Expression of Active Human Uterine Tissue Plasminogen Activator in Yeast

ABSTRACT Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) cDNA derived from human uterine mRNA was inserted into different yeast expression vectors. All such expression plasmids carried a yeast acid phosphatase (PH05) promoter, a 2-micron plasmid replication origin, transcription termination signals, and a selectable TRP1 gene. Plasmid pYBDT-10 contained the entire tPA coding region ("pre-pro-tPA"), pYBDT-10-PRO contained a sequence encoding the putative pro-tPA precusor, and pYBDT-6 contained only a mature tPA cDNA fused precisely in frame to the sequence encoding the entire signal peptide of acid phosphatase. All constructions directed the synthesis of single-chain tPA proteins that were readily precipitated with a specific antibody directed against human uterine tPA. Electrophoretic mobilities were approximately the same as those of the Bowes melanoma single-chain tPA and a 68-kD protein marker. Treatment of immunoprecipitates with endoglycosidase H resulted in increased electrophoretic mobilities, suggesting t...