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Elhenawy HI, Toto NA, Eltaweil AS, Hussein HK, Augustyniak M, El-Samad LM. Assessing the toxicity of green Agaricus bisporus-based Cadmium Sulfide nanoparticles on Musca domestica as a biological model. Sci Rep 2024; 14:21519. [PMID: 39277622 PMCID: PMC11401898 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-70060-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The common housefly, Musca domestica, known for transmitting over 100 infections, was studied using green-synthesized Cadmium Sulfide nanoparticles (CdS NPs) from Agaricus bisporus. These CdS NPs were tested on third-instar larvae under laboratory conditions using dipping and feeding methods with concentrations (75, 100, 125, 150, 175, and 200 µg/mL). The toxicity, measured by LC50, was found to be 138 µg/mL for dipping treatment and 123 µg/mL for feeding treatment. Analysis with an energy-dispersive X-ray microanalyzer confirmed Cd accumulation in the larval midgut, indicating penetration of CdS NPs into the organism, which may potentially increase their toxicity. CdS NPs caused disruptions in Heat Shock Protein 70, cell apoptosis, and various biochemical components. Scanning electron microscopy revealed morphological abnormalities in larvae, pupae, and adults exposed to CdS NPs. Ultrastructural examination showed significant midgut tissue abnormalities in larvae treated with 123 µg/mL of CdS NPs. Our study demonstrated that green-synthesized CdS NPs from A. bisporus can effectively control the development of M. domestica larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanan I Elhenawy
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Noura A Toto
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Damanhur University, Damanhur, Egypt
| | - Abdelazeem S Eltaweil
- Department of Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Ibra, Sultanate of Oman
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Hussein K Hussein
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Maria Augustyniak
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Bankowa 9, 40-007, Katowice, Poland
| | - Lamia M El-Samad
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
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2
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da Silva Morgado F, Cahú R, de Jesus DC, de Souza Chaves LC, Ribeiro BM. Insect cell production of chimeric virus-like particles based on human immunodeficiency virus GAG proteins and yellow fever virus envelope protein. Braz J Microbiol 2024:10.1007/s42770-024-01509-5. [PMID: 39254800 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-024-01509-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The yellow fever virus (YFV) is a single stranded RNA virus belonging to the genus Orthoflavivirus that is capable of zoonotic transmissions that infect nonhuman and human primates. It is endemic in Brazil with recurrent epidemics of the disease, and it is transmitted through mosquitoes. The detection and immunization against YFV and other flaviviruses are fundamental for the management of the impacts of the disease in human environments. In an ongoing effort to develop new approaches for diagnostics and immunizations, we expressed VLPs displaying the yellow fever virus envelope protein (YFE) using recombinant baculovirus in insect cells. By co-expressing HIV-1 Pr55Gag protein (GAG) together with YFE we were able to generate chimeric VLPs containing a GAG core together with an envelope containing the YFE protein. The YFE and the chimeric GAG-YFE VLPs have potential as vaccine candidates and as reagents for serological assays in the detection of these viruses in human sera.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roberta Cahú
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil
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3
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Achleitner L, Winter M, Aguilar PP, Lingg N, Jungbauer A, Klausberger M, Satzer P. Robust and resource-efficient production process suitable for large-scale production of baculovirus through high cell density seed train and optimized infection strategy. N Biotechnol 2024; 80:46-55. [PMID: 38302001 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2024.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this study was the development of a scalable production process for high titer (108 pfu/mL and above) recombinant baculovirus stocks with low cell line-derived impurities for the production of virus-like particles (VLP). To achieve this, we developed a high cell density (HCD) culture for low footprint cell proliferation, compared different infection strategies at multiplicity of infection (MOI) 0.05 and 0.005, different infection strategies and validated generally applicable harvest criteria of cell viability ≤ 80%. We also investigated online measurable parameters to observe the baculovirus production. The infection strategy employing a very low virus inoculum of MOI 0.005 and a 1:2 dilution with fresh medium one day after infection proved to be the most resource efficient. There, we achieved higher cell-specific titers and lower host cell protein concentrations at harvest than other tested infection strategies with the same MOI, while saving half of the virus stock for infecting the culture compared to other tested infection strategies. HCD culture by daily medium exchange was confirmed as suitable for seed train propagation, infection, and baculovirus production, equally efficient as the conventionally propagated seed train. Online measurable parameters for cell concentration and average cell diameter were found to be effective in monitoring the production process. The study concluded that a more efficient VLP production process in large scale can be achieved using this virus stock production strategy, which could also be extended to produce other proteins or extracellular vesicles with the baculovirus expression system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Achleitner
