Dataset Information

Identification of genetic variants of the industrial yeast Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris) that contribute to increased yields of secreted heterologous proteins.

ABSTRACT: The yeast Komagataella phaffii (formerly called Pichia pastoris) is used widely as a host for secretion of heterologous proteins, but only a few isolates of this species exist and all the commonly used expression systems are derived from a single genetic background, CBS7435 (NRRL Y-11430). We hypothesized that other genetic backgrounds could harbor variants that affect yields of secreted proteins. We crossed CBS7435 with 2 other K. phaffii isolates and mapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for secretion of a heterologous protein, β-glucosidase, by sequencing individual segregant genomes. A major QTL mapped to a frameshift mutation in the mannosyltransferase gene HOC1, which gives CBS7435 a weaker cell wall and higher protein secretion than the other isolates. Inactivation of HOC1 in the other isolates doubled β-glucosidase secretion. A second QTL mapped to an amino acid substitution in IRA1 that tripled β-glucosidase secretion in 1-week batch cultures but reduced cell viability, and its effects are specific to this heterologous protein. Our results demonstrate that QTL analysis is a powerful method for dissecting the basis of biotechnological traits in nonconventional yeasts, and a route to improving their industrial performance.

SUBMITTER: Offei B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9754263 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Identification of genetic variants of the industrial yeast Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris) that contribute to increased yields of secreted heterologous proteins.

Offei Benjamin B Braun-Galleani Stephanie S Venkatesh Anjan A Casey William T WT O'Connor Kevin E KE Byrne Kevin P KP Wolfe Kenneth H KH

PLoS biology 20221215 12

The yeast Komagataella phaffii (formerly called Pichia pastoris) is used widely as a host for secretion of heterologous proteins, but only a few isolates of this species exist and all the commonly used expression systems are derived from a single genetic background, CBS7435 (NRRL Y-11430). We hypothesized that other genetic backgrounds could harbor variants that affect yields of secreted proteins. We crossed CBS7435 with 2 other K. phaffii isolates and mapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for s ...[more]

PMID: 36520709

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Project description:Pichia pastoris (Komagataella phaffii) is a methylotrophic yeast that is widely used in industry as a host system for heterologous protein expression. Heterologous gene expression is typically facilitated by strongly inducible promoters derived from methanol utilization genes or constitutive glycolytic promoters. However, protein production is usually accomplished by a fed-batch induction process, which is known to negatively affect cell physiology, resulting in limited protein yields and quality. To assess how yields of exogenous proteins can be increased and to further understand the physiological response of P. pastoris to the carbon conversion of glycerol and methanol, as well as the continuous induction of methanol, we analyzed recombinant protein production in a 10,000-L fed-batch culture. Furthermore, we investigated gene expression during the yeast cell culture phase, glycerol feed phase, glycerol-methanol mixture feed (GM) phase, and at different time points following methanol induction using RNA-Seq. We report that the addition of the GM phase may help to alleviate the adverse effects of methanol addition (alone) on P. pastoris cells. Secondly, enhanced upregulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway was observed in P. pastoris following methanol induction. The MAPK signaling pathway may be related to P. pastoris cell growth and may regulate the alcohol oxidase1 (AOX1) promoter via regulatory factors activated by methanol-mediated stimulation. Thirdly, the unfolded protein response (UPR) and ER-associated degradation (ERAD) pathways were not significantly upregulated during the methanol induction period. These results imply that the presence of unfolded or misfolded phytase protein did not represent a serious problem in our study. Finally, the upregulation of the autophagy pathway during the methanol induction phase may be related to the degradation of damaged peroxisomes but not to the production of phytase. This work describes the metabolic characteristics of P. pastoris during heterologous protein production under high-cell-density fed-batch cultivation. We believe that the results of this study will aid further in-depth studies of P. pastoris heterologous protein expression, regulation, and secretory mechanisms.

