Molecular cloning and functional expression of a Talaromyces emersonii derived alpha-amylase encoding genetic determinant in a human cell line

Abstract

A eDNA fragment encoding a Talaromyces emersonii acid stable alpha-amylase has beun cloned into a mammalian cell expression vector system. When human HeLa cells were tnmsformed with this DNA, functional enzyme could be detected in extracellular media and cell lysates derived from stable transfonnants. Expression of the T. emersonii derived eDNA w a s verified by northern dot blotting hyl~'idi~tion analysis of mRNA exUacted from mmsformants, using the labelled amylase encoding eDNA determinant as a probe. Results obtained suggest that expression of the fungus derived alpha-amylase in the transformed HeLa cells is glucocorticoid dependent.