- acib - Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Muthgasse 11, 1190 Vienna, Austria; Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Martina Winter
- acib - Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Muthgasse 11, 1190 Vienna, Austria; Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Patricia Pereira Aguilar
- acib - Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Muthgasse 11, 1190 Vienna, Austria; Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nico Lingg
- acib - Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Muthgasse 11, 1190 Vienna, Austria; Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alois Jungbauer
- acib - Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Muthgasse 11, 1190 Vienna, Austria; Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Miriam Klausberger
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Satzer
- acib - Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Muthgasse 11, 1190 Vienna, Austria; Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria.
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4
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Correia R, Fernandes B, M Alves P, Roldão A. Adaptive Laboratory Evolution to Improve Recombinant Protein Production Using Insect Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2829:79-90. [PMID: 38951328 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3961-0_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) is a powerful tool for enhancing the fitness of cell lines in specific applications, including recombinant protein production. Through adaptation to nonstandard culture conditions, cells can develop specific traits that make them high producers. Despite being widely used for microorganisms and, to lesser extent, for mammalian cells, ALE has been poorly leveraged for insect cells. Here, we describe a method for adapting insect High Five and Sf9 cells to nonstandard culture conditions via an ALE approach. Aiming to demonstrate the potential of ALE to improve productivity of insect cells, two case studies are demonstrated. In the first, we adapted insect High Five cells from their standard pH (6.2) to neutral pH (7.0); this adaptation allowed to improve production of influenza virus-like particles (VLPs) by threefold, using the transient baculovirus expression vector system. In the second, we adapted insect Sf9 cells from their standard culture temperature (27 °C) to hypothermic growth (22 °C); this adaptation allowed to improve production of influenza VLPs by sixfold, using stable cell lines. These examples demonstrate the potential of ALE for enhancing productivity within distinct insect cell hosts and expression systems by manipulating different culture conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Correia
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Fernandes
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paula M Alves
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - António Roldão
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal.
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5
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Hausjell CS, Klausberger M, Ernst W, Grabherr R. Evaluation of an inducible knockout system in insect cells based on co-infection and CRISPR/Cas9. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289178. [PMID: 37498808 PMCID: PMC10374150 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to comparably high product titers and low production costs, the baculovirus/insect cell expression system is considered a versatile production platform in the biopharmaceutical industry. Its excellence in producing complex multimeric protein assemblies, including virus-like particles (VLPs), which are considered promising vaccine candidates to counter emerging viral threats, made the system even more attractive. However, the co-formation of budded baculovirus during VLP production poses a severe challenge to downstream processing. In order to reduce the amount of budded baculovirus in the expression supernatant we developed an inducible knockout system based on CRISPR/Cas9 and co-infection with two baculoviral vectors: one bringing along the Cas9 nuclease and the other one having incorporated the sequence for sgRNA expression. With our set-up high titer viruses can be generated separately, as only when both viruses infect cells simultaneously a knockout can occur. When budding essential genes gp64 and vp80 were targeted for knockout, we measured a reduction in baculovirus titer by over 90%. However, as a consequence, we also determined lower overall eYFP fluorescence intensity showing reduced recombinant protein production, indicating that further improvements in engineering as well as purification are required in order to ultimately minimize costs and timeframes for vaccine production utilizing the baculovirus/insect cell expression system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Sophie Hausjell
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Miriam Klausberger
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Ernst
