IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,891,641
Granted Patent B2
US 11,891,641 · App. 17/277,220 · Granted Feb 6, 2024

Optimization of yeast host cells for the production of heterologous proteins

Inventors: Michelle Oeser (Croydon, NH); Janet Fisher (Ossipee, NH); Aaron Argyros (Lebanon, NH)
Assignee: Lallemand USA, Inc.
C12N9/00C12N15/81
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,891,641
App. No.
17/277,220
Granted
Feb 6, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure concerns yeast host cell especially suited for the expression of heterologous proteins, such as heterologous enzymes. The yeast host cell of the present disclosure exhibits an alteration in the cAMP signaling pathway which allows achieving increased heterologous protein yield and associated biological activity. The yeast host cell can also exhibit polyploidy.

Claims (43)

1. A recombinant yeast host cell for making an increased amount of a heterologous protein, wherein the recombinant yeast host cell:

(i) (a) has a first heterologous nucleic acid encoding the heterologous protein; and

(b) expresses a variant CYR1 protein; and/or

(ii) is obtained by introducing the first heterologous nucleic acid encoding the heterologous protein in an ancestral yeast host cell that expresses a variant CYR1 protein;

wherein the variant CYR1 protein:

provides to the recombinant yeast host cell or the ancestral yeast host cell a similar intracellular cAMP production in the presence and in the absence of a cAMP stimulus known to stimulate intracellular cAMP production in a control yeast cell, and

comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8 with a substitution at position 869 or a variant thereof having 90% identity with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8 with a substitution at position 869.

2. The recombinant yeast host cell of claim 1 , wherein the amount of heterologous protein per cell of the recombinant yeast host cell is increased with respect to a corresponding amount in a control yeast cell.

3. The recombinant yeast host cell of claim 1 , wherein the control yeast cell corresponds to biological deposit PTA-125176 or a yeast cell having the characteristics of the biological deposit PTA-125176; the ancestral yeast host cell is biological deposit PTA-125175 or a yeast cell having the characteristics of the biological deposit PTA-125175; and/or the ancestral yeast host cell is biological deposit PTA-125177 or a yeast cell having the characteristics of the biological deposit PTA-125177.

4. The recombinant yeast host cell of claim 1 , wherein

the variant CYR1 protein is encoded by a variant CYR1 gene,

the variant CYR1 gene is a native CYR1 gene in the yeast ancestral host cell, or the recombinant yeast host cell comprises a second heterologous nucleic acid molecule comprising the variant CYR1 gene.

5. The recombinant yeast host cell of claim 4 , wherein the variant CYR1 gene has at least one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP).

6. The recombinant yeast host cell of claim 5 , wherein the at least one SNP comprises G2605A when using the numbering of the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7.

7. The recombinant yeast host cell of claim 4 , wherein the variant CYR1 protein has an E869K substitution when using the numbering of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8.

8. The recombinant yeast host cell of claim 1 exhibiting polyploidy in at least one chromosome.

9. The recombinant yeast host cell of claim 8 , wherein polyploidy comprises triploidy in at least one first chromosome and tetraploidy in at least one second chromosome.

10. The recombinant yeast host cell of claim 1 , wherein the heterologous protein is a heterologous enzyme.

11. The recombinant yeast host cell of claim 10 , wherein the heterologous enzyme is at least one of a maltogenic alpha-amylase, an alpha-amylase, an oxidoreductase, a transferase, an hydrolase, a lyase, an isomerase, a phosphatase, a ligase, a glucoamylase, a fungal amylase, a phytase or a glucose oxidase.

12. The recombinant yeast host cell of claim 1 being a cell of genus Saccharomyces or a cell of species Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

13. A method of making the recombinant yeast host cell of claim 1 , the method comprising:

a) selecting an ancestral yeast host cell as defined in claim 1 ; and

b) introducing a first heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding the heterologous protein in the selected ancestral host cell to obtain the recombinant yeast host cell.

14. A process for making a yeast product, the process comprising:

i) culturing the recombinant yeast host cell of claim 1 to obtain a cultured recombinant yeast host cell; and

ii) formulating the cultured yeast host cell into the yeast product.

15. The process of claim 14 comprising, at step ii):

a) lysing the cultured yeast host cell to obtain a lysed yeast product.

16. The process of claim 15 , wherein the yeast product is an autolysate, a yeast cell wall, a yeast extract, or a purified heterologous protein.

17. The process of claim 16 , wherein the purified heterologous protein is an heterologous enzyme.

18. The recombinant yeast host cell of claim 1 , wherein the variant CYR1 protein comprises a further substitution at position 258, 827, 835, and/or 1435 when using the numbering of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8.

19. The recombinant yeast host cell of claim 18 , wherein the variant CYR1 protein has at least one of the following variations:

A258T when using the numbering of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 8;

A827V when using the numbering of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2

A835V when using the numbering of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8; and/or

D1435E when using the numbering of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8.

20. The recombinant yeast host cell of claim 19 , wherein the variant CYR1 protein is encoded by a variant CYR1 gene having at least one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), wherein the at least one SNP is:

G772A when using the numbering of the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or 7;

C2480T when using the numbering of the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1; or

C2504T when using the numbering of the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7; or

C4305A when using the numbering of the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7.

21. The process of claim 15 comprising, at step ii):

b) drying the lysed recombinant yeast host cell to obtain a lysed and dried yeast product.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 26, 2024
From: LALLEMAND USA INC.
To: DANSTAR FERMENT AG
Reel/Frame 066558/0594 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 20, 2023
From: OESER, MICHELLE; FISHER, JANET; ARGYROS, AARON
To: LALLEMAND USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 064972/0168 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62733471 · Sep 19, 2018
Related Publication 20220049234A1 · Feb 17, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,365,890