Exploring the Potential of a Genome-Reduced Escherichia coli Strain for Plasmid DNA Production

Abstract

The global demand for nucleic acid-based vaccines, including plasmid DNA (pDNA) and mRNA vaccines, needs efficient production platforms. However, conventional hosts for plasmid production have encountered challenges related to sequence integrity due to the presence of insertion sequences (ISs). In this study, we explored the potential of a genome-reduced Escherichia coli as a host for pDNA production. This strain had been constructed by removing approximately 23% of the genome which were unessential genes, including the genomic unstable elements. Moreover, the strain exhibits an elevated level of NADPH, a coenzyme known to increase plasmid production according to a mathematical model. We hypothesized that the combination of genome reduction and the abundance of NADPH would significantly enhance pDNA production capabilities. Remarkably, our results confirmed a three-fold increase in pDNA production compared to the widely employed DH5α strain. Furthermore, the genome-reduced strain exhibited heightened sensitivity to various antibiotics, bolstering its potential for large scale industrial pDNA production. These findings suggest the genome-reduced E. coli as an exciting candidate for revolutionizing the pDNA industry, offering unprecedented efficiency and productivity.