AUTHOR=Balius Gia , Imani Kiana , Petroff Zoë , Beer Elizabeth , Feitosa Thiago Brasileiro , Mccall Nathan , Paule Lauren , Peng Neo Yixuan , Shen Joanne , Singh Vidhata , Strand Cambell , Zau Jonathan , Bernick D. L. 

TITLE=Accessible Type 2 diabetes medication through stable expression of Exendin-4 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Systems Biology

VOLUME=4

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/systems-biology/articles/10.3389/fsysb.2024.1283371

DOI=10.3389/fsysb.2024.1283371

ISSN=2674-0702

ABSTRACT=<p>Diabetes mellitus affects roughly one in ten people globally and is the world’s ninth leading cause of death. However, a significant portion of chronic complications that contribute to mortality can be prevented with proper treatment and medication. Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, such as Exendin-4, are one of the leading classes of Type 2 diabetes treatments but are prohibitively expensive. In this study, experimental models for recombinant Exendin-4 protein production were designed in both <italic>Escherichia coli</italic> and <italic>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</italic>. Protein expression in the chromosomally integrated <italic>S. cerevisiae</italic> strain was observed at the expected size of Exendin-4 and confirmed by immunoassay. This provides a foundation for the use of this Generally Regarded as Safe organism as an affordable treatment for Type 2 diabetes that can be propagated, prepared, and distributed locally.</p>