Improving Productivity of Heterologous Proteins in Recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fermentations

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the improving productivity of heterologous proteins in recombinant saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentations. Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been used in baking, brewing, and wine industries for centuries. They are extremely useful expression system for heterologous proteins and for therapeutic and nontherapeutic proteins owing to its close resemblance to mammalian cell-like secretion system for post-translational modification of proteins. While genetics and growth physiology of wild type S. cerevisiae is extensively studied, a challenge exists for obtaining a high level of heterologous gene expression during large-scale fermentation. Three major areas of investigation play an important role in the successful development of a commercial process employing recombinant yeasts. In addition, nutritional improvements have yielded a higher growth of cells in most cases but frequently at the expense of specific productivity. High cell density fermentations utilizing complex growth physiology and gene expression in this yeast have been successful in increasing biomass and, in many cases, with higher volumetric productivity.