Efficient Generation of Multi-copy Strains for Optimizing Secretory Expression of Porcine Insulin Precursor in Yeast Pichia Pastoris

Aims: This study attempted to fully explore the expression potentials of Pichia pastoris for producing porcine insulin precursor (PIP) through PIP copy number optimization.

Methods And Results: Multi-copy strains were screened employing a highly efficient improved in vivo method and their copy numbers were quantified by real-time qPCR. A range of Mut(+)P. pastoris strains harbouring 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, 29, 52 copies of PIP were obtained. After 96 h methanol induction, a bell-shaped correlation curve was observed between gene dosage and protein yield, and the maximum PIP expression level of 181 mg l(-1) was achieved by a 12-copy strain. Specific growth rate and methanol utilization capacity were found to decrease remarkably for high copy strains (>12 copies). Transcriptional analysis of KAR2 suggested higher copy strains were suffering more from ER stress.

Conclusions: A copy number around 12 is optimal for secretory expression of PIP in P. pastoris. Excess PIP gene dosage (>12 copies) significantly impaired the growth of P. pastoris hosts.

Significance And Impact Of The Study: The methods developed and the discoveries made by this systematical investigation will be helpful to the application and understanding of Pichia pastoris expression system for heterologous overexpression.