Co-expression of a cellobiose phosphorylase and lactose permease enables intracellular cellobiose utilisation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The cellobiose phosphorylase (cepA) gene from Clostridium stercorarium was cloned and successfully expressed under transcriptional control of the phosphoglycerate kinase gene (PGK1) promoter and terminator in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y294. The recombinant CepA enzyme showed optimal activity at 60 °C and pH 5 and displayed a K(m) value of 92.85 mM and 1.