rCHO Cell Cultures Research Articles

Sialyllactose supplementation enhances sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoprotein in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cell culture

Sialylation during N-glycosylation plays an important role in the half-life of therapeutic glycoproteins in vivo and has sparked interest in the production of therapeutic proteins using recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells. To improve the sialylation of therapeutic proteins, we examined the effect of sialyllactose supplementation on sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoproteins produced in rCHO cells. Two enzymatically-synthesized sialyllactoses, 3′-sialyllactose (3′-SL) and 6′-sialyllactose (6′-SL), were administered separately to two rCHO cell lines producing the same Fc-fusion glycoprotein derived from DUKX-B11 and DG44, respectively. Two sialyllactoses successfully increased sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoprotein in both cell lines, as evidenced by isoform distribution, sialylated N-glycan formation, and sialic acid content. Increased sialylation by adding sialyllactose was likely the result of increased amount of intracellular CMP-sialic acid (CMP-SA), the direct nucleotide sugar for sialylation. Furthermore, the degree of sialylation enhanced by sialyllactoses was slightly effective or nearly similar compared with the addition of N-acetylmannosamine (ManNAc), a representative nucleotide sugar precursor, to increase sialylation of glycoproteins. The effectiveness of sialyllactose was also confirmed using three commercially available CHO cell culture media. Taken together, these results suggest that enzymatically-synthesized sialyllactose represents a promising candidate for culture media supplementation to increase sialylation of glycoproteins in rCHO cell culture.

Effects of autophagy-inhibiting chemicals on sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoprotein in recombinant CHO cells

The occurrence of autophagy in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cell culture has attracted attention due to its effects on therapeutic protein production. Given the significance of glycosylation in therapeutic proteins, this study examined the effects of autophagy-inhibiting chemicals on sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoproteins in rCHO cells. Three chemical autophagy inhibitors known to inhibit different stages were separately treated with two rCHO cell lines that produce the same Fc-fusion glycoprotein derived from DUKX-B11 and DG44. All autophagy inhibitors significantly decreased the sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoprotein in both cell lines. The decrease in sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoprotein is unlikely to be attributed to the release of intracellular enzymes, given the high cell viability and low activity of extracellular sialidases. Interestingly, the five intracellular nucleotide sugars remained abundant in cells treated with autophagy inhibitors. In the mRNA expression profiles of 27 N-glycosylation-related genes using the NanoString nCounter system, no significant differences in gene expression were noted. With the positive effect of supplementing nucleotide sugar precursors on sialylation, attempts were made to enhance the levels of intracellular nucleotide sugars by supplying these precursors. The addition of nucleotide sugar precursors to cultures treated with inhibitors successfully enhanced the sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoproteins compared to the control culture. This was particularly evident under mild stress conditions and not under relatively severe stress conditions, which were characterized by a high decrease in sialylation. These results suggest that inhibiting autophagy in rCHO cell culture decreases sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoprotein by constraining the availability of intracellular nucleotide sugars.Key points• The autophagy inhibition in rCHO cell culture leads to a significant reduction in the sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoprotein.• The pool of five intracellular nucleotide sugars remained highly abundant in cells treated with autophagy inhibitors.• Supplementation of nucleotide sugar precursors effectively restores decreased sialylation, particularly under mild stress conditions but not in relatively severe stress conditions.Graphical

Development of a novel tyrosine-based selection system for generation of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells

