Improved expression of human interleukin-2 in high-cell-density fermentor cultures of Escherichia coli K-12 by a phosphotransacetylase mutant

A fluoroacetate-resistant mutant of Escherichia coli K-12 (MM-294) accumulated less acetate in the medium during growth to high cell density in fermentor cultures and was shown to be defective in its phosphotransacetylase activity. The mutant had an improved ability to continue growing during induction of interleukin-2 (IL-2) synthesis, and in fermentor cultures it gave a higher level of specific IL-2 accumulation than its parent during expression under control of the temperature-sensitive pL promoter. In flask cultures at lower cell density, the mutant again produced less acetate than the parent, although both showed a much lower level of acetate accumulation than that seen in fermentors at high cell density. Both showed a higher specific expression level of IL-2 in flask cultures, and there was a greater difference between the mutant and its parent in the final extent of specific IL-2 accumulation in fermentor cultures compared with flask cultures. Thus, the concentration of acetate in the medium, which was much higher in fermentor cultures (greater than or equal to 300 mM after 5 h of induction) than in flask cultures (less than or equal to mM) of the parent organism, was a significant factor in limiting expression of the heterologous protein product, IL-2. The acetate kinase-phosphotransacetylase pathway was therefore a major source of acetate formation in these cultures. Blocking this pathway improved accumulation of IL-2 and did not slow growth.     

Effects of medium quality on the expression of human interleukin-2 at high cell density in fermentor cultures of Escherichia coli K-12

We examined the ability of transformed Escherichia coli cells in fermentor cultures to accumulate interleukin-2 (IL-2) intracellularly under temperature-regulated control of the phage lambda pL promoter. Induction of expression was undertaken at different culture optical densities, and specific IL-2 accumulation was found to decrease with increasing cell density at induction. Induction at higher culture optical densities was also accompanied by decreased growth during induction and increased acetate accumulation in the culture medium. Experiments were undertaken to study the effect of replacing spent medium by perfusion with fresh medium both before induction and during IL-2 expression at high cell density. Improved IL-2 expression was seen only when perfusion was continued past 1.6 h after the start of induction, and it was accompanied by a significant reduction in acetate buildup. Further improvements were not seen when perfusion was continued beyond hour 3 of induction. Replenishing medium components and decreasing the concentration of diffusible inhibitors before induction did not alleviate acetate buildup, growth limitation, or limitation of IL-2 synthesis. These results suggested that accumulation of diffusible inhibitors such as acetate during induction may be a significant factor limiting IL-2 expression in high-density cultures, but other factors intrinsic to the organism or the protein also played a major role.     

Effects of medium quality on the expression of human interleukin-2 at high cell density in fermentor cultures of Escherichia coli K-12.

We examined the ability of transformed Escherichia coli cells in fermentor cultures to accumulate interleukin-2 (IL-2) intracellularly under temperature-regulated control of the phage lambda pL promoter. Induction of expression was undertaken at different culture optical densities, and specific IL-2 accumulation was found to decrease with increasing cell density at induction. Induction at higher culture optical densities was also accompanied by decreased growth during induction and increased acetate accumulation in the culture medium. Experiments were undertaken to study the effect of replacing spent medium by perfusion with fresh medium both before induction and during IL-2 expression at high cell density. Improved IL-2 expression was seen only when perfusion was continued past 1.6 h after the start of induction, and it was accompanied by a significant reduction in acetate buildup. Further improvements were not seen when perfusion was continued beyond hour 3 of induction. Replenishing medium components and decreasing the concentration of diffusible inhibitors before induction did not alleviate acetate buildup, growth limitation, or limitation of IL-2 synthesis. These results suggested that accumulation of diffusible inhibitors such as acetate during induction may be a significant factor limiting IL-2 expression in high-density cultures, but other factors intrinsic to the organism or the protein also played a major role.     

