# Patent

## Title
Host microorganisms

## Abstract

A microorganism wherein one or more genes selected from the group of genes participating in sporulation in the middle to late stages of sporulation have been deleted or inactivated; and a process for producing a target product (a protein) by use the microorganism. No spore is formed when this microorganism is employed, thereby enabling production of a target product (a protein) while decreasing energy loss, production of a by-product and specific production speed to decrease unnecessary consumption of a medium. Moreover, the production period can be prolonged, whereby the target product (the protein) can be produced efficiently.

## Background
This application is a national-stage filing of PCT/JP02/05151, filed May 28, 2002. This application also claims priority to Japan 2001-160520, filed May 29, 2001.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a host microorganism which is useful for the production of useful proteins or polypeptides, and to a recombinant microorganism.
BACKGROUND ART
Microorganisms have been employed in the industrial production of a broad range of useful substances. For example, microorganisms have been used to produce not only alcoholic beverages and foods such as miso (fermented soy paste) and shoyu (soy sauce), but also amino acids, organic acids, nucleic acid-related substances, antibiotics, sugars, lipids, proteins, and many other types of substances. Use of such substances can be found in a wide range of fields, encompassing foods, pharmaceuticals, daily necessaries such as detergents and cosmetics, and a variety of raw materials for producing items through chemical processes.
One important issue in the industrial production of useful substances through use of microorganisms is improvement in productivity. Thus, as a measure therefor, cultivation of substance-producing microorganisms has been performed through traditional genetic techniques such as mutation. In particular, thanks to progress in microbial genetics and biotechnology, such cultivation of substance-producing microorganisms is now being carried out more efficiently than ever by use of a genetic technologies such as a genetic engineering technology, giving rise to development of host microorganisms useful for genetic recombination. For example, there has been developed a microorganism strain, which resulted from improvement of a microorganism strain Bacillus subtilis Marburg No. 168 that had been acknowledged to be safe and excellent.
Microorganisms harbor a diversity of genes, so that they can adapt themselves to environmental changes in the natural kingdom. Therefore, substance productivity of microorganisms cannot necessarily be said to be efficient in terms of industrial production of proteins or similar substances employing limited types of production medium.
Also, concerning certain types of microorganisms, there have been established strains in which genes participating in early stage sporulation are singly deleted or inactivated. However, these strains will not be said to be sufficiently improved in productivity.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a host microorganism with which production of proteins or polypeptides can be increased through removal of genes which are useless or harmful in the production of proteins or polypeptides from the genome or inactivation of such genes. Another object of the present invention is to provide a recombinant microorganism produced by incorporating, into the above-mentioned host microorganism, a gene which codes for a protein or polypeptide and which is ligated to a transcription initiation regulation region, translation initiation regulation region, or secretion signal region at the downstream end of the region. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a protein or polypeptide by use of the recombinant microorganism.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present inventors have extensively searched, among a variety of genes encoded on a microorganism genome, for genes which are useless or function harmfully in the production of useful proteins or polypeptides, and have found that productivity of a protein or polypeptide of interest can be enhanced by deleting from the genome a specific gene participating in sporulation or by inactivating the gene, and then incorporating into the microorganism a gene which encodes a target protein or polypeptide and which has been ligated to a suitable transcriptional initiation region, a translational initiation region, or a secretion signal region, as compared with the productivity attained by the microorganism without such deletion or inactivation.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a microorganism in which one or more genes selected from the genes which participate in sporulation in the middle to late stages of sporulation have been deleted or inactivated; a recombinant microorganism obtained by incorporating, into the gene-deleted or gene-inactivated microorganism, a gene which encodes a protein or polypeptide and which has been ligated to a transcription initiation regulation region, a translation initiation regulation region, or a secretion signal region at the downstream end of the region; and a method for producing a protein or polypeptide through use of the recombinant microorganism.


BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
No limitations are imposed on the parental microorganism which is used to construct the microorganism of the present invention, so long as it has a gene which participates in sporulation. Preferably, the parental microorganism is a spore-forming microorganism. The parental microorganism may be a wild type or a mutant. Specific examples include bacteria belonging to the genus Bacillus such as Bacillus subtilis, bacteria belonging to the genus Clostridium, and yeasts, with bacteria belonging to the genus Bacillus being preferred. Among them, Bacillus subtilis is particularly preferred, in view that its complete genome information has already been elucidated, that techniques of genetic engineering and genomic engineering have been established, and that bacteria belonging to the Bacillus subtilis have an ability to secrete proteins outside the cells.
Examples of the target protein or polypeptide which is produced by use of the microorganism of the present invention include enzymes which are useful for foodstuffs, drugs, cosmetics, detergents, fiber treatment, drugs for medical tests, etc.; and proteins and polypeptides such as physiological active factors.
Two hundred and fifty or more genes discretely present on the genome have been identified to take part in sporulation. Among them, a target gene to be deleted or inactivated in the present invention is preferably a gene that promotes sporulation, and examples of such a gene include those encoding a sporulation-stage-specific σ-factor, genes participating in expression of any of the σ-factor genes, and genes participating in activation of any of the σ-factors. In addition, genes which are transcribed by any of the σ-factors to thereby participate in promotion of sporulation are also included within the scope of the present invention. In the early stage of sporulation (stages 0-I), extracellular enzymes such as proteases and amylases have been known to be produced in increased amounts as compared with the amounts produced in logarithmic growth phases. Therefore, a target gene to be deleted or inactivated is preferably one or more genes which are expressed specifically in the middle to late stages of sporulation to thereby participate in sporulation. Specifically, a target gene is preferably one or more genes involved in the sporulation stage II, III, IV, or V, more preferably stage II or III, particularly preferably stage II. The present inventors have found that these genes are not directly involved in production of proteins of interest and are also not required for growth of the microorganisms in ordinary medium for industrial production.
Such genes of Bacillus subtilis are listed in Tables 1 and 2.
In the present specification, names, sites, base numbers, and functions of the genes are described on the basis of the Bacillus subtilis genome database that has been reported in Nature, 390, 249-256 (1997) and also published on-line by JAFAN: Japan Functional Analysis Network for Bacillus subtilis (BSORF DB).









