controlling factors. The production of ajmalicine on production medium in a shake flask was not reproduced in a bioreactor. The production could be restored by creating a gas regime in the bioreactor comparable to that in a shake flask. Increasing the biomass concentration both in a shake flask and in a stirred fermenter decreased the ajmalicine production rate. This effect could be removed partly by controlling the oxygen concentration in the more dense culture at 85% air saturation.     

Model-based workflow for scale-up of process strategies developed in miniaturized bioreactor systems

Miniaturized bioreactor (MBR) systems are routinely used in the development of mammalian cell culture processes. However, scale-up of process strategies obtained in MBR- to larger scale is challenging due to mainly non-holistic scale-up approaches. In this study, a model-based workflow is introduced to quantify differences in the process dynamics between bioreactor scales and thus enable a more knowledge-driven scale-up. The workflow is applied to two case studies with antibody-producing Chinese hamster ovary cell lines. With the workflow, model parameter distributions are estimated first under consideration of experimental variability for different scales. Second, the obtained individual model parameter distributions are tested for statistical differences. In case of significant differences, model parametric distributions are transferred between the scales. In case study I, a fed-batch process in a microtiter plate (4 ml working volume) and lab-scale bioreactor (3750 ml working volume) was mathematically modeled and evaluated. No significant differences were identified for model parameter distributions reflecting process dynamics. Therefore, the microtiter plate can be applied as scale-down tool for the lab-scale bioreactor. In case study II, a fed-batch process in a 24-Deep-Well-Plate (2 ml working volume) and shake flask (40 ml working volume) with two feed media was investigated. Model parameter distributions showed significant differences. Thus, process strategies were mathematically transferred, and model predictions were simulated for a new shake flask culture setup and confirmed in validation experiments. Overall, the workflow enables a knowledge-driven evaluation of scale-up for a more efficient bioprocess design and optimization.     

Genetic engineering of the Fusarium solani pisi lipase cutinase for enhanced partitioning in PEG-phosphate aqueous two-phase systems

The Fusarium solani pisi lipase cutinase has been genetically engineered to investigate the influence of C-terminal peptide extensions on the partitioning of the enzyme in PEG-salt based aqueous two-phase bioseparation systems. Seven different cutinase lipase variants were constructed containing various C-terminal peptide extensions including tryptophan rich peptide tags ((WP)(2) and (WP)(4)), positively ((RP)(4)) and negatively ((DP)(4)) charged tags as well as combined tags with tryptophan together with either positively ((WPR)(4)) or negatively ((WPD)(4)) charged amino acids. The modified cutinase variants were stably produced in Escherichia coli as secreted to the periplasm from which they were efficiently purified by IgG-affinity chromatography employing an introduced N-terminal IgG-binding ZZ affinity fusion partner present in all variants. Partitioning experiments performed in a PEG 4000/sodium phosphate aqueous two-phase system showed that for variants containing either (WP)(2) or (WP)(4) peptide extensions, 10- to 70-fold increases in the partitioning to the PEG rich top-phase were obtained, when compared to the wild type enzyme. An increased partitioning was also seen for cutinase variants tagged with both tryptophans and charged amino acids, whereas the effect of solely charged peptide extensions was relatively small. In addition, when performing partitioning experiments from cell disintegrates, the (WP)(4)-tagged cutinase showed a similarly high PEG-phase partitioning, indicating that the effect from the peptide tag was unaffected by the background of the host proteins. Taken together, the results show that the partitioning of the recombinantly produced cutinase model enzyme could be significantly improved by relatively minor genetic engineering and that the effects observed for purified proteins are retained also in an authentic whole cell disintegrate system. The results presented should be of general interest also for the improvement of the partitioning properties of other industrially interesting proteins including bulk enzymes.