Expression of a synthetic protein with a high proportion of essential amino acids by Pichia pastoris

Abstract

It is widely known that an adequate intake of proteins with essential amino acids stimulates the production of essential nonprotein substances for the body, such as serotonin, thyroid hormones, and glutathione. Biotechnology applications can focus on food and its benefits for human health, either by improving the nutritional value of existing foods or developing new alternatives that can help resolve the effects of poor nutrition. The yeast Pichia pastoris has been designated as a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) microorganism and is currently used to produce a large number of recombinant proteins. In this study, a 100% synthetic protein was expressed intracellularly as a protein with high nutritional quality that contains a 75% ratio of essential amino acids using the expression system of the yeast P. pastoris. This approach might offer future possibilities for using the modified yeast as a single-cell protein source in the livestock industry and the food supplement market to reduce total protein intake.