Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Paper
  • Published:

Hen Egg White Lysozyme Expressed in, and Secreted from, Aspergillus niger is Correctly Processed and Folded

Abstract

We transformed Aspergillus niger with the full length cDNA gene encoding hen eggwhite lysozyme (HEWL) and its secretion signal sequence. Lysozyme levels up to 12 mg/l were secreted when expression was controlled by the A. awamori glucoamylase (GAM) promoter and 1 mg/l when controlled by the A. nidulans glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) promoter. N-terminal sequence analysis of the recombinant protein indicated that the signal peptide was correctly processed by the A. niger secretory apparatus. The specific catalytic activity of the recombinant protein was identical to that of authentic hen lysozyme. The recombinant HEWL was examined by 2D 1H-NMR spectroscopy and shown to have a spectrum identical to that of authentic HEWL indicating that the protein was correctly folded.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Blake, C.C.F., Koenig, D.F., Mair,G.A., North, A.C.T, Phillips, D.C. and Sarma, V.R. 1965. Structure of hen egg-white lysozyme. Nature 206: 757–761.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Miki, T., Yasukochi, T., Nagatani, H., Furuno, M., Orita, T., Yamada, H., Imoto, T. and Horiuchi, T. 1987. Construction of a plasmid vector for the regulatable high level expression of eukaryotic genes in Escherichia coli: an application to overproduction of chicken lysozyme. Protein Eng. 1: 327–332.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kumagai, I., Kojima, S., Tamaki, E. and Miura, K. 1987. Conversion of Trp 62 of hen egg-white lysozyme to Tyr by site-directed mutagenesis. J. Biochem. 102: 733–740.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Castanon, M.J., Spevak, W., Adolf, G.R., Chlebowicz-Sledziewska, E. and Sledziewski, A. 1988. Cloning of human lysozyme gene and expression in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Gene 66: 223–234.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Van Brunt, J. 1986. Fungi: the perfect hosts? Bio/Technology 4: 1057–1062.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Arbige, M.V. and Pitcher, W.H. 1989. Industrial enzymology: a look towards the future. Trends Biotechnol. 7: 330–335.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Cullen, D., Gray, G.L., Wilson, L.J., Hayenga, K.J., Lamsa, M.H., Rey, W., Norton, S. and Berka, R.M. 1987. Controlled expression and secretion of bovine chymosin in Aspergillus nidulans . Bio/Technology 5: 369–376.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gwynne, D.I., Buxton, F.P., Williams, S.A., Garven, S. and Davies, R.W. 1987. Genetically engineered secretion of active human interferon and a bacterial endoglucanase from Aspergillus nidulans . Bio/Technology 5: 713–719.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Upshall, A., Kumar, A.A., Bailey, M.C., Parker, M.D., Favreau, M.A., Lewison, K.P., Joseph, M.L., Maraganore, J.M. and McKnight, G.L. 1987. Secretion of active human tissue plasminogen activator from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans . Bio/Technology 5: 1301–1304.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Cohen, B.L. 1977. The Proteases of Aspergilli, p. 281–292. In: Genetics and Physiology of Aspergillus Smith, J. E. and Pateman, J. A. (Eds.). Academic Press, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Barton, L.L., Lineback, D.R. and Georgi, C.E. 1969. The influence of nitrogen and carbon sources on the production of glucoamylase by aspergilli. J. Gen. Appl. Microbiol. 15: 327–344.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Malcolm, B.A., Rosenberg, S., Corey, M.J., Allen, J.S., de Baetselier, A. and Kirsch, J.A. 1989. Site-directed mutagenesis of the catalytic residues Asp-52 and Glu-35 of chicken egg white lysozyme. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86: 133–137.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Redfield, C. and Dobson, C.M. 1988. Sequential 1H NMR assignments and secondary structure of hen egg white lysozyme in solution. Biochemistry 27: 122–136.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Innis, M.A., Holland, M.J., McCabe, P.C., Cole, G.E., Wittman, V.P., Tal, R., Watt, W.K., Gelfand, D.H., Holland, J.P. and Meade, J.H. 1985. Expression, glycosylation, and secretion of an Aspergillus glucoamylase by Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Science 228: 21–26.