Project description:The yeast Komagataella phaffii has become a popular host strain among biotechnology start-up companies for producing recombinant proteins for food and adult nutrition applications. Komagataella phaffii is a host of choice due to its long history of safe use, open access to protocols and strains, a secretome free of host proteins and proteases, and contract manufacturing organizations with deep knowledge in bioprocess scale-up. However, a recent publication highlighted the abundance of an unknown polysaccharide that accumulates in the supernatant during fermentation. This poses a significant challenge in using K. phaffii as a production host. This polysaccharide leads to difficulties in achieving high purity products and requires specialized and costly downstream processing steps for removal. In this study, we describe the use of the common K. phaffii host strain YB-4290 for production of the bioactive milk protein lactoferrin. Upon purification of lactoferrin using membrane-based separation methods, significant amounts of carbohydrate were copurified with the protein. It was determined that the carbohydrate is mostly composed of mannose residues with minor amounts of glucose and glucosamine. The polysaccharide fraction has an average molecular weight of 50 kDa and consists mainly of mannan, galactomannan, and amylose. In addition, a large fraction of the carbohydrate has an unknown structure likely composed of oligosaccharides. Additional strains were tested in fermentation to further understand the source of the carbohydrates. The commonly used industrial hosts, BG10 and YB-4290, produce a basal level of exopolysaccharide; YB-4290 producing slightly more than BG10. Overexpression of recombinant protein stimulates exopolysaccharide production well above levels produced by the host strains alone. Overall, this study aims to provide a foundation for developing methods to improve the economics of recombinant protein production using K. phaffii as a production host.One-sentence summaryOverexpression of recombinant protein stimulates the hyperproduction of high-molecular-weight, mannose-based, exopolysaccharides by the industrial yeast Komagataella phaffii.

Project description:High-level expression and secretion of heterologous proteins in yeast cause an increased energy demand, which may result in altered metabolic flux distributions. Moreover, recombinant protein overproduction often results in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative stress, causing deviations from the optimal NAD(P)H regeneration balance. In this context, overexpression of genes encoding enzymes catalyzing endogenous NADPH-producing reactions, such as the oxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway, has been previously shown to improve protein production in Pichia pastoris (syn. Komagataella spp.). In this study, we evaluate the overexpression of the Saccharomyces cerevisiaePOS5-encoded NADH kinase in a recombinant P. pastoris strain as an alternative approach to overcome such redox constraints. Specifically, POS5 was cooverexpressed in a strain secreting an antibody fragment, either by directing Pos5 to the cytosol or to the mitochondria. The physiology of the resulting strains was evaluated in continuous cultivations with glycerol or glucose as the sole carbon source, as well as under hypoxia (on glucose). Cytosolic targeting of Pos5 NADH kinase resulted in lower biomass-substrate yields but allowed for a 2-fold increase in product specific productivity. In contrast, Pos5 NADH kinase targeting to the mitochondria did not affect growth physiology and recombinant protein production significantly. Growth physiological parameters were in silico evaluated using the recent upgraded version (v3.0) of the P. pastoris consensus genome-scale metabolic model iMT1026, providing insights on the impact of POS5 overexpression on metabolic flux distributions.IMPORTANCE Recombinant protein overproduction often results in oxidative stress, causing deviations from the optimal redox cofactor regeneration balance. This becomes one of the limiting factors in obtaining high levels of heterologous protein production. Overexpression of redox-affecting enzymes has been explored in other organisms, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as a means to fine tune the cofactor regeneration balance in order to obtain higher protein titers. In the present work, this strategy is explored in P. pastoris In particular, one NADH kinase enzyme from S. cerevisiae (Pos5) is used, either in the cytosol or in mitochondria of P. pastoris, and its impact on the production of a model protein (antibody fragment) is evaluated. A significant improvement in the production of the model protein is observed when the kinase is directed to the cytosol. These results are significant in the field of heterologous protein production in general and in particular in the development of improved metabolic engineering strategies for P. pastoris.

Dataset Information

Identification of genetic variants of the industrial yeast Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris) that contribute to increased yields of secreted heterologous proteins.

Publications

Identification of genetic variants of the industrial yeast Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris) that contribute to increased yields of secreted heterologous proteins.

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