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Reingard Grabherr
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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Targeted Metabolic Analysis and MFA of Insect Cells Expressing Influenza HA-VLP. Processes (Basel) 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/pr10112283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs) are versatile vaccine carriers for conferring broad protection against influenza by enabling high-level display of multiple hemagglutinin (HA) strains within the same particle construct. The insect cell-baculovirus expression vector system (IC-BEVS) is amongst the most suitable platforms for VLP expression; however, productivities vary greatly with particle complexity (i.e., valency) and the HA strain(s) to be expressed. Understanding the metabolic signatures of insect cells producing different HA-VLPs could help dissect the factors contributing to such fluctuations. In this study, the metabolic traces of insect cells during production of HA-VLPs with different valences and comprising HA strains from different groups/subtypes were assessed using targeted metabolic analysis and metabolic flux analysis. A total of 27 different HA-VLP variants were initially expressed, with titers varying from 32 to 512 HA titer/mL. Metabolic analysis of cells during the production of a subset of HA-VLPs distinct for each category (i.e., group 1 vs. 2, monovalent vs. multivalent) revealed that (i) expression of group-2 VLPs is more challenging than for group-1 ones; (ii) higher metabolic rates are not correlated with higher VLP expression; and (iii) specific metabolites (besides glucose and glutamine) are critical for central carbon metabolism during VLPs expression, e.g., asparagine, serine, glycine, and leucine. Principal component analysis of specific production/consumption rates suggests that HA group/subtype, rather than VLP valency, is the driving factor leading to differences during influenza HA-VLPs production. Nonetheless, no apparent correlation between a given metabolic footprint and expression of specific HA variant and/or VLP design could be derived. Overall, this work gives insights on the metabolic profile of insect High Five cells during the production of different HA-VLPs variants and highlights the importance of understanding the metabolic mechanisms that may play a role on this system’s productivity.
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Silvano M, Correia R, Virgolini N, Clarke C, Alves PM, Isidro IA, Roldão A. Gene Expression Analysis of Adapted Insect Cells during Influenza VLP Production Using RNA-Sequencing. Viruses 2022; 14:v14102238. [PMID: 36298794 PMCID: PMC9609815 DOI: 10.3390/v14102238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptive laboratory evolution has been used to improve production of influenza hemagglutinin (HA)-displaying virus-like particles (VLPs) in insect cells. However, little is known about the underlying biological mechanisms promoting higher HA-VLP expression in such adapted cell lines. In this article, we present a study of gene expression patterns associated with high-producer insect High Five cells adapted to neutral pH, in comparison to non-adapted cells, during expression of influenza HA-VLPs. RNA-seq shows a decrease in the amount of reads mapping to host cell genomes along infection, and an increase in those mapping to baculovirus and transgenes. A total of 1742 host cell genes were found differentially expressed between adapted and non-adapted cells throughout infection, 474 of those being either up- or down-regulated at both time points evaluated (12 and 24 h post-infection). Interestingly, while host cell genes were found up- and down-regulated in an approximately 1:1 ratio, all differentially expressed baculovirus genes were found to be down-regulated in infected adapted cells. Pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed enrichment of ribosome biosynthesis and carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid metabolism. In addition, oxidative phosphorylation and protein folding, sorting and degradation pathways were also found to be overrepresented. These findings contribute to our knowledge of biological mechanisms of insect cells during baculovirus-mediated transient expression and will assist the identification of potential engineering targets to increase recombinant protein production in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Silvano
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Correia
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Nikolaus Virgolini
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Colin Clarke
- NIBRT, National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Fosters Avenue, Blackrock, Co., A94 X099 Dublin, Ireland
- School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Paula M. Alves
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Inês A. Isidro
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - António Roldão
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
- Correspondence:
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8
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Martins SA, Santos J, Silva RDM, Rosa C, Cabo Verde S, Correia JDG, Melo R. How promising are HIV-1-based virus-like particles for medical applications. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:997875. [PMID: 36275021 PMCID: PMC9585283 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.997875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
