title: Pichia pastoris versus Saccharomyces cerevisiae: a case study on the recombinant production of human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) is a glycoprotein that has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of neutropenia and leukemia in combination with chemotherapies. Recombinant hGM-CSF is produced industrially using the baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, by large-scale fermentation. The methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris, has emerged as an alternative host cell system due to its shorter and less immunogenic glycosylation pattern together with higher cell density growth and higher secreted protein yield than S. cerevisiae. In this study, we compared the pipeline from gene to recombinant protein in these two yeasts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Codon optimization in silico for both yeast species showed no difference in frequent codon usage. However, rhGM-CSF expressed from S. cerevisiae BY4742 showed a significant discrepancy in molecular weight from those of P. pastoris X33. Analysis showed purified rhGM-CSF species with molecular weights ranging from 30 to more than 60 kDa. Fed-batch fermentation over 72 h showed that rhGM-CSF was more highly secreted from P. pastoris than S. cerevisiae (285 and 64 mg total secreted protein/L, respectively). Ion exchange chromatography gave higher purity and recovery than hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Purified rhGM-CSF from P. pastoris was 327 times more potent than rhGM-CSF from S. cerevisiae in terms of proliferative stimulating capacity on the hGM-CSF-dependent cell line, TF-1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data support a view that the methylotrophic yeast P. pastoris is an effective recombinant host for heterologous rhGM-CSF production.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Science, VNU-HCM, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Anh-Minh
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Science, VNU-HCM, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Thanh-Thao
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Science, VNU-HCM, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Cong-Thuan
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Science, VNU-HCM, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Xuan-Mai
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Huynh-Thi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Science, VNU-HCM, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Cao-Tri
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Science, VNU-HCM, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Minh-Thuong
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Trinh
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Science, VNU-HCM, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Linh-Thuoc
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.affiliation: School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Stephanie P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Cartwright
authors.affiliation: School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Roslyn M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bill
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Science, VNU-HCM, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. tvhieu@hcmus.edu.vn.
authors.forename: Hieu
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2782-5232
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tran-Van
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005285:Fermentation; D015870:Gene Expression; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010843:Pichia / Q000235:genetics*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor
keywords: Bioactivity; Fermentation; P. pastoris; S. cerevisiae; TF-1 cell; rhGM-CSF