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Roggenhamp, R., Dargutz, H. and Hollenberg, C.P. 1985. Precursor of β-lactamase is enzymatically inactive: accumulation of the preprotein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae . J. Biol. Chem. 260: 1508–1512.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kaiser, C.A. and Botstein, D. 1986. Secretion of defective mutations in the signal sequence for Saccharomyces cerevisiae invertase . Mol. Cell. Biol. 6: 2382–2391.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Christensen, T., Woeldike, H., Boel, E., Mortensen, S.B., Hjortschoej, K., Thim, L. and Hansen, M.T. 1988. High level expression of recombinant genes in Aspergillus oryzae . Bio/Technology 6: 1419–1422.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. van Hartingsveldt, W., Mattern, I.E., van Zeijl, C.M.J., Pouwels, P.H. and van den Hondel, C.A.M.J.J 1987. Development of a homologous transformation system for Aspergillus niger based on the pyrG gene. Mol. Gen. Genet. 206: 71–75.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Cove, D.J. 1966. The induction and repression of nitrate reductase in the fungus Aspergillus nidulans . Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 113: 51–56.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Punt, P.J., Oliver, R.P., Dingemanse, M.A., Pouwels, P.H. and van den Hondel C.A.M.J.J. 1987. Transformation of Aspergillus based on the hygromycin B resistance marker from Escherichia coli . Gene 56: 117–124.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Maniatis, T., Fritsch, E.F. and Sambrook, J. 1982. Molecular Cloning a Laboratory Manual. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Berka, R., Ward, M., Thompson, C., Rey, M., Fong, K., Wilson, L., Lamsa, M. and Gray, G. 1988. Foreign protein secretion in Aspergillus: current status. ICSU Short Reports 8: 50–51.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Ballance, D.J. and Turner, G. 1985. Development of a high-frequency transforming vector for Aspergillus nidulans . Gene 36: 321–331.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Raeder, U. and Broda, P. 1985. Rapid preparation of DNA from filamentous fungi. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 1: 17–20.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Krieg, P., Strachan, R., Wallis, E., Tabe, L. and Colman, A. 1984. Efficient expression of cloned complementary DNA's for secretory proteins after injection into Xenopus oocytes. J. Mol. Biol. 180: 615–643.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Lowry, O.H., Rosebrough, N.J., Farr, A.L. and Randall, R.J. 1951. Measurement of protein with the Folin phenol reagent. J. Biol. Chem. 193: 265–275.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Laemmli,U.K. and Favre, M. 1973. Maturation of the head of bacteriophage T4. I. DNA packaging events. J. Mol. Biol. 80: 575–599.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Allen, G. 1981. Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Elsevier, Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Aue, W.P., Bartholdi, E. and Ernst, R.R. 1976. Two-dimensional spectroscopy. Application to nuclear magnetic resonance. J. Chem. Phys. 64: 2229–2246.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Bax, A.D. and Freeman, R. 1981. Investigation of complex networks of spin-spin coupling by two-dimensional NMR. J. Magn. Reson. 44: 542–561.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Jeener, J., Meier, B.H., Bachmann, P. and Ernst, R.R. 1979. Investigation of exchange processes by two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. J. Chem. Phys. 71: 4546–4553.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Anil Kumar, Ernst, R.R. & Wüthrich, K. 1980. A two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser enhancement for the elucidation of complete 1H-1H cross-relaxation networks in biological macromolecules. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 95: 1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Macura, S., Huang, Y., Suter, D. and Ernst, R.R. 1981. Two-dimensional chemical exchange and cross-relaxation spectroscopy of coupled nuclear spins. J. Magn. Reson. 43: 259–281.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Archer, D., Jeenes, D., MacKenzie, D. et al. Hen Egg White Lysozyme Expressed in, and Secreted from, Aspergillus niger is Correctly Processed and Folded. Nat Biotechnol 8, 741–745 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0890-741

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0890-741

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing