Zymogenic protease precursors that can be autocatalytically activated and their use

摘要

A process for the recombinant production of a protease is characterised by (a) transformation of a host cell with a recombinant nucleic acid which codes for a zymogenic protease precursor containing an autocatalytic cleavage site which does not occur naturally, this cleavage site being recognised by the active form of said protease, cleaving the zymogenic precursor into the active protease; (b) cultivation of the host cell such that the zymogenic protease precursor is created in the host cell in the form of inclusion bodies; (c) isolation and naturalisation of the inclusion bodies in such conditions that the protease part of the zymogenic precursor is produced with its natural conformation; and (d) autocatalytic cleavage of the naturalised zymogenic precursor to produce the active protease. This process is suitable to produce recombinant proteases in a simple manner and with high yields.