Enhancement of protein secretion in Pichia pastoris by overexpression of protein disulfide isomerase.

A potential vaccine candidate, Necator americanus secretory protein (Na-ASP1), against hookworm infections, has been expressed in Pichia pastoris. Na-ASP1, a 45 kDa protein containing 20 cysteines, was directed outside the cell by fusing the protein to the preprosequence of the alpha-mating factor of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Most of the protein produced by single copy clones was secreted outside the cell.