Expression of Starch-degrading Genes in Escherichia Coli and Kactococcus Lactis

As an efffort ot construct LAB (latice acid bacteria), capable of utilizing starch as fermentation substrate without the aid of externally supplied enzymes, plasmid vectors containing the amyL($\alpha$-amylase/pullulansase gene) from Clostridium thermophydrosulfuricum, and glucoamylase cDNA from Asperigillus shirousamii were constructed and introduced itno E. coli and L. lactis. For expression in procaryotes , 1.9kb glucoamylase cDNA encoding the mature form of enzyme was PCR amplified and translationaly fused to a PCR amplified 260 bp fragment containing the promotor and secretion signals of amyl in the same reading frame. The production of $\alpha$-amylase, Apu, and glucoamlase in E. coli and L. lactis was confirmed by enzyme assay and zymography . Enzymeswere detected in both cellpellets and supernatants, indicating theworking of scretion signals in heterologous hosts. The efficiencies of secretion were varibale depending on the gene and host. The highest $\alpha$- amylase acitivity observed was 1.1 units and most activiity was detected from thecell pellets. The degree of gene expression in both hosts and the effect on the growth of hosts were examined.