Inhibition of growth of proline-requiring Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-k1) resulting from antagonism by a system amino acids

A framework for the systematic design of fed-batch strategies in mammalian cell culture

A methodology to calculate the required amount of amino acids (a.a.) and glucose in feeds for animal cell culture from monitoring their levels in batch experiments is presented herein. Experiments with the designed feeds on an antibody-producing Chinese hamster ovary cell line resulted in a 3-fold increase in titer compared to batch culture. Adding 40% more nutrients to the same feed further increases the yield to 3.5 higher than in batch culture. Our results show that above a certain threshold there is no linear correlation between nutrient addition and the integral of viable cell concentration. In addition, although high ammonia levels hinder cell growth, they do not appear to affect specific antibody productivity, while we hypothesize that high extracellular lactate concentration is the cause for the metabolic shift towards lactate consumption for the cell line used. Overall, the performance of the designed feeds is comparable to that of a commercial feed that was tested in parallel. Expanding this approach to more nutrients, as well as changing the ratio of certain amino acids as informed by flux balance analysis, could achieve even higher yields.

Reduction of disulfide bridges in the lumenal domain of ATF6 in response to glucose starvation

Mammalian transcription factor ATF6 is constitutively synthesized as a type II transmembrane protein embedded in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Upon ER stress ATF6 is transported to the Golgi apparatus where it is cleaved to release its cytoplasmic domain. This is then translocated into the nucleus where it activates transcription of ER-localized molecular chaperones and folding enzymes to maintain the homeostasis of the ER. We recently found that, owing to the presence of intra- and intermolecular disulfide bridges, ATF6 occurs in unstressed ER in monomer, dimer and oligomer forms. Disulfide-bonded ATF6 is reduced on treatment of cells with various chemical ER stress inducers, and only the reduced monomer ATF6 reaches the Golgi apparatus. In this study, we evoked ER stress under more physiological conditions, namely, glucose starvation, and analyzed its consequence for ATF6 activation. Glucose starvation activated ATF6 and induced the ER chaperone BiP, albeit weakly. ATF6 was thus dissociated from BiP, transported to the Golgi apparatus, and cleaved. Glucose starvation enhanced the synthesis of ATF6 approximately two-fold, probably via transcriptional induction. Importantly, reduction of disulfide bridges and transport of reduced monomer occurred in response to glucose starvation. We conclude that ER stress-induced reduction of ATF6 represents a general feature of the ATF6 activation process.

A candidate mouse model for Hartnup disorder deficient in neutral amino acid transport

The mutant mouse strain HPH2 (hyperphenylalaninemia) was isolated after N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis on the basis of delayed plasma clearance of an injected load of phenylalanine. Animals homozygous for the recessive hph2 mutation excrete elevated concentrations of many of the neutral amino acids in the urine, while plasma concentrations of these amino acids are normal. In contrast, mutant homozygotes excrete normal levels of glucose and phosphorus. These data suggest an amino acid transport defect in the mutant, confirmed in a small reduction in normalized values of 14C-labeled glutamine uptake by kidney cortex brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV). The hyperaminoaciduria pattern is very similar to that of Hartnup Disorder cases also show niacin deficiency symptoms, of Hartnup Disorder cases also show niacin deficiency symptoms, which are thought to be multifactorially determined. Similarly, the HPH2 mouse exhibits a niacin-reversible syndrome that is modified by diet and by genetic background. Thus, HPH2 provides a candidate mouse model for the study of Hartnup Disorder, an amino acid transport deficiency and a multifactorial disease in the human.

Enhancement in amount of P1 (hsp60) in mutants of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells exhibiting increases in the A system of amino acid transport

Mutants of CHO-K1 cells with varied levels of A system activity, probably the result of increases in absolute amount of the A system transporter, have corresponding increases in levels of peptides banding at 62-66 and 29 kDa. Mutant alar4-H3.9, showing the highest increase of A system activity and of 62- to 66- and 29-kDa peptides, was selected for this study. The N terminus 16-amino acid sequence of the 62- to 66-kDa peptide(s) of this mutant showed between 80% and 100% identity with the mammalian mitochondrial 60-kDa heat shock protein P1 (hsp60). Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of the 62- to 66-kDa band showed two major, a minor, and several smaller spots (of same mass but different pI values) for both wild type (WT) and mutant, with the two major spots being of greater density in the mutant. Immunoblots with antibody to P1 identified the two major and minor peptides as P1 related. Two-dimensional gels of whole cell extracts of the WT and alar4-H3.9 confirmed these findings and indicated that the two major bands of the mutant were 2.4 times as abundant as that found for the WT. A plasma membrane fraction of the mutant, exhibiting 4.8 times more A system activity than the WT, contained 3.6 times as much P1 as the WT. Immunoblots with antibodies to P1, mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase, and to the mitochondrial F1/F0-ATPase demonstrated that the increased amount of P1 observed in the mutant was not the result of increases in amount of mitochondrial protein. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that the mutant had 2.5 times as much mRNA for P1 as the WT. The close analogy with the relationship between A system and Na+,K(+)-ATPase suggests that there is a coordinate regulation of the A system of amino acid transport, Na+,K(+)-ATPase, and P1 protein, probably as a result of mutation in a shared regulatory element. The possible role of P1 in A system function is discussed.

