Abstract
![]()
The availability of complete genome
sequences and the definition
of essential gene sets were fundamental in the start of the genome
engineering era. In a recent study, redundant and unnecessary genes
were systematically deleted from the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis, an industrial production host of high-value
secreted proteins. This culminated in strain PG10, which lacks about
36% of the genome, thus representing the most minimal Bacillus chassis currently available. Here, we show that this “miniBacillus” strain has synthetic traits that are favorable
for producing “difficult-to-produce proteins”. As exemplified
with different staphylococcal antigens, PG10 overcomes several bottlenecks
in protein production related to the secretion process and instability
of the secreted product. These findings show for the first time that
massive genome reduction can substantially improve secretory protein
production by a bacterial expression host, and underpin the high potential
of genome-engineered strains as future cell factories.
Collapse