The influence of cosubstrate and aeration on xylitol formation by recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae expressing theXYL1 gene

Xylitol formation by a recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae strain containing theXYL1 gene fromPichia stipitis CBS 6054 was investigated under three sets of conditions: (a) with glucose, ethanol, acetate, or glycerol as cosubstrates, (b) with different oxygenation levels, and (c) with different ratios of xylose to cosubstrate. With both glucose and ethanol the conversion yields were close to 1 g xylitol/g consumed xylose. Decreased aeration increased the xylitol yield on the basis of consumed cosubstrate, while the rate of xylitol formation decreased. The xylitol yield based on consumed cosubstrate also increased with increased-xylose:cosubstrate ratios. The transformant utilized the cosubstrate more efficiently than did a reference strain in terms of utilization rate and growth rate, implying that the regeneration of NAD(P)⁺ during xylitol formation by the transformant balanced the intracellular redox potential.     

A method for fractionation of cloned protein in recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae

In a spheroplasting method which allows the fractionation and quantification of cloned invertase activity in recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae cells, the yeast cell is selectively degraded with the enzyme Zymolyase for 60 minutes at 45°C to separate periplasmic proteins from cytoplasmic proteins. Most of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (a cytoplasmic marker protein) was found in the cytoplasmic fraction.     

Expression of hirudin in fed-batch cultures of recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary Fed-batch fermentations were performed to produce hirudin, an anticoagulant protein, from recombinantS. cerevisiae. The structural gene coding for hirudin was combined with theGAL10 promoter for controlled expression and theMFα1 signal sequence for secretion to the growth medium. Control of galactose concentration in a fed-batch mode of operation yielded 110 g/L of final cell density and 260 mg/L of maximum hirudin concentration in the medium, which corresponds to a 3.5-fold increase in cell density and a 4.1-fold enhancement in hirudin concentration compared with the batch fermentation.     

Flow cytometric analysis of human lysozyme production in recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae

Flow cytometric techniques were used to investigate cell size, protein content and cell cycle behavior of recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae strains producing human lysozyme (HLZ). Two different signal sequences, the native yeastMFα1 signal sequence and the rat α-amylase signal sequence, were used for secretion of HLZ. The strain containing the rat α-amylase signal sequence showed a higher level of internal lysozyme and lower specific growth rates. Flow cytometric analysis of the total protein content and cell size showed the strain harboring the native yeast signal sequence had a higher total protein content than the strain containing the rat α-amylase signal sequence. Cell cycle analysis indicated that the two lysozyme producing recombinant strains had an increased number of cells in the G₂+M phase of the yeast cell cycle compared with the host strain SEY2102.     

Hyperinducible gene expression from a metallothionein promoter containing additional metal-responsive elements

We describe the development of metallothionein-based vectors with low basal levels of expression that are hyperinducible upon treatment with heavy metals. Vectors were constructed by substituting a region in the hMTIIA promoter (bp -70 to -129) containing an element (BLE) involved in basal level expression with multiple metal responsive elements (MREs). In expression studies utilizing cat as a reporter gene, heavy metal inducibility was examined in both transiently transfected and permanently transformed Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Our results demonstrate that, within the same promoter structure, inducibility can be increased by altering the ratio of MREs to BLEs. Optimal induction of expression in permanently transformed CHO cells was achieved by exposure to heavy metals for 48 h prior to cell harvest, with an additional boost 12 h before harvest. These vectors have the potential to be used for production of proteins in cultured mammalian cells and in gene expression in transgenic animals.     

Simultaneous saccharification of inulin and ethanol fermentation by recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae secreting inulinase

VariousSaccharomyces cerevisiae strains were transformed with a 2 μ-based multicopy expression plasmid, pYIGP, carryingKluyveromyces marxianus inulinase gene under the control ofGAPDH promoter. Among them two strains, SEY2102 and 2805, showed high levels of cell growth and inulinase expression, and were selected to study their fermentation properties on inulin. Jerusalem artichoke inulin was more effective for cell growth (10∼11 g-dry wt./L at 48 hr) and inulinase expression (1.0 units/mL with SEY2102/pYIGP and 2.5 units/mL with 2805/pYIGP) than other inulin sources such as dahlia and chicory. It was also found that maximal ethanol production of 9 g/L was obtained from Jerusalem artichoke inulin at the early stationary phase (around 30 hr), indicating that recombinantS. cerevisiae cells secreting exoinulinase could be used for the simultaneous saccharification of inulin and ethanol fermentation.     

Chemical synthesis and expression of copper metallothionein gene of Neurospora crassa

The gene coding for the Neurospora crassa copper metallothionein (MT) was synthesized and inserted in the lacZ' gene of pUC18 plasmid to give the same translational reading frame as the latter gene. The MT-beta-galactosidase fused gene was expressed in Escherichia coli to produce a fused protein in which the amino and carboxy termini of MT are linked to the beta-galactosidase through methionine residues. An MT derivative containing an extra homoserine residue at the carboxy terminus was prepared by cyanogen bromide cleavage of the fused protein followed by a reverse-phase HPLC separation. The spectral features of the MT derivative and its copper complex were similar to those of the corresponding native MTs.     

Plasmid maintenance and growth of recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae producing hepatitis B virus surface antigen

Summary The effects of host strains (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and medium composition on the plasmid stability and expression level of hepatitis B virus surface antigen were investigated. Specific growth rates of cells carrying a plasmid, pMHBS, was found to be slower than those without the plasmid. It was also found that the plasmid was maintained in a more stable manner in the selective medium. The nonselective complex medium, however, was greatly favored for the growth of recombinant hosts as well as the HBsAg production.     

