A self-inducible heterologous protein expression system in <i>Komagataella phaffii</i> (<i>Pichia pastoris</i>)

ÜNVER Y., Ari B., Acar M., Arslan S. Y.

3 BIOTECH, vol.14, no.9, 2024 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 14 Issue: 9
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s13205-024-04039-x
  • Journal Name: 3 BIOTECH
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, EMBASE, Veterinary Science Database
  • Keywords: Azurin, GFP, Komagataella phaffii, Pectinmethyl esterase, Pichia pastoris, Self-inducible expression
  • Ataturk University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Komagataella phaffii (previously described as Pichia pastoris) is a yeast that produces high-level heterologous proteins with a wide range of applications in medicine and industry. The methanol-induced alcohol oxidase I promoter (P-AOX1) is frequently used for protein expression in this yeast. However, limitations on the use of methanol have been observed in large-scale production, including its flammability, toxicity, and need for special handling. Here, we propose to develop a system using recombinant cells constitutively expressing pectinmethyl esterase for expression of two reporter proteins, GFP and azurin, under the control of P-AOX1 using pectin in production medium. So, this system is coherent with yeast culture medium containing pectin and heterologous gene inserted downstream of P-AOX1 can be successfully expressed without the addition of methanol. Therefore, this novel Self-inducibLe heterologous protein EXpression (SILEX) system, which does not require the addition of methanol, can be used for the production of any protein. It can also be adapted for large-scale production.