Mature protein synthesis

A cloning vehicle, comprising a plasmid, phage DNA or other DNA sequence which is able to replicate in a bacterial host and comprising in order:

• a promoter of a bacterial or phage gene;
• a translation start signal;
• and
• a non-bacterial DNA fragment which codes for a precursor of a protein or polypeptide, including the signal sequence of the protein or polypeptide;
• the reading frame of the non-bacterial DNA fragment being located in the reading frame define by the translational start signal.

A bacterial host transformed with a cloning vehicle, the cloning vehicle comprising a plasmid, phage DNA or other DNA sequence which is able to replicate in the bacterial host and comprising in order:

• a promoter of a bacterial or phage gene;
• a translational start signal;
• and
• a non-bacterial DNA fragment which codes for a precursor of a protein or polypeptide, including the signal sequence of the protein or polypeptide;
• the reading frame of the non-bacterial DNA fragment being located in the reading frame defined by the translational start signal.

A method of synthesizing within a bacterial host, and secreting through the membrane of the bacterial host, a selected mature protein or polypeptide, which comprises culturing the bacterial host;

• the bacterial host being transformed with a cloning vehicle, comprising a plasmid, phage DNA or other DNA sequence which is able to replicate in the bacterial host and comprising in order:
• a promoter of a bacterial or phage gene;
• a translational start signal;
• and
• a non-bacterial DNA fragment which codes for a precursor of the selected protein or polypeptide, including the signal sequence of the selected protein or polypeptide;
• the reading frame of the non-bacterial DNA fragment being located in the reading frame defined by the translational start signal.