New approaches aimed at identifying patient-specific drug targets and addressing unmet clinical needs in the framework of precision medicine are a strong motivation for researchers worldwide. As scientists learn more about proteins that drive known diseases, they are better able to design promising therapeutic approaches to target those proteins. The field of nanotechnology has been extensively explored in the past years, and nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as promising systems for target-specific delivery of drugs. Virus-like particles (VLPs) arise as auspicious NPs due to their intrinsic properties. The lack of viral genetic material and the inability to replicate, together with tropism conservation and antigenicity characteristic of the native virus prompted extensive interest in their use as vaccines or as delivery systems for therapeutic and/or imaging agents. Owing to its simplicity and non-complex structure, one of the viruses currently under study for the construction of VLPs is the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Typically, HIV-1-based VLPs are used for antibody discovery, vaccines, diagnostic reagent development and protein-based assays. This review will be centered on the use of HIV-1-based VLPs and their potential biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia A. Martins
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Joana Santos
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Rúben D. M. Silva
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Cátia Rosa
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sandra Cabo Verde
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Departamento de Engenharia e Ciências Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João D. G. Correia
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Departamento de Engenharia e Ciências Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Rita Melo
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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Hong M, Li T, Xue W, Zhang S, Cui L, Wang H, Zhang Y, Zhou L, Gu Y, Xia N, Li S. Genetic engineering of baculovirus-insect cell system to improve protein production. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:994743. [PMID: 36204465 PMCID: PMC9530357 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.994743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Baculovirus Expression Vector System (BEVS), a mature foreign protein expression platform, has been available for decades, and has been effectively used in vaccine production, gene therapy, and a host of other applications. To date, eleven BEVS-derived products have been approved for use, including four human vaccines [Cervarix against cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), Flublok and Flublok Quadrivalent against seasonal influenza, Nuvaxovid/Covovax against COVID-19], two human therapeutics [Provenge against prostate cancer and Glybera against hereditary lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD)] and five veterinary vaccines (Porcilis Pesti, BAYOVAC CSF E2, Circumvent PCV, Ingelvac CircoFLEX and Porcilis PCV). The BEVS has many advantages, including high safety, ease of operation and adaptable for serum-free culture. It also produces properly folded proteins with correct post-translational modifications, and can accommodate multi-gene- or large gene insertions. However, there remain some challenges with this system, including unstable expression and reduced levels of protein glycosylation. As the demand for biotechnology increases, there has been a concomitant effort into optimizing yield, stability and protein glycosylation through genetic engineering and the manipulation of baculovirus vector and host cells. In this review, we summarize the strategies and technological advances of BEVS in recent years and explore how this will be used to inform the further development and application of this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minqing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Tingting Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Wenhui Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Sibo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Lingyan Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Hong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Yuyun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Lizhi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Ying Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Ningshao Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
- The Research Unit of Frontier Technology of Structural Vaccinology of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Xiamen, China
| | - Shaowei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
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10