大肠杆菌抗氟乙酸变株的选育及应用

In the cultivation of gene engineered strain of Escherichia coli on glucose medium, excretion and accumulation of acetic acid inhibit not only cell growth but also the the expression of heterologous protein. It is obvious that the desirable host strain maintaining acetate at a low level is one of the approaches to increase the production of recombinant protein. The present article deals with the selection of mutants of E.coli DP19, DP8, which grow on the medium containing pyruvate as the sole carbon…     

一种基于途径分析提高丙酮酸产量的育种策略

为进一步提高光滑球拟酵母发酵生产丙酮酸的水平 ,在途径分析的基础上提出了一种组成型降低丙酮酸脱酸酶、但增强乙酰辅酶A合成酶活性的育种策略。通过亚硝基胍诱变 ,获得 1株乙酸需求型突变株CCTCCM2 0 2 0 19,在外加乙酸的培养基中表现出高于出发株 2 1%的丙酮酸生产能力和良好的遗传稳定性。检测突变株CCTCCM2 0 2 0 19中丙酮酸代谢相关酶的活性发现 :(1)丙酮酸脱羧酶活性降低了 4 0 % ;(2 )外加乙酸与否的条件下 ,乙酰辅酶A合成酶的活性分别提高了 10 3 5 %和 5 7 4 % ;(3)添加乙酸和突变对丙酮酸羧化酶、丙酮酸脱氢酶系、乙醇脱氢酶和乙醛脱氢酶的活性没有显著影响。在含有乙酸的培养基中突变株细胞干重比出发株高 2 1 7% ,可能是因为乙酰辅酶A合成酶活性的提高 ,补充了因丙酮酸脱羧酶活性降低而引起的胞质乙酰辅酶A短缺。在 7L罐中含有 6g L乙酸钠的培养基中发酵 6 2h ,丙酮酸产量达到 6 8 7g L ,对葡萄糖的产率为 0 6 5 1g g。     

Continuous insect cell (Sf-9) culture with aeration through sparging

The continuous growth of Spodoptera frugiperda Sf-9 cells in a 250-ml blown-glass jacketed spinner flask under a direct air sparging environment was investigated. Even at 220 ml working volume (about 90% of total volume), this spinner flask provided good mixing and oxygenation as demonstrated by a higher cell density compared with fermentor cultures. This eliminates a common limitation of the traditional spinner flask, namely much lower cell density at high working volume. Furthermore, this spinner flask has been run with Sf-9 cell culture at five different dilution rates and two different air sparging rates at steady state, demonstrating its utility in research applications where cell size, metabolic activity and environmental conditions can be constantly maintained. In addition to demonstrating the utility of the reactor, three novel points are made in this report. First, cell density in continuous cultures is increased significantly due to a high agitation rate and, especially, air sparging rate, which is seldom used in animal cell or insect cell culture. Second, there is no apparent difference in the specific death rate at two different sparging rates (0.0093 vvm and 0.0125 vvm). Finally, we have maintained Sf-9 cells for more than 4 months in a continuous culture using a serum-free medium without loss of recombinant protein expression in infected cells.     

Online detection of feed demand in high cell density cultures of Escherichia coli by measurement of changes in dissolved oxygen transients in complex media

A starvation-based dissolved oxygen (DO) transient controller was developed to supply growth-limiting substrate to high cell density fed-batch cultures of recombinant Escherichia coli. The algorithm adjusted a preexisting feed rate in proportion to the culture's oxygen demand, which was estimated from transients in the DO concentration after short periods of feed interruption. In this manner, the addition of glucose feed was precisely controlled at a rate that did not exceed the acetate production threshold, thus preventing acetate accumulation. In comparison to exponential feed algorithms commonly used in industry, the implementation of the new feeding strategy increased the final cell density from 32 to 44 g (dry cell weight).L(-1), with less than 16 mM acetate accumulated, producing an ideal culture for subsequent induction. Despite a constant starvation level and relatively low levels of acetate, experimental cultivations still tended to produce acetate towards the end of the process. The use of a simple Monod model provided an explanation as to why this may occur in high cell density cultivations and suggests how it may be overcome.     