Application of a statistical design to the optimization of culture medium for recombinant interferon-gamma production by Chinese hamster ovary cells

The importance of serum-free medium components on the growth of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and production of recombinant human interferon(IFN)-gamma was investigated. The complexity of the medium led to the adoption of a statistical optimization approach based on a Plackett-Burman design. From this analysis a set of nutritional components was identified as important for cell growth and recombinant protein production. Glycine was identified as an important determinant of specific growth rate, whereas for cell production bovine serum albumin (BSA), phenylalanine and tyrosine were also identified as important. BSA, sodium pyruvate, glutamate, methionine, proline, histidine, hydroxyproline, tyrosine and phenylalanine were shown to be important for IFN-gamma production. Other medium components, such as insulin, arginine, aspartate and serine produced an inhibitory effect on both cell growth and IFN-gamma production. The effect of the stimulatory nutrients as a whole group was tested by increasing their concentration in the medium. A significant improvement in specific cell growth rate, cell production and IFN-gamma production (up to 45%) was achieved on both shake-flask and fermentor cultures. An increase in the medium concentration of the negative variables had only a small inhibitory effect (approximately 10%) on the same parameters. Analysis of the effects of the group of stimulatory amino acids and BSA on CHO cell growth showed that the effect of the former was independent of BSA.

Chinese hamster ovary cell growth and interferon production kinetics in stirred batch culture

Recombinant human interferon-gamma production by Chinese hamster ovary cells was restricted to the growth phase of batch cultures in serum-free medium. The specific interferon production rate was highest during the initial period of exponential growth but declined subsequently in parallel with specific growth rate. This decline in specific growth rate and interferon productivity was associated with a decline in specific metabolic activity as determined by the rate of glucose uptake and the rates of lactate and ammonia production. The ammonia and lactate concentrations that had accumulated by the end of the batch culture were not inhibitory to growth. Glucose was exhausted by the end of the growth phase but increased glucose concentrations did not improve the cell yield or interferon production kinetics. Analysis of amino acid metabolism showed that glutamine and asparagine were exhausted by the end of the growth phase, but supplementation of these amino acids did not improve either cell or product yields. When glutamine was omitted from the growth medium there was no cell proliferation but interferon production occurred, suggesting that recombinant protein production can be uncoupled from cell proliferation.

Two membrane-bound proteins associated with alanine resistance and increased A-system amino acid transport in mutants of CHO-K1

Growth of CHO-K1, a proline auxotroph, is inhibited by amino acids that prevent proline transport. From a hydroxyurea-treated, alanine-resistant, constitutive mutant, alar4, we isolated, in a stepwise fashion, mutants, resistant to higher concentrations of alanine, that have increased velocity of amino acid transport through the A system. Two such mutants, alar4-H2.1 and alar4-H3.9, isolated as resistant to 50 mM and 125 mM alanine, respectively, showed increases in Vmax of proline transport through the A system that are directly proportional to their resistance to alanine. Alar4-H3.9, as compared to alar4 and CHO-K1, has six and 29 times the Vmax of proline transport through the A system and two and five times the velocity of transport through the combined ASC and P systems, respectively, and no change in system L. No double-minute or homologous staining regions were detectable in alar4-H3.9. A-system activity of alar4-H2.1 and alar4-H3.9, when grown under nonselective conditions, was stable for 20 generations and then declined. The phenotype of alar4-H3.9 is codominant with that of alar4 and partially recessive to that of CHO-K1. Membrane vesicles prepared from alar4-H3.9 show increases mainly in A-system transport. In sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of A-system active membrane vesicles and endoplasmic reticulum, two bands of molecular weight of approximately 62-66 kd and 29 kd are present in higher concentrations in alar4-H3.9 than in CHO-K1. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that the phenotype of alar4-H3.9 is the result of gene amplification of an A-system transporter structural gene and that the two bands may represent this transporter.