Efficiently expanding Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, which serve as the primary host cells for recombinant protein production, have gained increasing industrial significance. A significant hurdle in stable cell line development is the low efficiency of the target gene integrated into the host genome, implying the necessity for an effective screening and selection procedure to separate these stable cells. In this study, the genes of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) and pterin 4 alpha carbinolamine dehydratase 1 (PCBD1), which are key enzymes in the tyrosine synthesis pathway, were utilized as selection markers and transduced into host cells together with the target genes. This research investigated the enrichment effect of this system and advanced further in understanding its benefits for cell line development and rCHO cell culture. A novel tyrosine-based selection system that only used PCBD1 as a selection marker was designed to promote the enrichment effect. Post 9 days of starvation, positive transductants in the cell pool approached 100%. Applied the novel tyrosine-based selection system, rCHO cells expressing E2 protein were generated and named CHO TS cells. It could continue to grow, and the yield of E2 achieved 95.95mg/L in a tyrosine-free and chemically-defined (CD) medium. Herein, we introduced an alternative to antibiotic-based selections for the establishment of CHO cell lines and provided useful insights for the design and development of CD medium.

Genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screening to mitigate cell growth inhibition induced by histone deacetylase inhibitors in recombinant CHO cells.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (iHDACs) have been extensively studied as enhancers of therapeutic protein production in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)(rCHO) cell cultures. However, the addition of iHDACs reduces the viable cell concentration (VCC) in rCHO cell cultures, thereby reducing their potential to enhance therapeutic protein production. To mitigate the negative effects of iHDACs on VCC, screening using a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9)-based single-gene knockout (KO) library in rCHO cells was performed in the presence of CI994, a member of iHDACs, and 10 potential KO genes that enhanced the VCC of CI994-treated rCHO cells were identified. Among these, Bcor was validated as a promising KO target that improved VCC without negatively affecting the specific productivity in the presence of CI994. Bcor KO increased the VCC and therapeutic protein concentrations in both batch and fed-batch cultures in the presence of CI994. Taken together, these findings highlight the potential of the whole-genome CRISPR/Cas9-based single-gene KO cell library to identify KO target genes for the development of iHDAC-resistant rCHO cells for enhanced therapeutic protein production.

Small molecule epigenetic modulators for enhancing recombinant antibody production in CHO cell cultures.

Small molecule epigenetic modulators that modify epigenetic states in cells are useful tools for regulating gene expression by inducing chromatin remodeling. To identify small molecule epigenetic modulators that enhance recombinant protein expression in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, we examined eight histone deacetylase inhibitors (iHDACs) and six DNA methyltransferase inhibitors as chemical additives in recombinant CHO (rCHO) cell cultures. Among these, a benzamide-based iHDAC, CI994, was the most effective in increasing monoclonal antibody (mAb) production. Despite suppressing cell growth, the addition of CI994 to mAb-expressing GSR cell cultures at 10 μM resulted in a 2.3-fold increase in maximum mAb concentration due to a 3.0-fold increase in specific mAb productivity (qmAb ). CI994 increased mAb messenger RNA levels and histone H3 acetylation in GSR cells, and chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that CI994 significantly increased the histone H3 acetylation level at the cytomegalovirus promoter driving mAb gene expression, indicating that chromatin remodeling in the promoter region results in enhanced mAb gene transcription and qmAb . Similar beneficial effects of CI994 on mAb production were observed in mAb-expressing CS13-1.00 cells. Collectively, our findings indicate that CI994 increases mAb production in rCHO cell cultures by chromatin remodeling resulting from acetylation of histones in the mAb gene promoter.

Blockage of undesirable endocytosis of recombinant human growth/differentiation factor-5 in Chinese hamster ovary cell cultures requires heparin analogs with specific chain lengths.

Cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG)-mediated endocytosis lowers the yield of recombinant human bone morphogenetic proteins (rhBMPs), such as rhBMP-2 and rhBMP-4, from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell cultures. Exogenous recombinant human growth/differentiation factor-5 (rhGDF-5), a member of the BMP family, bound to cell surface HSPGs and was actively internalized into CHO cells. Knockdown of heparan sulfate (HS) synthesis enzymes in CHO cells revealed that the chain length and N-sulfation of HS affected the binding of rhGDF-5 to HSPGs and subsequent rhGDF-5 internalization. To increase product yield by minimizing rhGDF-5 internalization in recombinant CHO (rCHO) cell cultures, heparin, and dextran sulfate (DS) of various polysaccharide chain lengths, which are structural analogs of HS, were examined for blockage of rhGDF-5 internalization. Heparin fragments of four monosaccharides (MW of 1.2kDa) and DS (MW of 15kDa) did not inhibit rhGDF-5 internalization whereas unfractionated heparin and DS of 200kDa could significantly inhibit it. Compared to the control cultures, supplementation with unfractionated heparin or DS of 200kDa at 1g L-1 resulted in more than a 10-fold increase in the maximum rhGDF-5 concentration. Taken together, the supplementation of structural HS analogs improved rhGDF-5 production in rCHO cell cultures by inhibiting rhGDF-5 internalization.