乳糖诱导重组尿酸酶基因在大肠杆菌中的表达

对用乳糖替代异丙基-β-D-硫代半乳糖苷(IPTG)诱导重组产朊假丝酵母尿酸酶基因在E.coli JM109(DE3)中表达进行了研究,拟建立一种高效低成本的生产重组尿酸酶的工艺路线。通过摇瓶试验对诱导所采用的乳糖浓度,诱导时机和诱导持续时间进行了优化,并考察在乳糖诱导下的目的产物表达动力学,随后在5 L发酵罐上进行扩大化培养以验证摇瓶优化的结果,进一步将乳糖作为诱导剂应用于高密度发酵过程。实验结果表明乳糖诱导的最佳浓度为5 g/L,最佳诱导时机是对数生长期中后期,诱导持续时间为9~10h;按照优化的条件在摇瓶和5 L发酵罐上进行分批培养,重组尿酸酶最大表达量可达菌体总蛋白的26%左右,可溶性蛋白的36%左右,略高于IPTG的诱导效果;高密度发酵过程菌体终密度达到OD600值40以上,尿酸酶表达量占菌体总蛋白25%左右。     

The status and the role of glutathione under disturbed ionic balance and pH homeostasis in Escherichia coli

The study of glutathione status in aerobically grown Escherichia coli cultures showed that the total intracellular glutathione (GSHin + GSSGin) level falls by 63% in response to a rapid downshift in the extracellular pH from 6.5 to 5.5. The incubation of E. coli cells in the presence of 50 mM acetate or 10 micrograms/ml gramicidin S decreased the total intracellular glutathione level by 50 and 25%, respectively. The fall in the total intracellular glutathione level was accompanied by a significant decrease in the (GSHin:GSSGin) ratio. The most profound effect on the extracellular glutathione level was exerted by gramicidin S, which augmented the total glutathione level by 1.8 times and the (GSHout:GSSGout) ratio by 2.1 times. The gramicidin S treatment and acetate stress inhibited the growth of mutant E. coli cells defective in glutathione synthesis 5 and 2 times more severely than the growth of the parent cells. The pH downshift and the exposure of E. coli cells to gramicidin S and 50 mM acetate enhanced the expression of the sodA gene coding for superoxide dismutase SodA.     

Manipulating the pyruvate dehydrogenase bypass of a multi-vitamin auxotrophic yeast Torulopsis glabrata enhanced pyruvate production

AIMS: To investigate the relationship between the activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) bypass and the production of pyruvate of a multi-vitamin auxotrophic yeast Torulopsis glabrata. METHODS AND RESULTS: Torulopsis glabrata CCTCC M202019, a multi-vitamin auxotrophic yeast that requires acetate for complete growth on glucose minimum medium, was selected after nitrosoguanidine mutagenesis of the parent strain T. glabrata WSH-IP303 screened in previous study [Li et al. (2001) Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 55, 680-685]. Strain CCTCC M202019 produced 21% higher pyruvate than the parent strain and was genetically stable in flask cultures. The activities of the pyruvate metabolism-related enzymes in parent and mutant strains were measured. Compared with the parent strain, the activity of pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) of the mutant strain CCTCC M202019 decreased by roughly 40%, while the activity of acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACS) of the mutant increased by 103.5 or 57.4%, respectively, in the presence or absence of acetate. Pyruvate production by the mutant strain CCTCC M202019 reached 68.7 g l(-1) at 62 h (yield on glucose of 0.651 g g(-1)) in a 7-l jar fermentor. CONCLUSIONS: The increased pyruvate yield in T. glabrata CCTCC M202019 was due to a balanced manipulation of the PDH bypass, where the shortage of cytoplasmic acetyl-CoA caused by the decreased activity of PDC was properly compensated by the increased activity of ACS. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Manipulating the PDH bypass may provide an alternative approach to enhance the production of glycolysis-related metabolites.     

Scale-up of purine nucleoside fermentation from a shaking flask to a stirred-tank fermentor

Scaling-up purine nucleoside fermentation by a mutant strain of Bacillus subtilis from a shaking flask to a stirred-tank fermentor was attempted. The dimensions and the operating conditions of the stirred tank were determined in order to satisfy the optimum conditions of O₂ transfer and power consumption per unit volume for the shaking flask. When the purine nucleoside fermentation was carried out in the stirred-tank fermentor under these conditions, in which the temperature simulated that in the shaking flask, the total amount of purine nucleosides produced was almost the same as that in the shaking flask, but the accumulation ratio of guanosine to total nucleotides was different from that in the flask. Since urea could not be utilized so efficiently in the stirred-tank fermentor, the NH^p+ _f4 concentration and the pH of the culture broth were lower than those in the shaking-flask culture during fermentation. The activity of inosine monosphosphate dehydrogenase and the accumulation ratio were significantly affected by the NH^p+ _f4 concentration. When the pH of the stirred-tank culture was maintained at 6.9 by ammonia water to keep the NH^p+ _f4 level higher, the ratio was improved to the same level as that observed in the shaking-flask culture. The fermentation heat calculated from the shaking-flask data and its pattern of change were similar to those in the stirred-tank fermentor. Correspondence to: Y. Sumino     

