Causes of Proteolytic Degradation of Secreted Recombinant Proteins Produced in Methylotrophic Yeast Pichia pastoris: Case Study with Recombinant Ovine Interferon-τ

Authors

Mehmet İnan, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Michael M. Meagher, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Bradley A. Plantz, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Jayanta Sinha, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Date of this Version

3-19-2004

Citation

Biotechnology and Bioengineering (2005) 89(1): 102-112

doi: 10.1002/bit.20318

Comments

Copyright 2004, Wiley. Used by permission

Abstract

It was observed that during fermentative production of recombinant ovine interferon-τ (r-oIFN-τ) in Pichia pastoris, a secreted recombinant protein, the protein was degraded increasingly after 48 h of induction and the rate of degradation increased towards the end of fermentation at 72 h, when the fermentation was stopped. Proteases, whose primary source was the vacuoles, was found in increasing levels in the cytoplasm and in the fermentation broth after 48 h of induction and reached maximal values when the batch was completed at 72 h. Protease levels at various cell fractions as well as in the culture supernatant were lower when glycerol was used as the carbon source instead of methanol. It can be concluded that methanol metabolism along with cell lysis towards the end of fermentation contributes to increased proteolytic activity and eventual degradation of recombinant protein.