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Correia R, Fernandes B, Castro R, Nagaoka H, Takashima E, Tsuboi T, Fukushima A, Viebig NK, Depraetere H, Alves PM, Roldão A. Asexual Blood-Stage Malaria Vaccine Candidate PfRipr5: Enhanced Production in Insect Cells. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:908509. [PMID: 35845392 PMCID: PMC9280424 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.908509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The malaria asexual blood-stage antigen PfRipr and its most immunogenic fragment PfRipr5 have recently risen as promising vaccine candidates against this infectious disease. Continued development of high-yielding, scalable production platforms is essential to advance the malaria vaccine research. Insect cells have supplied the production of numerous vaccine antigens in a fast and cost-effective manner; improving this platform further could prove key to its wider use. In this study, insect (Sf9 and High Five) and human (HEK293) cell hosts as well as process-optimizing strategies (new baculovirus construct designs and a culture temperature shift to hypothermic conditions) were employed to improve the production of the malaria asexual blood-stage vaccine candidate PfRipr5. Protein expression was maximized using High Five cells at CCI of 2 × 106 cell/mL and MOI of 0.1 pfu/cell (production yield = 0.49 mg/ml), with high-purity PfRipr5 binding to a conformational anti-PfRipr monoclonal antibody known to hold GIA activity and parasite PfRipr staining capacity. Further improvements in the PfRipr5 expression were achieved by designing novel expression vector sequences and performing a culture temperature shift to hypothermic culture conditions. Addition of one alanine (A) amino acid residue adjacent to the signal peptide cleavage site and a glycine-serine linker (GGSGG) between the PfRipr5 sequence and the purification tag (His6) induced a 2.2-fold increase in the expression of secreted PfRipr5 over using the expression vector with none of these additions. Performing a culture temperature shift from the standard 27–22°C at the time of infection improved the PfRipr5 expression by up to 1.7 fold. Notably, a synergistic effect was attained when combining both strategies, enabling to increase production yield post-purification by 5.2 fold, with similar protein quality (i.e., purity and binding to anti-PfRipr monoclonal antibody). This work highlights the potential of insect cells to produce the PfRipr5 malaria vaccine candidate and the importance of optimizing the expression vector and culture conditions to boost the expression of secreted proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Correia
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Fernandes
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Rute Castro
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Hikaru Nagaoka
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Eizo Takashima
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | | | - Nicola K. Viebig
- European Vaccine Initiative, UniversitätsKlinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hilde Depraetere
- European Vaccine Initiative, UniversitätsKlinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Paula M. Alves
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - António Roldão
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
- *Correspondence: António Roldão,
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11
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Fernandes B, Correia R, Alves PM, Roldão A. Intensifying Continuous Production of Gag-HA VLPs at High Cell Density Using Stable Insect Cells Adapted to Low Culture Temperature. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:917746. [PMID: 35845394 PMCID: PMC9277389 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.917746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein production processes based on stable insect cell lines require intensification to be competitive with the insect cell-baculovirus expression vector system (IC-BEVS). High cell density (HCD) cultures operate continuously, capable of maintaining specific production rates for extended periods of time which may lead to significant improvements in production yields. However, setting up such processes is challenging (e.g., selection of cell retention device and optimization of dilution rate), often demanding the manipulation of large volumes of culture medium with associated high cost. In this study, we developed a process for continuous production of Gag virus–like particles (VLP) pseudotyped with a model membrane protein (influenza hemagglutinin, HA) at HCD using stable insect cells adapted to low culture temperature. The impact of the cell retention device (ATF vs. TFF) and cell-specific perfusion rate (CSPR) on cell growth and protein expression kinetics was evaluated. Continuous production of Gag-HA VLPs was possible using both retention devices and CSPR of 0.04 nL/cell.d; TFF induces higher cell lysis when compared to ATF at later stages of the process (kD = 0.009 vs. 0.005 h−1, for TFF and ATF, respectively). Reducing CSPR to 0.01–0.02 nL/cell.d using ATF had a negligible impact on specific production rates (rHA = 72–68 titer/109 cell.h and rp24 = 12–11 pg/106 cell.h in all CSPR) and on particle morphology (round-shaped structures displaying HA spikes on their surface) and size distribution profile (peaks at approximately 100 nm). Notably, at these CSPRs, the amount of p24 or HA formed per volume of culture medium consumed per unit of process time increases by up to 3-fold when compared to batch and perfusion operation modes. Overall, this work demonstrates the potential of manipulating CSPRs to intensify the continuous production of Gag-HA VLPs at HCD using stable insect cells to make them an attractive alternative platform to IC-BEVS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Fernandes
- IBET-Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Correia
- IBET-Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paula M. Alves
- IBET-Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - António Roldão
- IBET-Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
- *Correspondence: António Roldão,
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12
