Extracellular production of biologically active deacetoxycephalosporin C synthase from Streptomyces clavuligerus in Pichia pastoris

We have successfully expressed and observed secretion of the Streptomyces clavuligerus deacetoxycephalosporin C synthase (DAOCS) using the Pichia pastoris expression system. Two clones having multiple copies of the expression cassette were selected and used for protein-expression analysis. SDS-PAGE showed efficient expression and secretion of the bacterial recombinant DAOCS. The highest yield (120 μg/mL) was obtained when expression was induced with 2% methanol. Free and immobilized protein were assayed for biological activity and found to expand penicillin N (its natural substrate) and penicillin G to deacetoxycephalosporin C (DAOC) and deacetoxycephalosporin G (DAOG), respectively. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 75: 485–491, 2001.