Secretory expression of amylosucrase in Bacillus licheniformis through twin-arginine translocation pathway

Abstract

Amylosucrase (EC 2.4.1.4) is a versatile enzyme with significant potential in biotechnology and food production. To facilitate its efficient preparation, a novel expression strategy was implemented in Bacillus licheniformis for the secretory expression of Neisseria polysaccharea amylosucrase (NpAS). The host strain B. licheniformis CBBD302 underwent genetic modification through the deletion of sacB, a gene responsible for encoding levansucrase that synthesizes extracellular levan from sucrose, resulting in a levan-deficient strain, B. licheniformis CBBD302B. Neisseria polysaccharea amylosucrase was successfully expressed in B. licheniformis CBBD302B using the highly efficient Sec-type signal peptide SamyL, but its extracellular translocation was unsuccessful. Consequently, the expression of NpAS via the twin-arginine translocation (TAT) pathway was investigated using the signal peptide SglmU. The study revealed that NpAS could be effectively translocated extracellularly through the TAT pathway, with the signal peptide SglmU facilitating the process. Remarkably, 62.81% of the total expressed activity was detected in the medium. This study marks the first successful secretory expression of NpAS in Bacillus species host cells, establishing a foundation for its future efficient production.

One-sentence summary: Amylosucrase was secreted in Bacillus licheniformis via the twin-arginine translocation pathway.

Keywords: Bacillus licheniformis; Amylosucrase; Secretory expression; Twin-arginine translocation pathway.