Selective endocytosis of recombinant human BMPs through cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans in CHO cells: BMP-2 and BMP-7

Cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG)-mediated endocytosis results in poor yields of recombinant human bone morphogenetic proteins (rhBMPs) from CHO cell cultures. Upon incubation of rhBMP-2 and rhBMP-7 with CHO cells at 37 °C, both rhBMP-2 and rhBMP-7 bound to the cell surface HSPGs in CHO cells, but only rhBMP-2 was actively internalized into CHO cells. Cell surface HSPGs were found to serve as the main receptor for rhBMP-2 internalization. It was also found that the cell surface HSPG-mediated endocytosis of rhBMP-2 occurred through both the clathrin- and caveolin-dependent pathways. Blockage of rhBMP-2 internalization by the addition of structural analogs of HSPGs such as dextran sulfate (DS) and heparin dramatically increased rhBMP-2 production in recombinant CHO (rCHO) cell cultures. Compared to the control cultures, addition of DS (1.0 g/L) and heparin (0.2 g/L) resulted in a 22.0- and 19.0-fold increase in the maximum rhBMP-2 concentration, respectively. In contrast, the production of rhBMP-7, which was not internalized into the rCHO cells, did not dramatically increase upon addition of DS and heparin. Taken together, rhBMPs have a different fate in terms of HSPG-mediated internalization in CHO cells. HSPG-mediated endocytosis of each rhBMP should be understood individually to increase the rhBMP yield in rCHO cell cultures.

Forskolin Increases cAMP Levels and Enhances Recombinant Antibody Production in CHO Cell Cultures

AbstractCyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a ubiquitous second messenger essential to many biological processes. Forskolin, a labdane diterpene, is widely used to increase cAMP levels in various cell types. When 5 µm of forskolin is added to recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cell cultures producing monoclonal antibody (mAb) (GSR cell line), it decreases specific growth rate (μ), but increases culture longevity and specific mAb productivity (qmAb). The beneficial effect of forskolin on culture longevity and qmAb outweighs its detrimental effect on μ, resulting in 1.5‐fold increase in the maximum mAb concentration (MMC) without an adverse effect on mAb quality attributes such as aggregation, charge variation, and galactosylation. Forskolin induces cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase via the LKB1/AMPK pathway and inhibits apoptosis via the CREB/Bcl‐2 pathway. The beneficial effect of forskolin on mAb production is also demonstrated with another rCHO cell line (ABTAA). Addition of 5 µm forskolin to ABTAA cell cultures also results in 1.5‐fold increase in the MMC. Taken together, the results obtained demonstrate that forskolin is an efficient chemical reagent to increase mAb production in rCHO cell cultures.

Investigation into the impact of tyrosine on the product formation and quality attributes of mAbs in rCHO cell cultures.