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Fernandes B, Sousa M, Castro R, Schäfer A, Hauser J, Schulze K, Amacker M, Tamborrini M, Pluschke G, Alves PM, Fleury S, Roldão A. Scalable Process for High-Yield Production of PfCyRPA Using Insect Cells for Inclusion in a Malaria Virosome-Based Vaccine Candidate. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:879078. [PMID: 35669054 PMCID: PMC9163744 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.879078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum cysteine-rich protective antigen (PfCyRPA) has been identified as a promising blood-stage candidate antigen to include in a broadly cross-reactive malaria vaccine. In the last couple of decades, substantial effort has been committed to the development of scalable cost-effective, robust, and high-yield PfCyRPA production processes. Despite insect cells being a suitable expression system due to their track record for protein production (including vaccine antigens), these are yet to be explored to produce this antigen. In this study, different insect cell lines, culture conditions (baculovirus infection strategy, supplementation schemes, culture temperature modulation), and purification strategies (affinity tags) were explored aiming to develop a scalable, high-yield, and high-quality PfCyRPA for inclusion in a virosome-based malaria vaccine candidate. Supplements with antioxidants improved PfCyRPA volumetric titers by 50% when added at the time of infection. In addition, from three different affinity tags (6x-His, 4x-His, and C-tag) evaluated, the 4x-His affinity tag was the one leading to the highest PfCyRPA purification recovery yields (61%) and production yield (26 mg/L vs. 21 mg/L and 13 mg/L for 6x-His and C-tag, respectively). Noteworthy, PfCyRPA expressed using High Five cells did not show differences in protein quality or stability when compared to its human HEK293 cell counterpart. When formulated in a lipid-based virosome nanoparticle, immunized rabbits developed functional anti-PfCyRPA antibodies that impeded the multiplication of P. falciparum in vitro. This work demonstrates the potential of using IC-BEVS as a qualified platform to produce functional recombinant PfCyRPA protein with the added benefit of being a non-human expression system with short bioprocessing times and high expression levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Fernandes
- iBET-Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA-Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Marcos Sousa
- iBET-Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA-Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Rute Castro
- iBET-Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Anja Schäfer
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Julia Hauser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kai Schulze
- Helmhotz Center for Infecion Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Mario Amacker
- Mymetics SA, Épalinges, Switzerland
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marco Tamborrini
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gerd Pluschke
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Paula M Alves
- iBET-Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA-Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - António Roldão
- iBET-Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA-Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
- *Correspondence: António Roldão,
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Ferrer-Miralles N, Saccardo P, Corchero JL, Garcia-Fruitós E. Recombinant Protein Production and Purification of Insoluble Proteins. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2406:1-31. [PMID: 35089548 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1859-2_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Proteins are synthesized in heterologous systems because of the impossibility to obtain satisfactory yields from natural sources. The efficient production of soluble and functional recombinant proteins is among the main goals in the biotechnological field. In this context, it is important to point out that under stress conditions, protein folding machinery is saturated and this promotes protein misfolding and, consequently, protein aggregation. Thus, the selection of the optimal expression organism and its growth conditions to minimize the formation of insoluble protein aggregates should be done according to the protein characteristics and downstream requirements. Escherichia coli is the most popular recombinant protein expression system despite the great development achieved so far by eukaryotic expression systems. Besides, other prokaryotic expression systems, such as lactic acid bacteria and psychrophilic bacteria, are gaining interest in this field. However, it is worth mentioning that prokaryotic expression system poses, in many cases, severe restrictions for a successful heterologous protein production. Thus, eukaryotic systems such as mammalian cells, insect cells, yeast, filamentous fungus, and microalgae are an interesting alternative for the production of these difficult-to-express proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neus Ferrer-Miralles
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Paolo Saccardo
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - José Luis Corchero
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Elena Garcia-Fruitós
- Department of Ruminant Production, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Caldes de Montbui, Spain.
