Recombinant production of a hard-to-express membrane-bound cytochrome P450 in different yeasts-Comparison of physiology and productivity

Cytochrome P450s comprise one of the largest protein superfamilies. They occur in every kingdom of life and catalyse a variety of essential reactions. Their production is of utmost interest regarding biotransformation and structure-function elucidation. However, they have proven hard to express due to their membrane anchor, their complex co-factor requirements and their need for a redox-partner. In our study, we investigated and compared different yeast strains for the production of the plant cytochrome P450 chalcone 3-hydroxylase. To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating different yeasts for the expression of this abundant and highly significant protein superfamily. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and three different strains of Pichia pastoris expressing chalcone 3-hydroxylase were cultivated in controlled bioreactor runs and evaluated regarding physiological parameters and expression levels of the cytochrome P450. Production differed significantly between the different strains and was found highest in the investigated P. pastoris MutS strain KM71H where 8 mg P450 per gram dry cell weight were detected. We believe that this host could be suitable for the expression of many eukaryotic, especially plant-derived, cytochrome P450s as it combines high specific product yields together with straightforward cultivation techniques for achieving high biomass concentrations. Both factors greatly facilitate subsequent establishment of purification procedures for the cytochrome P450 and make the yeast strain an ideal platform for biotransformation as well.