Control of A-system amino acid transport by a second regulatory gene R2 in Chinese hamster ovary cells CHO-K1 and the possible connection of this gene with insulin activity

Evidence based on a study of alanine-resistant (Alar), constitutive mutants of CHO-K1 cells and the conditions that favor stimulation of the A system of amino acid activity supports the model that the A system of amino acid transport in these cells is repressible and under negative control of regulatory gene R1. In this study, we show that mutant Alar6, when grown under conditions of repression, has an A system of amino acid transport activity similar to that of the derepressed parental cell line, CHO-K1 (wild type) and of the fully constitutive mutant in gene R1, Alar4. However, the A system of Alar6 is further derepressible. The Vmax for proline transport through this system in mutant Alar6 is four times that of the parental culture, with no significant change in Km. Analysis of hybrids produced by crossing mutant Alar6 with the parental culture and with Alar4 shows that mutant Alar6 is recessive to wild type and complements mutant Alar4. Although the amino acid transport A system of CHO-K1 is stimulated by insulin, mutant alar6 is not stimulated by insulin. These results support the hypothesis that mutant alar6 results from mutation in another regulatory gene, R2, that, in conjunction with gene R1, negatively controls the expression of a structural gene for the A-system transport. Evidence also indicates that R2 gene product is not responsive to amino acids and that insulin stimulation of the A system may result from insulin inactivation of this repressor.

A defined medium for and the effect of insulin on the growth, amino acid transport, and morphology of Chinese hamster ovary cells, CHO-K1 (CCL 61) and the isolation of insulin "independent" mutants

Insulin, FeSO4, or transferrin are major requirements together with HEPES buffer and selenium for the growth of CHO-K1 (CCL 61) in a modified F12 medium (M-F12). Insulin stimulates growth at 1 ng/ml to 10 micrograms/ml. In the defined medium minus insulin, CHO-K1 grows slowly as elongated, elliptical cells in parallel arrays typical of normal diploid fibroblasts in contrast to round-to-cuboid cells in loosely overlapping arrays in the presence of serum or insulin. During prolonged incubation in the absence of insulin the cells gather up into a large spherical cluster of viable cells. Insulin "independent" mutants have been isolated whose growth rate during exponential phase in the absence of insulin (48 h to 84 or 96 hrs) is 2.7 to 3.6 times that of the parental culture. Insulin stimulates the growth of these variants only during the first 48 h and is inhibitory at 50 to 500 ng/ml during the exponential phase. Insulin induction of the A system of amino acid transport occurs in about 8 h and requires both protein and RNA synthesis.

Recessive constitutive mutant Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1) with an altered A system for amino acid transport and the mechanism of gene regulation of the A system

Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1) starved for 24 h for amino acids show a severalfold increase in velocity of proline transport through the A system (Vmax is five times that of unstarved cells). This increase is inhibited by cycloheximide, actinomycin D, N-methyl-alpha-amino isobutyric acid (MeAIB, a non-metabolizable specific A system amino acid analog), and by other amino acids that are generally transported by the A system. However, transport by the A system is not a prerequisite for this repression, and all compounds that have affinity for the A system do not necessarily act as "co-repressors." The addition of proline, MeAIB, or other amino acids, as described above, to derepressed cells results in a rapid decrease in A system activity. As shown with proline and MeAIB, this decrease in activity is in part due to a rapid trans-inhibition and a slow, irreversible inactivation of the A system. Neither process is inhibited by cycloheximide or actinomycin D. Alanine antagonizes the growth of CHO-K1 pro cells by preventing proline transport, and alanine-resistant mutants (alar) have been isolated (Moffett et al., Somatic Cell Genet. 9:189-213, 1983). alar2 and alar4 are partial and full constitutive mutants for the A system and have two and six times the Vmax for proline uptake by the A system, respectively. The A system in alar4 is also immune to the co-repressor-induced inactivation. Both alar2 and alar4 phenotypes are recessive. Alar3 shows an increase in Vmax and Km for proline transport through the A system, and this phenotype is codominant. All three mutants have a pleiotropic effect, producing increases in activity of the ASC and P systems of amino acid transport. This increase is not due to an increase in the Na+ gradient. The ASC and P phenotypes behave similarly to the A system in hybrids. A model has been proposed incorporating these results.

