Gellissen G, Melber K
Rhein Biotech GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Arzneimittelforschung. 1996 Sep;46(9):943-8.
Since the onset of genetic engineering, yeasts belong to the preferred host cells for the production of heterologous proteins. They combine ease of genetic manipulation and cultivation with the ability to process and to modify the produced compounds according to a general eukaryotic scheme. Since yeasts do not contain pathogens, pyrogens or viral inclusions they constitute attractive production systems for proteins considered for therapeutic administration. At the beginning of gene technology the attention of biotechnologists focussed on the use of the best characterized species Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Insulin and hepatitis B vaccines are examples for S. cerevisiae-derived therapeutics. In recent years alternative yeast have become accessible for the techniques of modern molecular genetics and thus for potential applications in biotechnology. In this respect the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha offers especially advantageous characteristics as host for the production of pharmaceutical proteins. As a consequence, production systems based on this yeast have been established for serum proteins, vaccines and other therapeutically important compounds. Some H. polymorpha-derived products are under preclinical or clinical trials at present and are expected to reach the market within the near future. In the following article the current status of this system is presented and discussed comparing it with other expression systems.
自基因工程出现以来，酵母一直是生产异源蛋白的首选宿主细胞。它们兼具易于进行基因操作和培养的特点，以及按照一般真核生物模式加工和修饰所产生化合物的能力。由于酵母不含病原体、热原或病毒包涵体，它们构成了用于生产供治疗用蛋白质的有吸引力的生产系统。在基因技术发展初期，生物技术学家的注意力集中在使用特征最明确的酿酒酵母物种上。胰岛素和乙肝疫苗就是源自酿酒酵母的治疗药物的例子。近年来，其他酵母已能够应用现代分子遗传学技术，从而在生物技术领域具有潜在应用价值。在这方面，多形汉逊酵母作为生产药用蛋白质的宿主具有特别有利的特性。因此，基于这种酵母的生产系统已用于生产血清蛋白、疫苗和其他具有重要治疗意义的化合物。目前，一些源自多形汉逊酵母的产品正处于临床前或临床试验阶段，预计在不久的将来投放市场。在下面的文章中，将介绍并讨论该系统的当前状况，并与其他表达系统进行比较。
