Efficient production of a recombinant Venerupis philippinarum defensin (VpDef) in Pichia pastoris and characterization of its antibacterial activity and stability

VpDef is a novel defensin isolated from the clam Venerupis philippinarum. Previously it was expressed in Escherichia coli; however, the E. coli-derived recombinant VpDef did not show effective antimicrobial activity against Staphyloccocus aureus or the Gram-negative bacteria tested. As such, the goal of this study was to design, express, and purify a recombinant VpDef (rVpDef) in Pichia pastoris and to determine its antibacterial potency and stability. A 6.9 KDa rVpDef was successfully expressed as a secreted peptide in P. pastoris, and the amount of rVpDef accumulation was shown to reach as high as approximate 60 μg per 1 ml of culture medium only after an initial optimization was performed. The purified rVpDef demonstrated a broad antibacterial spectrum and was active against six typical common bacteria, both Gram-positive and Gram-negative. A minimal inhibition concentration of as low as 50 μg/ml was observed for rVpDef against the growth of E. coli O157 (ATCC 35150). Moreover, rVpDef was tolerant to temperature shock and proteinase digestion and maintained a high stability over a relatively broad pH range. In addition, rVpDef had a low hemolytic activity against rabbit erythrocytes. Taken together, this study demonstrated that rVpDef could be produced in a large-scale manner in P. pastoris and has a good antibacterial activity and suitable stability. This is the first report on heterologous expression of a biologically active VpDef in P. pastoris, supporting its use for both research and application purposes.