TABLE 1





Gene
Site (kb)
Function







sigE
 1,604
Stage II, mother cell-specific σE factor


sigF
 2,443
Stage II, forespore-specific σF factor


spoIISB
 1,328
Stage II and subsequent stages, participating in




sporulation


spoIIE
71   
Stage II, activating forespore-specific σF factor


sigG
 1,605
Stages III-V, forespore-specific σG factor


spoIVCB-
2,652-2,701
Stages IV-V, mother cell-specific σK


spoIIIC

factor


















TABLE 2





Gene
Site (kb)
Function







spoIIGA
1,604
Stage II, activating mother cell-specific σE factor


spoIIAA
2,444
Stage II, participating in activation of forespore-




specific σF factor


spoIVFB
2,855
Stages IV-V, activating mother cell-specific σK




factor


SpoIIR
3,794
Stage II, participating in activation of mother cell-




specific σE factor


SpoIIIJ
4,213
Stages III-V, participating in activation of




forespore-specific σG factor









The following genes are considered to be equivalent to the genes listed in Table 1: Genes having the same functions as those of the Bacillus subtilis genes listed in Table 1 or 2, and genes derived from other microorganisms, preferably derived from a bacterium which belongs to the genus Bacillus, and exhibiting 70% or more homology, preferably 80% or more, more preferably 90% or more homology, with one of the genes listed in Table 1. These genes are included in the genes which are to be deleted or inactivated according to the present invention. Homology between amino acid sequences is calculated through the Lipman-Pearson method (Science, 227, 1435 (1985)).
When one or more genes selected from among the genes described above are deleted or inactivated, chemical energy consumption required for sporulation of the microorganism is reduced, production period of proteins or polypeptides is prolonged, or other benefits are obtained, resulting in improved productivity of the proteins or polypeptides.
No limitations are imposed on the number of the genes which are deleted or inactivated, so long as at least one gene is deleted or inactivated. The number may be three or more, or five or more. The number is preferably two or three, particularly preferably two.
In order to construct the microorganism of the present invention, one or more genes in addition to the above genes may be deleted or inactivated. Through such a combination, a greater effect in improvement of the productivity could be expected.
Deletion or inactivation of a gene can be performed through known methods. Examples include a method in which target genes are sequentially deleted or inactivated, and a method in which one or more arbitrary DNA fragments are deleted or mutated for inactivation and the resultant gene is analyzed and evaluated in terms of the protein productivity by means of a suitable technique.
A target gene is deleted or inactivated through, for example, a homologous recombination method. Specifically, a DNA fragment containing a target gene is obtained through cloning by use of a suitable plasmid vector. The obtained DNA fragment is mutated by, among other methods, deleting the entire region of the gene or a portion of the target gene region through a routine gene engineering technique while retaining the DNA fragments connected to the respective ends of the target gene; by causing a nonsense mutation in the structural gene through base substitution, frameshift mutation or the like; or by isolating the target gene fragment through cloning or PCR and inserting a DNA fragment into the isolated target gene fragment. Subsequently, the mutated DNA fragment is introduced into a parental microorganism, to thereby cause homologous recombination with the parental microorganism genome at both regions adjacent to the target gene at the respective ends thereof. Thus, the target gene on the genome can be substituted by a DNA fragment in which the target gene has been deleted or inactivated.
Several methods have been reported for deleting or inactivating a target gene through homologous recombination when a bacteria in Bacillus subtilis is employed as a parental microorganism for producing the microorganism of the present invention (e.g., Mol. Gen. Genet., 223, 268 (1990)). The host microorganism of the present invention can be obtained through repetition of such a method.
Deletion or inactivation of one or more arbitrary DNA fragments can also be performed by obtaining one or more arbitrary DNA fragments from a parental microorganism through cloning and performing homologous recombination by use of the fragments in a manner similar to that described above, or alternatively by radiation of a γ-ray to the parental microorganism.
The recombinant microorganism of the present invention can be obtained by incorporating a gene encoding a target protein or polypeptide (hereinafter referred to as “a target protein or polypeptide gene”) to the thus-obtained microorganism (host microorganism) in which one or more genes selected from the genes participating in sporulation in the middle to late stages of sporulation have been deleted or inactivated.
No limitations are imposed on the target protein or polypeptide gene. Examples of such genes include industrially usable enzymes such as enzymes for producing detergents, food, fibers, feed, and chemicals, for medical use, and for diagnosis, and physiologically active peptides. The industrially usable enzymes may be classified, on the basis of their functions, into oxidoreductases, transferases, hydrolases, lyases, isomerases, ligases/synthetases, and others. Preferred examples of the target protein or polypeptide gene include genes encoding a hydrolase such as a cellulase, an α-amylase, or a protease. Specific examples include cellulases belonging to the family 5 in Classification of polysaccharide hydrolases (Biochem. J., 280, 309 (1991)). Among them, cellulases derived from a microorganism, particularly cellulases derived from a bacterium belonging to the genus Bacillus are illustrated. More specific examples include alkaline cellulases derived from a bacterium belonging to the genus Bacillus and having a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3, and cellulases having a sequence having 70% or more, preferably 80% or more, more preferably 90% or more homology with the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3. The homology between amino acid sequences is determined through the Lipman-Pearson method (Science, 227, 1435 (1985)). Examples of the α-amylases include α-amylases derived from a microorganism, and liquefaction-type amylases derived from a bacterium belonging to the genus Bacillus are particularly preferred. Examples of the proteases include serine proteases and metal proteases derived from a microorganism, particularly derived from a bacterium belonging to the genus Bacillus. 
A target protein or polypeptide gene is desirably ligated, at the upstream end thereof, to a regulation region participating in transcription or translation of the gene or secretion of the gene product, i.e., a transcriptional initiation regulation region containing a promoter and a transcriptional initiation point, a translation initiation region containing a ribosome binding site and an initiation codon, or a secretion signal peptide region in a suitable form. For example, a target protein or polypeptide gene is desirably ligated to the above regulation regions contained in a cellulase gene derived from a bacterium belonging to the genus Bacillus which is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2000-210081 or Hei 4-190793, and the above regulation regions contained in a region adjacent to the cellulase gene at the upstream end of the gene and having a length of 1 kb or less, preferably 0.6 kb or less. Specifically, a target protein or polypeptide gene is desirably ligated to, among others, a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a 3, or a base sequence having a certain degree of homology with SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3 and having a regulation function similar to that described above.
The recombinant microorganism of the present invention can be obtained by combining a DNA fragment containing a target protein or polypeptide gene with a suitable plasmid vector and incorporating the recombinant plasmid into a host microorganism cell through a routine transformation method. Alternatively, the recombinant microorganism of the present invention can be obtained by using as the DNA fragment a DNA fragment ligated to a suitable homological region of a host microorganism gene and incorporating the resultant DNA fragment directly into the host microorganism gene.
Production of a target protein or polypeptide through use of the recombinant microorganism of the present invention may be performed by inoculating the recombinant microorganism into a medium containing an assimilable source of carbon and nitrogen and the other essential components, culturing the recombinant microorganism through a conventional method, and, after completion of culture, collecting and purifying the target protein or polypeptide.
As described above, a host microorganism of interest in which a sporulation-related gene has been deleted or inactivated can be produced, and a recombinant microorganism of interest can be produced through use of the host microorganism. In addition, by use of the recombinant microorganism, a useful protein or polypeptide can be produced efficiently. An example case in which α-amylase or cellulase is produced through use of Bacillus subtilis will next be specifically described.
For example, when the sigf gene of a bacterium Bacillus subtilis (768 bp) encoding an RNA polymerase subunit σF-factor which expresses in a forespore in stage II or subsequent stages of sporulation is to be deleted, the following procedure may be employed.
In the first step, a genome gene is extracted from a host microorganism of a Bacillus subtilis strain. Using the genome gene as a template, a DNA fragment at the upstream of the initiation codon of the sigF gene and a DNA fragment at the downstream of the termination codon of the sigf gene are joined by a marker gene such as chloramphenicol resistant gene inserted therebetween through SOE (splicing by overlap extention)—PCR (Gene, 77, 61 (1989)) or other methods.
In the next step, the host bacterium Bacillus subtilis is transformed by use of the thus-obtained DNA fragment through a competent method, and the transformant is isolated on the basis of chloramphenicol resistance or other characteristics, to thereby cause homologous recombination in the upstream and downstream regions of the sigf gene to give a transformant in which the sigf gene on the genome is substituted by a marker gene such as a chloramphenicol resistant gene or the like.
Thereafter, into the thus-obtained transformant and the original cell line of Bacillus subtilis serving as a control, a plasmid containing a gene encoding α-amylase or cellulase is introduced. The thus-obtained recombinant is incubated under suitable conditions, for example, under shaking in a vegetative medium. The supernatant of the culture solution is measured in terms of α-amylase activity or cellulase activity, and it's productivity is compared with that of the original cell line of Bacillus subtilis, to thereby confirm that an increased amount of the target product can be obtained by deleting the sigf gene. When the culture solution is subjected to an isolation and purification procedure, α-amylase and cellulase can be obtained.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
A genomic DNA was extracted from Bacillus subtilis 168. Using the extracted gene as a template, a 1.5-kb DNA fragment (A), on the genome, adjacent to the sigF gene (Base No. 2442658←2443425) at the upstream end thereof and a 1.5-kb DNA fragment (B) adjacent to the sigF gene at the downstream end thereof were multiplied. Separately, a 0.9-kb DNA fragment (C) containing a chloramphenicol resistant gene was multiplied using plasmid pC194 as a template. The fragments (A), (C), and (B) were serially ligated in this order, through SOE-PCR, to thereby prepare a 3.9-kb DNA fragment. The Bacillus subtilis 168 was transformed using the thus-obtained DNA fragment through a competent method. The transformed Bacillus subtilis 168 was cultured on an LB agar medium containing chloramphenicol, and the colonies were isolated as a transformat. The resulting transformant was confirmed through PCR and sequencing to have a genome in which the region containing the sigF gene (2442632-2443318) had been deleted and substituted by the chloramphenicol resistant gene. Separately, each of the following regions on the genome was deleted and substituted by the chloramphenicol resistant gene in a manner similar to that described above: a region (1604136-1604976) containing the sigE gene (1604166→1604885), a region (1347781-1348081) containing a substantial part of the spoIISB gene (1347913←1348083), a region (70537→73018) containing a substantial part of the spoIIE gene (70536→73019), a region (1605083-1605877) containing a substantial part of the sigG gene (1605025→1605807), a region (2652156-2652723) containing the spoIVCB gene (2652262→2652732), or a region (2652156-2701031) containing a region from the spoIVCB gene to the spoIIIC gene (2652262→2701023), to thereby prepare a microorganism in which a gene participating in sporulation is deleted.
A DNA fragment (3.1 kb) of the alkaline cellulase gene derived from Bacillus sp. KSM-S237 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2000-210081) was introduced into a shuttle vector pHY300PLK at the cleavage point of restriction enzyme BamHI, to thereby prepare a recombinant plasmid pHY-S237. The plasmid was incorporated through the protoplast method into each of the gene-deleted microorganisms prepared in Example 1 and Bacillus subtilis serving as a control. The thus-obtained microorganism was incubated overnight under shaking at 37° C. in an LB medium mL). The resultant culture solution (0.05 mL) was inoculated to 2×L-maltose medium (50 mL; 2% trypton, 1% yeast extraction, 1% NaCl, 7.5% maltose, 7.5-ppm manganese sulfate 4-5 hydrate, 15-ppm tetracyclin), followed by incubation for three days under shaking at 30° C. After completion of incubation, the cells were removed from the culture solution through centrifugation, and the alkaline cellulase activity of the supernatant was measured to determine the amount of alkaline cellulase secreted outside the cells during incubation. As a result, as shown in Table 3, all of the microorganisms in which a gene participating in sporulation had been deleted were found to secrete an increased amount of alkaline cellulase as compared with the control microorganism Bacillus subtilis 168 (wild type).









