Patent ID: 7419801

Claim:
A method for expressing a recombinant alpha a 1-antitrypsin polypeptide that comprises: culturing a yeast cell capable of expressing the alpha 1-antitrypsin polypeptide, said yeast cell comprising a recombinant polynucleotide comprising: (i) a yeast 2 micron sequence, and (ii) an alpha 1-antitrypsin sequence operably linked to a yeast alcohol dehydrogenase 2 promoter and a terminator, wherein said polynucleotide comprises one or more yeast-preferred codons substituted for naturally occurring codons, in a fermentative process comprising a batch phase and a fed batch phase under conditions such that dissolved oxygen is continually present in the culture medium throughout the process, wherein the rate of glucose feed during the fed batch phase is monitored and adjusted so that the cells are maintained in a respiratory state, and wherein the final concentration in the yeast culture of the alpha 1-antitrypsin polypeptide is at least 2 gm per liter.