AN EXPRESSION VECTOR CONTAINING STRONG PROMOTER USEFUL FOR HIGH LEVEL EXPRESSION OF HETEROLOGOUS GENES IN SCHIZOSACCHAROMYCES POMBE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCTION OF DESIRED PROTEINS THEREOF

摘要

This invention provides the construction of an expression vector containing a strong promoter, which provides continuous, high level expression of heterologous genes, or synthetic gene encoding therapeutic protein such as Hepatitis B surface antigen, HBsAg, for several days in transformed Schizosaccharomycespombe strain. Expression levels are further stimulated by 3-fold upon culturing in the presence of 1.2 M sorbitol, yielding intracellular protein expression levels at shake flask that are 60 to 180-fold higher than those achieved with adh1 and nmt1 promoters of S. pombe and 12 to 18-fold higher than those reported with the Pichia pastoris promoter AOX1. This system has great potential as a commercially viable and more cost effective alternative to Pichia pastoris for expressing heterologous proteins.