Development of small high-copy-number plasmid vectors for gene expression in Caulobacter crescentus

Caulobacter crescentus is a bacterium with a distinctive life cycle and so it is studied as a cell development model. In addition, we have adapted this bacterium for recombinant protein production and display based on the crystalline surface protein (S)-layer and its C-terminal secretion signal. We report here the development of small, high-copy-number plasmid vectors and methods for producing an obligate expression host. The vectors are based on a narrow-host-range colE1-replicon-based plasmid commonly used in Escherichia coli, to which was added the replication origin of the IncQ plasmid RSF1010. C. crescentus strains were modified to enable plasmid replication by introduction of the RSF1010 repBAC genes at the recA locus. The small (4.0-4.5 kb) plasmids were in high copy numbers in both C. crescentus and E. coli and amenable to rapid methods for plasmid isolation and DNA sequencing. The method for introducing repBAC is suitable for other C. crescentus strains or any bacterium with an adequately homologous recA gene. Application of the vector for protein expression, based on the type I secretion system of the S-layer protein, when compared to constructs in broad-host-range plasmids, resulted in reduced time and steps required from clone construction to recombinant protein recovery and increased protein yield.