毕赤氏酵母工程菌高密度发酵表达恶性疟原虫融合抗原的研究

疟疾目前仍是危害人类健康的主要传染病,现全球每年新增疟疾病例3～5亿人,其中约300万人死于该病.特别是病原虫抗药性的产生和扩散已给疟疾防治工作带来极大困难,因此研制新的预防措施已成为当务之急.研制有效的疟疾疫苗被认为是人类控制乃至消灭疟疾的重要途径,已越来越受到重视,并已构建和鉴定多个疫苗候选抗原[1,2].本研究进行高密度优化表达的融合抗原就是一个疫苗候选抗原.     

酵母菌HL的批次发酵及发酵动力学初探

在摇瓶培养的基础上,对酵母菌Ｌｉｐｏｍｙｃｅｓ ｓｔａｒｋｅｙｉ ＨＬ进行了小型发酵罐的分批和分批补料发酵及其发酵动力学的初步研究。结果表明,通过后期补料既可明显地延长菌体脂类合成期,减缓油脂比合成速率的降低,又可增加菌液的细胞密度,最终提高了整个发酵罐的油脂产量和平均容量产率。发酵结果如下：发酵时间１２０ｈ;油脂产量１１.０ｇ／Ｌ;菌体生物量１９．４ｇ／Ｌ。油脂百分含量 ５６．５％,显然比分批培养８４ｈ所得的１１．２ｇ／Ｌ细胞生物量和 ６.１ｇ／Ｌ油脂产量分别增长了７３％和８０％。此外,通     

表达血管生长抑制素的重组毕赤酵母在诱导阶段混合碳源的流加

为进行高密度发酵并实现外源基因的高表达,在表型为Mut^S的重组毕赤酵母（Pichia pastoris）表达人血管生长抑制素的诱导阶段,采用了甘油甲醇混合补料的培养方式。以溶氧水平作为甘油代谢指针来控制甘油限制性流加既可维持一定菌体生长,又不会发生发酵液中残余甘油及有害代谢产物（乙醇）阻遏蛋白表达。当表达阶段的菌体平均比生长速率控制于0.012h^-1,菌体浓度达150 g/L,血管生长抑制素浓度最高达到108 mg/L,血管生长抑制素的平均比生产速率为0.02 mg/(g·h),菌体关于甘油的表观得率为0.69 g/g,菌体关于甲醇的表观得率为0.93g/g,较没有采用甘油限制性流加时都有所提高。     

Metabolic flux analysis of Escherichia coli deficient in the acetate production pathway and expressing the Bacillus subtilis acetolactate synthase

Several approaches to reduce acetate accumulation in Escherichia coli cultures have recently been reported. This reduction subsequently led to a significant enhancement in recombinant protein production. In those studies, metabolically engineered E. coli strains with reduced acetate synthesis rates were constructed through the modification of glucose uptake rate, the elimination of critical enzymes that are involved in the acetate formation pathways, and the redirection of carbon flux toward less inhibitory byproducts. In particular, it has been shown that strains carrying the Bacillus subtilis acetolactate synthase (ALS) gene not only produce less acetate but also have a higher ATP yield. Metabolic flux analysis of carbon flux distribution of the central metabolic pathways and at the pyruvate branch point revealed that this strain has the ability to channel excess pyruvate to the much less toxic compound, acetoin. The main focus of this study is the systematic analysis of the effects of small perturbations in the host's existing pathways on the redistribution of carbon fluxes. Specifically, a mutant with deleted acetate kinase (ACK) and acetyl phosphotransferase (PTA) was constructed and studied. Results from the metabolic analysis of carbon redistribution show the ackA-pta mutation will reduce acetate level at the expense of the growth rate. In addition, in the ackA-pta deficient strain a much higher lactate formation rate with simultaneously lower formate and ethanol synthesis rates was found. Expression of the B. subtilis ALS in ackA-pta mutants further reduces acetate levels while cell density similar to that of the parent strain is attained.     

