Expression and secretion of alpha-amylase and glucoamylase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

alpha-Amylase genes of Bacillus licheniformis and glucoamylase cDNA of Aspergillus niger were ligated to a E. coli-yeast shuttle vector. The resultant plasmid was used to transform Saccharomyces cerevisiae to construct starch-degrading yeast strain. The results of enzyme activity assay and enzyme property analysis show that alpha-amylase and glucoamylase genes have been expressed simultaneously in yeast under the control of promoters and terminators of yeast MF-alpha 1 factor and PGK genes and over 99% of enzyme activities were secreted to the medium. The engineered yeast strain hydrolyses 97% of the starch (10%) in the medium after 6 days. The recombinant plasmid exists stably in yeast.