Tyrosine (Tyr) is crucial to the maintenance of the monoclonal antibody (mAb) titers and quality attributes in fed-batch cultures of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells. However, the relation between tyrosine and these aspects is not yet fully defined. In order to further elucidate such a relation, two groups of fed-batch experiments with high tyrosine (H-T) or low tyrosine (L-T) additions producing an IgG1 monoclonal antibody against CD20 were implemented to investigate the intracellular and extracellular effects of tyrosine on the culture performance. It was found that the scarcity of tyrosine led to the distinctive reduction in both viable cell density and antibody specific production rate, hence the sharply reduced titer, possibly related to the impaired translation efficiency caused by the substrate limitation of tyrosine. In addition, alterations to the critical quality attributes were detected in the L-T group, compared to those in the H-T condition. Notable decrease in the contents of intact antibody was found under the L-T condition because of the elevated reductive level in the supernatant. Moreover, the aggregate content in the L-T condition was also reduced, probably resulting from the accumulation of extracellular cystine. In particular, the lysine variant content noticeably increased with tyrosine limitation owing to the downregulation of two carboxypeptidases, i.e., CpB and CpH. Overall, understanding the role of tyrosine in these aspects is fundamental to the increase of product titers and control of critical quality attributes in the monoclonal antibody production of rCHO cell fed-batch cultures. KEY POINTS: • Tyrosine is essential in the maintenance of product titers and the control of product qualities in high cell density cultivations in rCHO cell. • This study revealed the bottleneck of decreased qmAbupon the deficiency of tyrosine. • The impact of tyrosine on the critical product qualities and the underlying mechanisms were also thoroughly assessed.

Improving the production of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-4 in Chinese hamster ovary cell cultures by inhibition of undesirable endocytosis.

Endocytic regulation serves a critical role in modulating the extracellular level of signaling molecules, such as bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). Unfortunately, endocytosis may result in poor yields of recombinant human BMP-4 (rhBMP-4) from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell cultures. When rhBMP-4 was incubated with CHO cells, rhBMP-4 was actively internalized into cells. Cell surface bound heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) served as the major receptors for rhBMP-4 internalization. Removal of cell surface heparan sulfate (HS) by heparinases or reduction of HSPG synthesis by knockdown of xylosyltransferase2 (xylt2) in CHO cells decreased internalization of rhBMP-4. In addition, treatment with endocytosis inhibitors (chlorpromazine, genistein, and dynasore) identified a clathrin- and dynamin-dependent endocytic pathway as the major route for rhBMP-4 internalization. To enhance product yield by minimizing rhBMP-4 internalization in recombinant CHO (rCHO) cell cultures, we have tested various strategies to reduce HSPG synthesis (knockdown of xylt2 and sodium chlorate treatment) or inhibit the binding of rhBMP-4 to cell-surface-bound HSPGs (supplementation with heparin or dextran sulfate [DS]). Among these approaches, DS, which is a linear anionic sulfated polysaccharide with similarity to HS chains, was the most effective in enhancing rhBMP-4 production in rCHO cell cultures. Compared with the control cultures, DS addition to the culture medium (1.0 g/L) resulted in 1.4-fold and 2.3-fold increases in maximum rhBMP-4 concentration in batch and fed-batch cultures, respectively. Taken together, the addition of DS, an effective competitor of HSPGs, improved rhBMP-4 production in rCHO cell cultures through blockage of rhBMP-4 internalization.

Differential expression of microRNAs in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells treated with sodium butyrate using digital RNA counting

Sodium butyrate (NaBu) is an efficient supplement for increasing recombinant protein production in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell culture. To elucidate the effects of NaBu on miRNA expression profile in recombinant CHO (rCHO) cells, differentially expressed miRNAs in NaBu-treated rCHO cells were assessed by NanoString nCounter analysis. This result showed that eight mature mouse miRNAs (let-7b, let-7d, miR-15b, miR-25, miR-27a, miR-99a, miR-125a-5p, and miR-125b-5p) were differentially expressed. Furthermore, quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis of eight mature CHO miRNAs, annotated using a miRBase database, confirmed the transcriptomic findings. Among the potential corresponding target mRNAs for the selected mature miRNAs, seven cell growth-related target genes (e2f2, akt2, mtor, bcl-2, bim, p38α, and bmf) and five N-glycosylation-related target genes (neu1, b4galt3, gale, man1b1 and mgat4a) were selected by considering the effectiveness of NaBu on rCHO cell culture. The altered expression patterns of the 12 target mRNAs were inversely correlated with those of the selected mature miRNAs. Altogether, NanoString nCounter analysis may be useful for identifying differentially expressed miRNAs in rCHO cells.

