Glycoproteins rise from yeast

A new method that uses yeast to produce a glycoprotein bearing a striking resemblance to the type found in the human body has been developed jointly by a research group including Kirin Brewery and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan. The group is now studying methods to commercialise the substance, which holds promising applications in new drug development. A glycoprotein is a compound of a carbohydrate and a protein.

It can be made by cultivating animal cells, but using yeast which is easier to handle, cuts production costs by at least 90%. Living bodies contain various types of glycoproteins, formed when sugar chains bond to proteins. Glycoproteins are vital in tissue formation and regulating bodily functions. Previous attempts at synthesis using genetically modified yeast have yielded proteins that resemble those in humans but sugar chains that do not.