Data analysis of plasmid stability in continuous culture of recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary A simple method using non-linear regression is developed to analyse experimental data from plasmid stability studies of recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae grown in continuous cultures with non-selective and selective media. This method simultaneously provides quantitative information on the probability of plasmid loss due to segregation during cell division and the specific growth rates of plasmid-containing and plasmid-free cells at particular dilution rates. The method is applied to a set of experimental data. The three-parameter model, together with the estimated parameter values, provides a good fit to the experimental data.     

Production of HBsAg by growth rate control with recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae in fed-batch

Summary To maintain a constant specific growth rate for a recombinantS.cerevisiae in fed-batch, the medium feeding rate has been controlled with respect to the hourly calculated glucose uptake rate. The recombinant yeast producing HBsAg showed the exponential production trend in proportion to the exponential cell growth. Total cell yield in fed-batch was about 0.402 g cells/g glucose, and HBsAg was produced about ten times more than in batch. Decrease of growth rate by HBsAg produced was not shown.     

Isolation and structural organization of the Neurospora crassa copper metallothionein gene.

The Neurospora crassa copper metallothionein gene was cloned and its complete nucleotide sequence is reported. Enriched metallothionein mRNA was used as a template for cDNA synthesis, primed by a metallothionein-specific, synthetic undecanucleotide. The sequence of the cDNA obtained allowed the synthesis of a unique 21-mer which was used to screen a genomic DNA library of N. crassa. In agreement with the published amino acid sequence, the gene codes for a polypeptide 26 amino acid residues in length. The coding region is interrupted by a small intron (94 nucleotides). The gene structure is compared with those of mammalian metallothioneins. In both cases, the coding regions are split by introns, the intron-exon boundaries, however, are in different positions. The neurospora copper metallothionein gene is, to our knowledge, the smallest gene interrupted by an intron isolated so far.     

镉和铜对嗜热四膜虫金属硫蛋白基因的诱导表达

本文在荧光定量PCR优化的基础上,利用该技术考察了不同浓度的重金属镉和铜对嗜热四膜虫金属硫蛋白基因(MTT1)诱导表达的变化规律。结果表明MTT1基因的表达对镉离子的诱导更灵敏,且在一定阈值浓度(≤35.2μmol/L)范围内,镉离子浓度升高会增加MTT1基因表达量,超过该阈值后表达量迅速下降;镉与铜同时诱导时MTT1基因的表达情况与镉单独诱导的类似,但阈值浓度减小为22μmol/L,表明二者的联合毒性为协同作用。镉离子浓度低于22μmol/L时,与铜离子的共同作用会大大增加MTT1基因的表达量,从而增强了四膜虫的解毒能力。     

A constitutive catabolite repression mutant of a recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae strain improves xylose consumption during fermentation

Efficient xylose utilisation by microorganisms is of importance to the lignocellulose fermentation industry. The aim of this work was to develop constitutive catabolite repression mutants in a xylose-utilising recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae strain and evaluate the differences in xylose consumption under fermentation conditions.S. cerevisiae YUSM was constitutively catabolite repressed through specific disruptions within theMIG1 gene. The strains were grown aerobically in synthetic complete medium with xylose as the sole carbon source. Constitutive catabolite repressed strain YCR17 grew four-fold better on xylose in aerobic conditions than the control strain YUSM. Anaerobic batch fermentation in minimal medium with glucose-xylose mixtures and N-limited chemostats with varying sugar concentrations were performed. Sugar utilisation and metabolite production during fermentation were monitored. YCR17 exhibited a faster xylose consumption rate than YUSM under high glucose conditions in nitrogen-limited chemostat cultivations. This study shows that a constitutive catabolite repressed mutant could be used to enhance the xylose consumption rate even in the presence of high glucose in the fermentation medium. This could help in reducing fermentation time and cost in mixed sugar fermentation.     

Flow cytometric analysis of total protein content and size distributions of recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae

The total protein content and cell size distribution of recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. The recombinant strain containing a regulatableSUC2 promoter and the host strain were compared when grown under similar conditions in a batch culture. Recombinant and host cells maintained similar size and total protein content while cloned-gene expression was repressed by glucose levels greater than 0.2% (w/v). Following derepression, recombinant cells demonstrated a mean total protein content and mean cell size 1.5–2 times greater than that of the host cells. In addition, these simple flow cytometric measurements of the changes in cell size and total protein content were found to closely follow diauxic growth ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae in batch culture.     

Continuous production of fructose-syrups from inulin by immobilized inulinase from recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae

Recombinant exoinulinase was partially purified from the culture supernatant ofS. cerevisiae by (NH₄)₂SO₄ precipitation and PEG treatment. The purified inulinase was immobilized onto Amino-cellulofine with glutaraldehyde as a cross-linking agent. Immobilization yield based on the enzyme activity was about 15%. Optimal pH and temperature of immobilized enzyme were found to be 5.0 and 60°C, respectively. The enzyme activity was stably maintained in the pH ranges of 4.5 to 6.0 at 60°C. 100% of enzyme activity was observed even after incubation for 24 hr at 60°C. In the operation of a packed-bed reactor containing 412 U inulinase, dahalia inulin of 7.5%(w/v) concentration was completely hydrolyzed at flow rate of 2.0 mL/min at 60°C, resulting in a volumetric productivity of 693 g-reducing sugars/L/h. Under the reaction conditions of 1.0 mL/min flow rate with 2.5% inulin at 60°C, the reactor was successfully operated over 30 days without loss of inulinase activity.