• KSBB Journal
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.15-23
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• 2001

The development of expression systems for heterologous proteins has been greatly demanded not only for the study of the structure/function relationships of these proteins but also for their biotechnological and pharmaceutical applications. During the past decades, the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha and Pichia pastoris have drawn attention as one of promising hosts for the production of a variety of heterologous proteins. The increasing popularity of H. polymorpha and P. pastoris as the host systems can be attributed to the several advantages over the traditional yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, such as the availability of very strong and tightly regulated promoters from the enzymes involved in the metabolism of methanol, a very high-cell density even on simple mineral media, and a high stability of expression plasmids. Furthermore, it has been observed that glycoproteins from these two yeasts are less hyperglycoylated compared to those from S. cerevisiae. Despite substantial similarities as methylotrophic yeasts, however, these two expression systems have some unique features distinguished from each other. In this paper we present a brief overview on the present status of the expression systems developed in methylotrophic yeast, mainly focusing on the similarities and differences between the H. polymorpha and P. pastoris systems.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.275-287
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• 2000

Fermentation strategies for recombinant protein production in Pichia pastoris have been investigated and are reviewed here. Characteristics of the expression system, such as phenotypes and carbon utilization, are summarized. Recently reported results such as growth model establishment, app58lication of a methanol sensor, optimization of substrate feeding strategy, DOstat controller design, mixed feed technology, and perfusion and continuous culture are discussed in detail.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.325-330
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• 1998

The methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris, is known to be a potential host to offer many advantages for production of recombinant proteins. Fermentation parameters were optimized to enhance the heterologous ${\beta}$-galactosidase productivity with P. pastoris. Optimum concentration of methanol, used as inducer, was observed to be 8 g/L and the extent of repression of AOX1 promoter by glycerol was lower than by glucose. The degradation of the gene product ${\beta}$-galactosidase by protease was inhibited as the pH increased from 5 to 8 and the yeast extract(1%) as nitrogen source increased expression level 4 times higher compared to yeast nitrogen base(1%) as nitrogen source increased expression level 4 times higher compared to yeast nitrogen base(1%). Induction method, in which methanol is just added to fermentation medium without centrifugation, was found to be as much effective as the one with centrifugation.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2000

The expression of the mouse $\alpha-amylase$ gene in the methylotrophic yeast, P pastoris was investigated. The mouse $\alpha-amylase$ gene was inserted into the multi-cloning site of a Pichi a expression vector, pPIC9, yielding a new expression vector pME624. The plasmid pME624 was digested with SalI or BglII, and was introduced into P. pastoris strain GSl15 by the PEG1000 method. Fifty-three transformants were obtained by the transplacement of pME624 digested with SaiII or BglII into the HIS4locus $(38\;of\;Mut^+\;clone)$ or into the AOX1 locus $(15\;of\;Mut^s\;clone)$. Southern blot was carried out in 11 transformants, which showed that the mouse $\alpha-amylase$ gene was integrated into the Pichia chromosome. When the second screening was performed in shaker culture, transformant G2 showed the highest $\alpha-amylase$ activity, 290 units/ml after 3-day culture, among 53 transformants. When this expression level of the mouse $\alpha-amylase$ gene is compared with that in recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae harboring a plasmid encoding the same mouse $\alpha-amylase$ gene, the specific enzyme activity is eight fold higher than that of the recombinant S. cerevisiae.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.69-70
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• 2004

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.109-109
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• 2009

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.65-72
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• 1993

A heterologous gene expression and secretion system using a methylotrophic yeast, Hansenula polymorpha was developed for the production of anticoagulant hirudin. Hirudin gene was expressed under the control of a strong and inducible methanol oxidase (MOX or AOX) promoter. The mating factor a pre-pro leader sequence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was employed for hirudin to be secreted into the extracellular medium. Hirudin expression cassette was introduced into three strains of H. polymorpha, A16, HPBl and DLl which have different genetic backgrounds. This expression cassette was stably integrated into the host chromosomal DNA. Biologically active and mature hirudin was efficiently expressed and secreted into the extracellular medium. About 19 mg/L of hirudin was found in the culture supernatant in the case of a two-copy integrant of the strain HPBl under suboptimal culture conditions.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.477-484
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• 1994

Using a methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha, a heterologous gene expression and secretion system was developed for the production of hEGF(human Epidermal Growth Factor) which has been shown to promote epithelial cell proliferation and to inhibit gastric acid secretion. The hEGF gene was chemically synthesized according to the preferred codon usage in H. polymor- pha and expressed under the control of the strong and inducible methanol oxidase(MOX) promoter. The mating factor $\alpha$ pre-pro leader sequence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was employed for hEGF to be secreted into the extracellular medium. This expression cassette was stably integrated into the host chromosomal DNA. Mature hEGF was efficiently expressed and secreted into the extracel- lular medium. About 24 mg/l of hEGF was detected in the cuture supernatant of a transformant with pA-EGF3 under the suboptimal culture conditions.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.88-92
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• 2000

A human ribosomal protein S3 (rpS3), which also functions as a DNA repair enzyme(UV endonuclease III), was expressed in a methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris, and biochemically characterized. UV endonuclease activity was preiously characterized, and this activity of mammalian rpS3 was found to be non-specfic upon purification and storage. Under the Pichia expression system, the subcloned cDNA of the human rpS3 gene revealed a peptide of 42 kDa by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. The secreted form of human rpS3 rendered no endonuclease activity while the intracellular form showed UV specific endonuclease activity by the nick circle assay.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.391-398
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• 1999

A methylotrophic actinomycetes strain MO-16, which produce the antimicrobial compound, was isolated from soil and supposed as Amycolatopsis sp. based on taxonomic studies. The cell-free extract of methanol-grown strain MO-16 showed dehydrogenase activity for methanol and formaldehyde when various electron acceptors were added for oxidation. On the other hand, methanol did not affect the production of antimicrobial compounds, and organic nitrogen sources such as corn steep liquor and peptone were better than inorganic nitrogen sources. These compounds showed broad antimicrobial spectrum to the tested strains such as bacteria and yeast. The antimicrobial comounds were very stable under heat(121$^{\circ}C$), acid(pH2.0), alkali(pH11.0) treatments. These compounds were isolated by ethylacetate extract, silica gel column chromatography and reverse phase HPLC. Two compounds(peak 1 and 2) were detected as antimicrobial compounds through the HPLC analysis. The peak 2 was purified as a single compound and revealed a 98% purity.