Production of functional IgM Fab fragments by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The aim of this study was to express and secrete functional mouse IgM fragments in yeast. The heavy chain cDNA was truncated at two different sites, yielding genes coding for the complete VH domain. In one of the truncated genes, the CH1 domain is complete, while in the other gene 18 bp are missing from the 3' terminus of the CH1 region. Both shortened genes were coexpressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a cDNA gene encoding a full length mouse Ig light chain. We show that only the longer form of the truncated heavy chain together with the light chain produced and secreted functional IgM Fab fragments.