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Transcription from plasmid genes, macromolecular stability, and cell‐specific productivity in Escherichia coli carrying copy number mutant plasmids
Author(s) -
Peretti S. W.,
Bailey J. E.,
Lee James J.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.260340704
Subject(s) - plasmid , escherichia coli , biology , transcription (linguistics) , gene , mutant , gene expression , low copy number , gene dosage , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , linguistics , philosophy
Experiments were performed to evaluate, qualitatively and quantitatively, the adaptation of Escherichia coli to plasmid maintenance and cloned gene expression. Experimental findings indicate that the metabolic response to low plasmid levels is an increase of the biosynthetic capacity of both transcription and translation. At high copy number levels the gene‐specific transcription rate continues to increase but the stability of plasmid‐derived mRNA drops sharply. Protein levels are maintained, but translation efficiency decreases. These results indicate that cellular biosynthetic capacity may not be limiting productivity in recombinant systems. If macromolecular stability is the bottleneck, then current efforts to increase gene expression that focus on enhancing synthesis rates will be ineffective.