Baicalein Reduces Oxidative Stress in CHO Cell Cultures and Improves Recombinant Antibody Productivity.

Oxidative stress that naturally accumulates in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as a result of mitochondrial energy metabolism and protein synthesis can disturb the ER function. Because ER have a responsibility on the protein synthesis and quality control of the secreted proteins, ER homeostasis has to be well maintained. When H2 O2 , an oxidative stress inducer, is added to recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cell cultures, it reduced cell growth, monoclonal antibody (mAb) production, and galactosylated form of mAb in a dose-dependent manner. To find an effective antioxidant for rCHO cell cultures, six antioxidants (hydroxyanisole, N-acetylcysteine, baicalein, berberine chloride, kaempferol, and apigenin) with various concentrations are examined individually as chemical additives to rCHO cell cultures producing mAb. Among these antioxidants, baicalein shows the best mAb production performance. Addition of baicalein significantly reduced the expression level of BiP and CHOP along with reduced reactive oxygen species level, suggesting oxidative stress accumulated in the cells can be relieved using baicalein. As a result, addition of baicalein in batch cultures resulted in 1.7-1.8-fold increase in the maximum mAb concentration (MMC), while maintaining the galactosylation of mAb. Likewise, addition of baicalein in fed-batch culture resulted in 1.6-fold increase in the MMC while maintaining the galactosylation of mAb. Taken together, the results obtained here demonstrate that baicalein is an effective antioxidant to increase mAb production in rCHO cells.

Arginine as an eluent overcomes the hindrance of monoclonal antibody quantification by dextran sulfate in protein A affinity chromatography

Analytical chromatography using protein A affinity columns was employed for the fast and simple quantitative analysis of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) from suspension cultures of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells. Reliable results could not be obtained from analysis of rCHO cell culture supernatants containing dextran sulfate using elution buffers such as phosphate, glycine, or MgCl2 . These problems increased as the number of analysis and the concentration of dextran sulfate in samples increased. Arginine was identified as an alternative eluent to overcome the hindrance by dextran sulfate. When the samples contain dextran sulfate up to 100 mg/L, the elution buffer containing 0.6-1.0 M arginine at pH 3.0-3.8 is useful for the effective analysis. Reproducible results in the mAb quantification could be obtained by this developed arginine elution buffer from rCHO cell culture supernatants containing dextran sulfate.

Effect of Bcl-xL overexpression on sialylation of Fc-fusion protein in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cell cultures.

The sialic acid of glycoproteins secreted by recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells can be impaired by sialidase under culture conditions which promote the extracellular accumulation of this enzyme. To investigate the effect of Bcl-xL overexpression on the sialylation of glycoproteins produced in rCHO cell culture, two rCHO cell lines producing the same Fc-fusion protein, which were derived from DUKX-B11 and DG44, respectively, were engineered to have regulated Bcl-xL overexpression using the Tet-off system. For both cell lines, Bcl-xL overexpression improved cell viability and extended culture longevity in batch cultures. As a result, a maximum Fc-fusion protein titer increased by Bcl-xL overexpression though the extent of titer enhancement differed between the two cell lines. With Bcl-xL overexpression, the sialylation of Fc-fusion protein, which was assessed by isoelectric focusing gel and sialic acid content analyses, decreased more slowly toward the end of batch cultures. This was because Bcl-xL overexpression delayed the extracellular accumulation of sialidase activity by reducing cell lysis during batch cultures. Taken together, Bcl-xL overexpression in rCHO cell culture increased Fc-fusion protein production and also reduced the impairment of sialylation of Fc-fusion protein by maintaining high viability during batch cultures.