Recessive constitutive mutant Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1) with an altered A system for amino acid transport and the mechanism of gene regulation of the A system

Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1) starved for 24 h for amino acids show a severalfold increase in velocity of proline transport through the A system (Vmax is five times that of unstarved cells). This increase is inhibited by cycloheximide, actinomycin D, N-methyl-alpha-amino isobutyric acid (MeAIB, a non-metabolizable specific A system amino acid analog), and by other amino acids that are generally transported by the A system. However, transport by the A system is not a prerequisite for this repression, and all compounds that have affinity for the A system do not necessarily act as "co-repressors." The addition of proline, MeAIB, or other amino acids, as described above, to derepressed cells results in a rapid decrease in A system activity. As shown with proline and MeAIB, this decrease in activity is in part due to a rapid trans-inhibition and a slow, irreversible inactivation of the A system. Neither process is inhibited by cycloheximide or actinomycin D. Alanine antagonizes the growth of CHO-K1 pro cells by preventing proline transport, and alanine-resistant mutants (alar) have been isolated (Moffett et al., Somatic Cell Genet. 9:189-213, 1983). alar2 and alar4 are partial and full constitutive mutants for the A system and have two and six times the Vmax for proline uptake by the A system, respectively. The A system in alar4 is also immune to the co-repressor-induced inactivation. Both alar2 and alar4 phenotypes are recessive. Alar3 shows an increase in Vmax and Km for proline transport through the A system, and this phenotype is codominant. All three mutants have a pleiotropic effect, producing increases in activity of the ASC and P systems of amino acid transport. This increase is not due to an increase in the Na+ gradient. The ASC and P phenotypes behave similarly to the A system in hybrids. A model has been proposed incorporating these results.

Recessive 2-(methylamino)-isobutyrate (MeAIB)-resistant mutant of Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1) with increased transport through ASC system

Mutants of Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1 Pro-), resistant to the proline transport antagonist 2-(methylamino)-isobutyrate (MeAIB) were isolated by a single-step procedure. Mutation rates to Pro+ and to Pro- MeAIB resistance (MeAIBr) are 1.7 X 10(-6) and 2.4 X 10(-5), respectively. Several Pro- MeAIBr mutants were tested by measuring the uptake of 0.05 mM proline through the various amino acid transport systems: some showed increases in one transport system only; others revealed pleiotropic changes affecting two or more systems; still others had no apparent change in proline transport. One Pro- MeAIBr mutant analyzed in detail (MeAIBr22) was isolated after EMS treatment as resistant to 5 mM MeAIB, is Pro-, stable, and shows a 1.6-fold increase in the initial velocity of transport of 0.05 mM proline. There appears to be no change in the velocity of proline transport through the amino acid transport systems A, P, and L, and the "glutamine inhibitable fraction." In contrast, there is a 5.5-fold increase in the velocity of transport of 0.05 mM proline through the ASC system. Kinetic studies reveal a sixfold increase in the Vm and a slight increase in the Km of the transport of serine through the ASC system. Hybrids between MeAIBr22 and CHO-K1 Pro-, OUAr, HPRT- showed the parental phenotype. These results indicate that the mutant ASC phenotype of MeAIBr22 is recessive and is probably the result of a regulatory gene mutation.

Alanine-resistant mutants of Chinese hamster ovary cells, CHO-K1, producing increases in velocity of proline transport through the A, ASC, and P systems

We have developed a method for the isolation of transport mutants with increases in velocity of transport through the A and ASC systems and through a newly discovered P system utilizing the amino acid antagonism between A system amino acids and proline in CHO-K1 pro- cells. Mutants alar2 and alar3, isolated in a single-step procedure, resistant to 25 mM alanine in MEM-10 plus 0.05 mM proline are pro-, stable, cross resistant to alpha-(methylamino)isobutyric acid (MeAIB) and show an approximately twofold increase in the initial velocity of proline uptake. Ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) increases the frequency of pro- alar clones in the population by at least 50 times the spontaneous frequency. The increased velocity of proline transport by alar2 and alar3 can be attributable to the 1.5 to 3 times increase in velocity of transport of proline through systems A, ASC, and P. The Vmax for proline transport through the A system has increased two times for alar2 while the Km and Vmax for alar3 has increased by 1.4 and 2.3 times that of CHO-K1. There is a corresponding increase in Vmax of proline transport by alar2 through the P system. The P system is defined operationally as that portion of the Na+-dependent velocity that remains when the A, ASC, and glutamine-inhibitable fraction are eliminated. The system is concentrative. Proline appears to be the preferred substrate. Li+ cannot be substituted for Na+. The system is moderately dependent upon pH. It obeys Michaelis-Menten kinetics and is not derepressible by starvation. There is no evidence for an N system in CHO-K1.