TABLE 3






Site of the
Amount of alkaline cellulase secreted


Deleted gene
gene (kb)
(relative value)







sigE
 1,604
217


sigF
 2,443
212


spoIISB
 1,328
140


spoIIE
71   
216


sigG
 1,605
163


spoIVCB-spoIIIC
2,652-2,701
141


spoIVCB
 2,652
141


None (wild type)
—
100









INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
When the microorganism of the present invention is employed, no spores are formed. Therefore, the invention enables production of a target protein or target polypeptide while decreasing energy loss, production of by-products and specific production speed to largely decrease unnecessary consumption of a medium. Moreover, the production period of the protein or polypeptide can be prolonged, whereby the target product can be produced efficiently.

## Claims

1. A modified Bacillus subtilis strain which has had one or more forespore-specific sporulation gene(s) deleted or inactivated compared to the corresponding unmodified Bacillus subtilis, and
which has been transformed with a polynucleotide expressing a target polypeptide down-stream of a transcription initiation regulation region, translational initiation region, or a secretion signal region of an alkaline cellulase gene of Bacillus; 
wherein said modified Bacillus subtilis expresses an enhanced amount of the target polypeptide compared to the corresponding unmodified Bacillus subtilis strain;
wherein the forespore-specific gene is selected from the group consisting of at least one of sigF, sigG and spoIIE.

2. The recombinant modified Bacillus subtilis of claim 1, in which at least one stage II, III, IV or V forespore-specific sporulation gene has been inactivated or deleted compared to the corresponding unmodified Bacillus subtilis.

3. The modified Bacillus subtilis strain of claim 1, wherein said forespore-specific sporulation gene has been deleted.

4. The modified Bacillus subtilis strain of claim 1, wherein said forespore-specific sporulation gene has been inactivated.

5. The modified Bacillus subtilis strain of claim 1, which has been transformed with a polynucleotide expressing a target polypeptide which is an enzyme.

6. The modified Bacillus subtilis strain of claim 1, which has been transformed with a polynucleotide expressing a target polypeptide which is an enzyme selected from the group consisting of an oxidoreductase, a transferase, a hydrolase, a lyase, an isomerase, and a ligase/synthetase.

7. The modified Bacillus subtilis strain of claim 1, which has been transformed with a polynucleotide expressing a target polypeptide which is a hydrolase selected from the group consisting of a cellulase, an α-amylase, and a protease.

8. The modified Bacillus subtilis strain of claim 1, which has been transformed with a polynucleotide expressing a target polypeptide which is a Bacillus subtilis cellulase.

9. The modified Bacillus subtilis strain of claim 1, which has been transformed with a polynucleotide expressing a target polypeptide which is SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 4.

10. The modified Bacillus subtilis strain of claim 1, wherein said transcription initiation regulation region, translational initiation region, or a secretion signal region is from Bacillus subtilis.

11. The modified Bacillus subtilis strain of claim 1, wherein said transcription initiation regulation region, translational initiation region, or a secretion signal region is a transcriptional initiation region regulation region containing a promoter and a transcriptional initiation point.

12. The modified Bacillus subtilis strain of claim 1, wherein said transcription initiation regulation region, translational initiation region, or a secretion signal region is a translation initiation region containing a ribosome binding site and an initiation codon.

13. The modified Bacillus subtilis strain of claim 1, wherein said transcription initiation regulation region, translational initiation region, or a secretion signal region is a secretion signal peptide.

14. The modified Bacillus subtilis strain of claim 1, wherein said transcription initiation regulation region, translational initiation region, or a secretion signal region is contained within SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3.

15. The modified Bacillus subtilis strain of claim 1, wherein said forespore-specific sporulation gene which has been deleted or inactivated is sigF.

16. The modified Bacillus subtilis strain of claim 1, wherein said forespore-specific sporulation gene which has been deleted or inactivated is spoIIE.

17. The modified Bacillus subtilis strain of claim 1, wherein said forespore-specific sporulation gene which has been deleted or inactivated is sigG.