Co-expression of a Saccharomyces diastaticus glucoamylase-encoding gene and a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens α-amylase-encoding gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A glucoamylase-encoding gene (STA2) from Saccharomyces diastaticus and an α-amylase-encoding gene (AMY) from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens were cloned separately into a yeast-integrating shuttle vector (YIp5), generating recombinant plasmids pSP1 and pSP2, respectively. The STA2 and AMY genes were jointly cloned into YIp5, generating plasmid pSP3. Subsequently, the dominant selectable marker APH1, encoding resistance to Geneticin G418 (Gt^R), was cloned into pSP3, resulting in pSP4. For enhanced expression of Gt^R, the APH1 gene was fused to the GAL10 promoter and terminated by the URA3 terminator, resulting in pSP5. Plasmid pSP5 was converted to a circular minichromosome (pSP6) by the addition of the ARS1 and CEN4 sequences. Laboratory strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae transformed with plasmids pSP1 through pSP6, stably produced and secreted glucoamylase and/or α-amylase. Brewers' and distillers' yeast transformed with pSP6 were also capable of secreting amylolytic enzymes. Yeast transformants containing pSP1, pSP2 and pSP3 assimilated soluble starch with an efficiency of 69%, 84% and 93%, respectively. The major starch hydrolysis products produced by crude amylolytic enzymes found in the culture broths of the pSP1-, pSP2- and pSP3-containing transformants, were glucose, glucose and maltose (1:1), and glucose and maltose (3 : 1), respectively. These results confirmed that co-expression of the STA2 and AMY genes synergistically enhanced starch degradation.