The combined effect of the gene copy number and chaperone overexpression on the recombinant bovine chymosin production in Pichia pastoris, with mutant ADH2 promoter.

Chymosin is an enzyme used to coagulate milk, in the cheese industry. This study aimed to increase recombinant production of the chymosin in Pichia pastoris by determining the optimum copy number and overproduction of a Protein Disulfide Isomerase (PpPDI) chaperon protein. Bos taurus chymosin was expressed under the control of a mutant ADH2 promoter. The clones containing 1-4 gene copy numbers of the chymosin were constructed using the in vitro cloning method, and the effect of chaperone protein on chymosin secretion was investigated. The enzyme production levels are 4, 6.3, 4.5, and 3 IMCU/mL for 1, 2, 3, and 4-copy clones. The secreted chymosin levels increased up to two copies, and increasing the number of copies decreased the secretion level. Therefore, PpPDI was over-expressed in the clones regulated with the ADH2 promoter. The over-expression of PDI gene increased chymosin secretion in clones compared to the counterpart host. However, the highest chymosin level was obtained with C2 (2-copy chymosin containing clone; 6.3 IMCU/mL) and C2P2 (2-copy chymosin/2-copy PDI containing clone; 8.2 IMCU/mL). The maximum production was 39 IMCU/mL with the clone C2P2 in the fermenter scale production. The enzyme activity increased approximately 2-fold by adding two copies of the chaperone protein. The combined effect of gene copy number and chaperone overexpression on chymosin production was investigated. Two copies of the chymosin and PpPDI genes were the optimum among the tested clones.