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14
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Cox MMJ. Innovations in the Insect Cell Expression System for Industrial Recombinant Vaccine Antigen Production. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9121504. [PMID: 34960250 PMCID: PMC8707663 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9121504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The insect cell expression system has previously been proposed as the preferred biosecurity strategy for production of any vaccine, particularly for future influenza pandemic vaccines. The development and regulatory risk for new vaccine candidates is shortened as the platform is already in use for the manufacturing of the FDA-licensed seasonal recombinant influenza vaccine Flublok®. Large-scale production capacity is in place and could be used to produce other antigens as well. However, as demonstrated by the 2019 SARS-CoV-2 pandemic the insect cell expression system has limitations that need to be addressed to ensure that recombinant antigens will indeed play a role in combating future pandemics. The greatest challenge may be the ability to produce an adequate quantity of purified antigen in an accelerated manner. This review summarizes recent innovations in technology areas important for enhancing recombinant-protein production levels and shortening development timelines. Opportunities for increasing product concentrations through vector development, cell line engineering, or bioprocessing and for shortening timelines through standardization of manufacturing processes will be presented.
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15
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Fernandes B, Correia R, Sousa M, Carrondo MJT, Alves PM, Roldão A. Integrating high cell density cultures with adapted laboratory evolution for improved Gag-HA virus-like particles production in stable insect cell lines. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 118:2536-2547. [PMID: 33764532 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Stable insect cell lines are emerging as an alternative to the insect cell-baculovirus expression vector system (IC-BEVS) for protein expression, benefiting from being a virus-free, nonlytic system. Still, the titers achieved are considerably lower. In this study, stable insect (Sf-9 and High Five) cells producing Gag virus-like particles (VLPs) were first adapted to grow under hypothermic culture conditions (22°C instead of standard 27°C), and then pseudotyped with a model membrane protein (influenza hemagglutinin [HA]) for expression of Gag-HA VLPs. Adaptation to lower temperature led to an increase in protein titers of up to 12-fold for p24 (as proxy for Gag-VLP) and sixfold for HA, with adapted Sf-9 cells outperforming High Five cells. Resulting Gag-HA VLPs producer Sf-9 cells were cultured to high cell densities, that is, 100 × 106 cell/ml, using perfusion (ATF® 2) in 1 L stirred-tank bioreactors. Specific p24 and HA production rates were similar to those of batch culture, enabling to increase volumetric titers by 7-8-fold without compromising the assembly of Gag-HA VLPs. Importantly, the antigen (HA) quantity in VLPs generated using stable adapted cells in perfusion was ≈5-fold higher than that from IC-BEVS, with the added benefit of being a baculovirus-free system. This study demonstrates the potential of combining stable expression in insect cells adapted to hypothermic culture conditions with perfusion for improving Gag-HA VLPs production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Fernandes
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.,ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Correia
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.,ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Marcos Sousa
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.,ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - Paula M Alves
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.,ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - António Roldão
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.,ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
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16
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Puente-Massaguer E, Grau-Garcia P, Strobl F, Grabherr R, Striedner G, Lecina M, Gòdia F. Accelerating HIV-1 VLP production using stable High Five insect cell pools. Biotechnol J 2020; 16:e2000391. [PMID: 33247883 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202000391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Stable cell pools are receiving a renewed interest as a potential alternative system to clonal cell lines. The shorter development timelines and the capacity to achieve high product yields make them an interesting approach for recombinant protein production. In this study, stable High Five cell pools are assessed for the production of a simple protein, mCherry, and the more complex HIV-1 Gag-eGFP virus-like particles (VLPs). Random integration coupled to fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) in suspension conditions is applied to accelerate the stable cell pool generation process and enrich it with high producer cells. This methodology is successfully transferred to a bioreactor for VLP production, resulting in a 2-fold increase in VLP yields with respect to shake flask cultures. In these conditions, maximum viable cell concentration improves by 1.5-fold, and by-product formation is significantly reduced. Remarkably, a global increase in the uptake of amino acids in the Gag-eGFP stable cell pool is observed when compared with parental High Five cells, reflecting the additional metabolic burden associated with VLP production. These results suggest that stable High Five cell pools are a robust and powerful approach to produce VLPs and other recombinant proteins, and put the basis for future studies aiming to scale up this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Puente-Massaguer
- Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Biològica i Ambiental, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
| | - Paula Grau-Garcia
- Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Biològica i Ambiental, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
| | - Florian Strobl
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (acib GmbH), Vienna, 1010, Austria.,Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190, Austria
| | - Reingard Grabherr
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190, Austria
| | - Gerald Striedner
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190, Austria
| | - Martí Lecina
- IQS School of Engineering, Universitat Ramón Llull, Barcelona, 08017, Spain
| | - Francesc Gòdia
- Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Biològica i Ambiental, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
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Improving Influenza HA-Vlps Production in Insect High Five Cells via Adaptive Laboratory Evolution. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8040589. [PMID: 33036359 PMCID: PMC7711658 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8040589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of non-standard culture conditions has proven efficient to increase cell performance and recombinant protein production in different cell hosts. However, the establishment of high-producing cell populations through adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) has been poorly explored, in particular for insect cells. In this study, insect High Five cells were successfully adapted to grow at a neutral culture pH (7.0) through ALE for an improved production of influenza hemagglutinin (HA)-displaying virus-like particles (VLPs). A stepwise approach was used for the adaptation process, in which the culture pH gradually increased from standard 6.2 to 7.0 (ΔPh = 0.2–0.3), and cells were maintained at each pH value for 2–3 weeks until a constant growth rate and a cell viability over 95% were observed. These adapted cells enabled an increase in cell-specific HA productivity up to three-fold and volumetric HA titer of up to four-fold as compared to non-adapted cells. Of note, the adaptation process is the element driving increased specific HA productivity as a pH shift alone was inefficient at improving productivities. The production of HA-VLPs in adapted cells was successfully demonstrated at the bioreactor scale. The produced HA-VLPs show the typical size and morphology of influenza VLPs, thus confirming the null impact of the adaptation process and neutral culture pH on the quality of HA-VLPs produced. This work strengthens the potential of ALE as a bioprocess engineering strategy to improve the production of influenza HA-VLPs in insect High Five cells.
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18
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Development of a non-viral platform for rapid virus-like particle production in Sf9 cells. J Biotechnol 2020; 322:43-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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19
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PEI-Mediated Transient Transfection of High Five Cells at Bioreactor Scale for HIV-1 VLP Production. NANOMATERIALS 2020; 10:nano10081580. [PMID: 32806511 PMCID: PMC7466501 DOI: 10.3390/nano10081580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
High Five cells are an excellent host for the production of virus-like particles (VLPs) with the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS). However, the concurrent production of high titers of baculovirus hinder the purification of these nanoparticles due to similarities in their physicochemical properties. In this study, first a transient gene expression (TGE) method based on the transfection reagent polyethylenimine (PEI) is optimized for the production of HIV-1 VLPs at shake flask level. Furthermore, VLP production by TGE in High Five cells is successfully demonstrated at bioreactor scale, resulting in a higher maximum viable cell concentration (5.1 × 106 cell/mL), the same transfection efficiency and a 1.8-fold increase in Gag-eGFP VLP production compared to shake flasks. Metabolism analysis of High Five cells indicates a reduction in the consumption of the main metabolites with respect to non-transfected cell cultures, and an increase in the uptake rate of several amino acids when asparagine is depleted. Quality assessment by nanoparticle tracking analysis and flow virometry of the VLPs produced shows an average size of 100–200 nm, in agreement with immature HIV-1 viruses reported in the literature. Overall, this work demonstrates that the High Five/TGE system is a suitable approach for the production of VLP-based vaccine candidates and other recombinant proteins.
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