Elsevier

Gene

Volume 85, Issue 1, 21 December 1989, Pages 109-114
Gene

High-level expression of recombinant genes in Escherichia coli is dependent on the availability of the dnaY gene product

https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-1119(89)90470-8Get rights and content

Abstract

We have observed that proteins, such as human tissue-type plasminogen activator, pro-urokinase or gp41 of human immunodeficiency virus, which have a high content of rare codons in their respective genes, are not readily expressed in Escherichia coli. Furthermore induction of these heterologous genes leads to growth inhibition and plasmid instability. Supplementation with tRNAArgAGA/AGG by cotransfection with the dnaY gene, which supplies this minor tRNA, resulted in high-level production with greatly improved cell viability and plasmid stability.

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