Efficient release of overproduced gene products from escherichia coli BL21(DE3) by lytic infection with newly isolated bacteriophages

Abstract

Overproduced proteins from Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) were efficiently released with virulent bacteriophages. Leviviridae-like bacteriophages were isolated from soil and used to lyse BL21(DE3) cells transformed with β-glucosidase, chitinase, or chitosanase genes. This method caused lysis of bacterial cells similar to that by conventional sonication and enabled us to effectively recover and purify the enzymes. © 2003 by Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry.