Compositions and methods for improving expression and / or
secretion of
protein or polypeptide of interest in a host
cell are provided. Compositions comprising a coding sequence for a bacterial
secretion signal peptide are provided. The coding sequences can be used in vector constructs or expression systems for transformation and expression of a
protein or polypeptide of interest in a host
cell. The compositions of the invention are useful for increasing accumulation of properly processed proteins in the
periplasmic space of a host
cell, or for increasing
secretion of properly processed proteins from the host cell. In particular, isolated secretion
signal peptide-encoding
nucleic acid molecules are provided. Additionally,
amino acid sequences corresponding to the
nucleic acid molecules are encompassed. In particular, the present invention provides for isolated
nucleic acid molecules comprising
nucleotide sequences encoding the
amino acid sequences shown in SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24, and the
nucleotide sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, and 23, as well as variants and fragments thereof.