Expression of small synthetic genes coding for hEGF, human epidermal growth factor, and CPTI II, serine proteinase inhibitor from Cucurbitacea, cloned in a novel expression/secretion vector in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Efficient synthesis of two small eukaryotic polypeptides of human and plant origin was carried out using a novel expression/secretion yeast vector, pYET. The yield was optimized in respect of the yeast strain, expression cassette construction, promoter regulation and culture conditions. Both cloned genes code for biotechnologically important proteins: human epidermal growth factor and a serine proteinase inhibitor from Cucurbitacea.