Expression Vectors for Methanococcus maripaludis: Overexpression of Acetohydroxyacid Synthase and β-Galactosidase

A series of integrative and shuttle expression vectors was developed for use in Methanococcus maripaludis. The integrative expression vectors contained the Methanococcus voltae histone promoter and multiple cloning sites designed for efficient cloning of DNA. Upon transformation, they can be used to overexpress specific homologous genes in M. maripaludis. When tested with ilvBN, which encodes the large and small subunits of acetohydroxyacid synthase, transformants possessed specific activity 13-fold higher than that of the wild type. An expression shuttle vector, based on the cryptic plasmid pURB500 and the components of the integrative vector, was also developed for the expression of heterologous genes in M. maripaludis. The β-galactosidase gene from Escherichia coli was expressed to ∼1% of the total cellular protein using this vector. During this work, the genes for the acetohydroxyacid synthase (ilvBN) and phosphoenolpyruvate synthase (ppsA) were sequenced from a M. maripaludis genomic library.