Effect of sodium butyrate on the assembly, charge variants, and galactosylation of antibody produced in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells

Sodium butyrate (NaBu) is known to increase the specific productivity of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells. To understand the effects of NaBu on the product quality, rCHO cells producing monoclonal antibody (Mab) were cultivated at various concentrations of NaBu (0 to 4 mM). NaBu increased correctly assembled Mab. In the absence of NaBu, the proportions of intact Mab (2H2L) and heavy chain dimer (2H) were 81 and 15 %. At 1 mM NaBu, the proportion of 2H2L increased to 93 %, whereas the proportion of 2H decreased to 2 %. No further increase in the proportion of 2H2L was obtained at a higher NaBu concentration. NaBu also affected the charge heterogeneity of Mab, which may affect the efficacy of Mab. The basic charge variants of Mabs increased with an increase in the NaBu concentration. In addition, NaBu affected the galactosylation of Mab negatively. Overall, the data obtained here show that NaBu used in rCHO cell cultures for improved Mab production affects certain quality aspects of Mab, in this case, the charge heterogeneity and galactosylation.

Effect of sodium butyrate on autophagy and apoptosis in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Sodium butyrate (NaBu), which is widely used in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cell (rCHO) cultures for high-level expression of therapeutic proteins, is known to induce apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Lately, the significance of autophagy has increased in the field of CHO cell culture due to the fact that autophagy is related to the programmed cell death mechanism. To determine the effect of NaBu on autophagy as well as apoptosis of rCHO cells, rCHO cells producing erythropoietin were subjected to NaBu treatment. NaBu treatment up to 5 mM increased cleaved forms of PARP, caspase-3, and Annexin V positive population, confirming the previous results that NaBu induces apoptosis. Concurrently, NaBu treatment increased the level of accumulation of the autophagic marker, LC3-II, independently of nutrient depletion, suggesting that NaBu induces autophagy. To elucidate the potential role of autophagy induced by NaBu, a representative autophagy inducer (rapamycin) or an inhibitor (bafilomycin A1) was added to cultures together with NaBu. It was found that autophagy had the potential role of a positive cell survival mechanism under NaBu treatment. Furthermore, gradual reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential/mass and recruitment of a mitophagy protein, Parkin, to the mitochondria were observed under NaBu treatment, suggesting that this positive function of autophagy might be mediated by the autophagic removal of damaged mitochondria. Taken together, autophagy was observed in rCHO cell culture under NaBu treatments and the results obtained here support the positive effects of autophagy induced by NaBu treatments.

Bcl-xL overexpression delays the onset of autophagy and apoptosis in hyperosmotic recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cell cultures

Hyperosmolality in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cell cultures induces autophagy and apoptosis. To investigate the effect of Bcl-x(L) overexpression on autophagy and apoptosis in hyperosmotic rCHO cell cultures, an erythropoietin (EPO)-producing rCHO cell line with regulated Bcl-x(L) overexpression was subjected to hyperosmolality resulting from NaCl addition in a batch culture and nutrient supplementation in a fed-batch culture. In the batch culture, Bcl-x(L) overexpression suppressed apoptosis, as evidenced by a decreased amount of cleaved caspase-7 and PARP. Concurrently, Bcl-x(L) overexpression also delayed autophagy, as indicated by reduced LC3 conversion, from LC3-I to LC3-II. As a result, the cell viability and EPO production were improved by Bcl-x(L) overexpression. In the fed-batch culture, the simultaneous application of Bcl-x(L) overexpression and nutrient feeding increased the culture longevity and maximum EPO concentration. Taken together, Bcl-x(L) overexpression delayed autophagy and apoptosis in hyperosmotic rCHO cell cultures, resulting in increased EPO production.