大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)磷酸转乙酰基酶缺陷变株的发酵研究

研究了E.coliBL21(DE3)及其磷酸转乙酰基酶(PTA)缺陷变株FR55发酵过程中菌体生长和有机酸产生情况,并以肿瘤坏死因子(TNF)为外源蛋白表达的模型考察了pta基因缺陷对外源蛋白表达的影响。在摇瓶培养条件下,pta变株TNF的表达水平比亲株提高了23%。在5L发酵罐中进行了补料分批培养试验,在不限制比生长速率的条件下pta变株能够以较长时间和较高比生长速率保持对数生长,最终达到32.5g(DCW)/L的菌密度,TNF的总表达量达2.8g/L;而在相同条件下,以BL21(DE3)为受体菌的对照组最高菌密度为19.5g(DCW)/L,TNF总表达量只有0.84g/L。表明pta变株对于提高工程菌外源蛋白的表达和实现高密度培养具有一定应用价值。分析了补料分批培养过程中发酵液有机酸组成和含量的动态变化情况,发现pta变株乙酸累积水平明显降低(为亲株乙酸累积水平的42%)的同时,其他几种有机酸(丙酮酸、乳酸、琥珀酸)的累积有显著增加的趋势,使发酵液中总有机酸浓度增加了123%,其中乳酸的累积是影响菌体进一步生长的主要因素。     

Methanosarcina mutant unable to produce methane or assimilate carbon from acetate.

Mutants of Methanosarcina barkeri 227 resistant to monofluoroacetate were isolated from monofluoroacetate-treated cultures. Mutant strain FAr9 was 100 times more resistant to monofluoroacetate than the wild-type strain and was deficient in carbon uptake and CH4 and CO2 production from methyl-labeled acetate. Methanol was assimilated at increased levels. Strain FAr9 was unable to shift from using methanol to using acetate for growth and exhibited increased sensitivity to growth inhibition by NaCN in methanol-containing complex medium. Unlike parent strain 227, acetate addition to methanol-containing media did not prevent NaCN inhibition. The specific activities of enzymes of exogenous acetate assimilation, CO dehydrogenase, and enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle were similar for mutant and parent strain cell extracts. Mutation to monofluoroacetate resistance did not confer simultaneous resistance to 2-bromoethanesulfonate or pyruvate or alter propionate uptake. We conclude that strain FAr9 is either an acetate permeability mutant or is defective in an activation step required for the catabolism and anabolism of acetate.     

Production of Recombinant Human Bile Salt Stimulated Lipase and Its Variant inPichia pastoris

hBSSL and its truncated variant hBSSL-C cDNA clones were expressed inPichia pastorisusing two different signal peptides, native signal peptide and invertase signal peptide, respectively, to facilitate secretion of the recombinant proteins into the culture medium. Both recombinant proteins were secreted into the culture medium to a level of 45–50 mg/liter in shake flask cultures. Native signal peptide of hBSSL was recognized inP. pastorisand was cleaved at the same site as in humans. The level of expression of the hBSSL gene was found to be dependent on the number of its copies integrated into the host chromosome. The multicopy transformant clone was found to be very stable. When grown and induced in a fermentor, the level of accumulation of the recombinant hBSSL in the culture medium improved from 50 mg/liter in shake flask cultures to 300 mg/liter. The recombinant hBSSL purified from the culture supernatant was found to be similar to the native hBSSL in its biochemical properties except for the lectin-binding profile.     

Microcalorimetric investigations of the metabolism of yeasts VII. Flow-calorimetry of aerobic batch cultures

Summary The heat evolution of aerobic batch cultures of growing yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in glucose media was investigated by a combination of a flow-microcalorimeter with a fermentor vessel. The course of heat production, cell production and the rate of oxygen consumption were qualitatively the same for all glucose concentrations between 10 mM and 100 mM. Under optimal aerobic conditions a triphasic growth was observed due to the fermentation of glucose to ethanol, respiration of ethanol to CO₂ and acetate, and respiration of acetate to C0₂. Energy and carbon were found to be in balance for all glucose concentrations.