Heterologous proteins in Yarrowia lipolytica: the 11S globulin from Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.

Abstract

The heterologous expression of bioactive compounds in microorganisms arises as an alternative to satisfy the demand for basic products that modern society needs for daily life. This method seeks to compete with traditional production that involves chemical or enzymatic synthesis, since it has disadvantages due to environmental contamination or low yields. In this sense, Yarrowia lipolytica is a study model developed with the tools of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering, whose purpose has been the production of various oleaginous compounds and, more recently, recombinant proteins, which represent an increasingly important market for biotechnology industry. Among the heterologous proteins expressed in this system, 11S globulin from Amaranthus hypochondriacus L. is presented as a functional protein for food supplementation mostly due to its nutraceutical and antihypertensive properties. This review describes the main advances in the production of molecules of biotechnological and industrial interest in unconventional yeast systems, specifically, the expression of heterologous proteins in Y. lipolytica; the case of the 11S globulin from A. hypochondriacus L. is considered as an example. Finally, the perspectives for this system are summarized, as well as the limitations that remain to be overcome.