Enhanced interferon‐β production by CHO cells through elevated osmolality and reduced culture temperature

For efficient production of native interferon-beta (IFN-beta) in recombinant CHO cell culture, the IFN-beta molecular aggregation that occurs during culture needs to be minimized. To do so, we investigated the effect of hyperosmolality and hypothermia on IFN-beta production and molecular aggregation in rCHO cell culture. Both hyperosmolality (470 mOsm/kg) and hypothermia (32 degrees C) increased specific native INF-beta productivity q(IFN-beta). Furthermore, they decreased the IFN-beta molecular aggregation, although severe IFN-beta molecular aggregation could not be avoided in the later phase of culture. To overcome growth suppression at hyperosmolality and hypothermia, cells were cultivated in a biphasic mode. Cells were first cultivated at 310 mOsm/kg and 37 degrees C for 2 days to rapidly obtain a reasonably high cell concentration. The temperature and osmolality were then shifted to 32 degrees C and 470 mOsm/kg, respectively, to achieve high q(IFN-beta) and reduced IFN-beta molecular aggregation. Due to the enhanced q(IFN-beta) and delayed molecular aggregation, the highest native IFN-beta concentration achieved on day 6 was 18.03 +/- 0.61 mg/L, which was 5.30-fold higher than that in a control batch culture (310 mOsm/kg and 37 degrees C). Taken together, a combination of hyperosmolality and hypothermia in a biphasic culture is a useful strategy for improved native IFN-beta production from rCHO cells.

Effect of Bcl‐xL overexpression on apoptosis and autophagy in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells under nutrient‐deprived condition

Upon nutrient deprivation during culture, recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells are subjected to two types of programmed cell death (PCD), apoptosis and autophagy. To investigate the effect of Bcl-x(L) overexpression on apoptosis and autophagy in rCHO cells, an erythropoietin (EPO)-producing rCHO cell line with regulated Bcl-x(L) overexpression (EPO-off-Bcl-x(L)) was established using the Tet-off system. The expression level of Bcl-x(L) in EPO-off-Bcl-x(L) cells was tightly regulated by doxycycline in a dose-dependent manner. Bcl-x(L) overexpression enhanced cell viability and extended culture longevity in batch culture. Upon nutrient depletion in the later stage of batch culture, Bcl-x(L) overexpression suppressed apoptosis by inhibiting the activation of caspase-3 and -7. Simultaneously, Bcl-x(L) overexpression also delayed autophagy, characterized by LC3-II accumulation. Immunoprecipitation analysis with a Flag-tagged Bcl-x(L) revealed that Bcl-x(L) interacts with Bax and Bak, essential mediators of caspase-dependent apoptosis, as well as with Beclin-1, an essential mediator of autophagy, and may inhibit their pro-cell death function. Taken together, it was found that Bcl-x(L) overexpression inhibits both apoptosis and autophagy in rCHO cell culture.

Down-regulation of lactate dehydrogenase-A by siRNAs for reduced lactic acid formation of Chinese hamster ovary cells producing thrombopoietin

Lactate, one of the major waste products in mammalian cell culture, can inhibit cell growth and affect cellular metabolism at high concentrations. To reduce lactate formation, lactate dehydrogenase-A (LDH-A), an enzyme catalyzing the conversion of glucose-derived pyruvate to lactate, was down-regulated by an expression vector of small interfering RNAs (siRNA) in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells producing human thrombopoietin (hTPO). Three clones expressing low levels of LDH-A, determined by reverse transcription-PCR and an enzyme activity test, were established in addition to a negative control cell line. LDH-A activities in the three clones were decreased by 75-89%, compared with that of the control CHO cell line, demonstrating that the effect of siRNA is more significant than that of other traditional methods such as homologous recombination (30%) and antisense mRNA (29%). The specific glucose consumption rates of the three clones were reduced to 54-87% when compared to the control cell line. Similarly, the specific lactate production rates were reduced to 45-79% of the control cell line level. In addition, reduction of LDH-A did not impair either cell proliferation or hTPO productivity. Taken together, these results show that the lactate formation rate in rCHO cell culture can be efficiently reduced through the down-regulation of LDH via siRNA.