1
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Shin SW, Min H, Kim J, Lee JS. A precise and sustainable doxycycline-inducible cell line development platform for reliable mammalian cell engineering with gain-of-function mutations. Metab Eng 2024; 86:12-28. [PMID: 39242074 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2024.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 09/03/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
For mammalian synthetic biology research, multiple orthogonal and tunable gene expression systems have been developed, among which the tetracycline (Tet)-inducible system is a key tool for gain-of-function mutations. Precise and long-lasting regulation of genetic circuits is necessary for the effective use of these systems in genetically engineered stable cell lines. However, current cell line development strategies, which depend on either random or site-specific integration along with antibiotic selection, are unpredictable and unsustainable, limiting their widespread use. To overcome these issues, we aimed to establish a Robust Overexpression via Site-specific integration of Effector (ROSE) system, a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9-mediated streamlined Tet-On3G-inducible master cell line (MCL) development platform. ROSE MCLs equipped with a landing pad facilitated the transcriptional regulation of various effector genes via recombinase-mediated cassette exchange. Long-term investigation revealed that the modular design of genetic payloads and integration sites significantly affected the induction capacity and stability, with ROSE MCLs exhibiting exceptional induction performance. To demonstrate the versatility of our platform, we explored its efficiency for the precise regulation of selection stringency, manufacturing of therapeutic antibodies with tunable expression levels and timing, and transcription factor engineering. Overall, this study demonstrated the effectiveness and reliability of the ROSE platform, highlighting its potential for various biological and biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Wook Shin
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Honggi Min
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwon Kim
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Seong Lee
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea; Advanced College of Bio-convergence Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Pybus LP, Heise C, Nagy T, Heeran C, Dover T, Raven J, Kori J, Burton G, Sakuyama H, Hastings B, Lyons M, Nakai S, Haigh J. A modular and multi-functional purification strategy that enables a common framework for manufacturing scale integrated and continuous biomanufacturing. Biotechnol Prog 2024; 40:e3456. [PMID: 38494903 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3456] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Biopharmaceutical manufacture is transitioning from batch to integrated and continuous biomanufacturing (ICB). The common framework for most ICB, potentially enables a global biomanufacturing ecosystem utilizing modular and multi-function manufacturing equipment. Integrating unit operation hardware and software from multiple suppliers, complex supply chains enabled by multiple customized single-use flow paths, and large volume buffer production/storage make this ICB vision difficult to achieve with commercially available manufacturing equipment. Thus, we developed SymphonX™, a downstream processing skid with advanced buffer management capabilities, a single disposable generic flow path design that provides plug-and-play flexibility across all downstream unit operations and a single interface to reduce operational risk. Designed for multi-product and multi-process cGMP facilities, SymphonX™ can perform stand-alone batch processing or ICB. This study utilized an Apollo™ X CHO-DG44 mAb-expressing cell line in a steady-state perfusion bioreactor, harvesting product continuously with a cell retention device and connected SymphonX™ purification skids. The downstream process used the same chemistry (resins, buffer composition, membrane composition) as our historical batch processing platform, with SymphonX™ in-line conditioning and buffer concentrates. We used surge vessels between unit operations, single-column chromatography (protein A, cation and anion exchange) and two-tank batch virus inactivation. After the first polishing step (cation exchange), we continuously pooled product for 6 days. These 6 day pools were processed in batch-mode from anion exchange to bulk drug substance. This manufacturing scale proof-of-concept ICB produced 0.54 kg/day of drug substance with consistent product quality attributes and demonstrated successful bioburden control for unit-operations undergoing continuous operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon P Pybus
- Process Development, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Billingham, UK
| | - Charles Heise
- Process Development, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Billingham, UK
| | - Tibor Nagy
- Process Development, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Billingham, UK
| | - Carmen Heeran
- Process Development, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Billingham, UK
| | - Terri Dover
- Process Development, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Billingham, UK
| | - John Raven
- Process Development, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Billingham, UK
| | - Junichi Kori
- Bio Science & Engineering Laboratories, FUJIFILM Corporation, Kaisei, Japan
| | - Graeme Burton
- Process Development, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Billingham, UK
| | - Hiroshi Sakuyama
- Bio Science & Engineering Laboratories, FUJIFILM Corporation, Kaisei, Japan
| | - Benjamin Hastings
- Process Development, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Billingham, UK
| | - Michelle Lyons
- Process Development, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Billingham, UK
| | - Shinichi Nakai
- Bio Science & Engineering Laboratories, FUJIFILM Corporation, Kaisei, Japan
| | - Jonathan Haigh
- Process Development, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Billingham, UK
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3
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Cui ZM, Feng YY, Gao YP, Wang HT, Lu JT, Guo JL, Xu HY, Qiu LL, Wang TY, Jia YL. Overexpression of YTHDF3 increases the specific productivity of the recombinant protein in CHO cells by promoting the translation process. Biotechnol J 2024; 19:e2400078. [PMID: 38651251 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202400078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Due to their high-quality characteristics, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells have become the most widely used and reliable host cells for the production of recombinant therapeutic proteins in the biomedical field. Previous studies have shown that the m6A reader YTHDF3, which contains the YTH domain, can affect a variety of biological processes by regulating the translation and stability of target mRNAs. This study investigates the effect of YTHDF3 on transgenic CHO cells. The results indicate that stable overexpression of YTHDF3 significantly enhances recombinant protein expression without affecting host cell growth. Transcriptome sequencing indicated that several genes, including translation initiation factor, translation extension factor, and ribosome assembly factor, were upregulated in CHO cells overexpressing YTHDF3. In addition, cycloheximide experiments confirmed that YTHDF3 enhanced transgene expression by promoting translation in CHO cells. In conclusion, the findings in this study provide a novel approach for mammalian cell engineering to increase protein productivity by regulating m6A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao-Ming Cui
- School of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Ying-Ying Feng
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Yan-Ping Gao
- School of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Hai-Tong Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Jiang-Tao Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jia-Liang Guo
- School of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Hong-Yan Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Le-le Qiu
- School of Basic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Tian-Yun Wang
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
- School of Basic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Yan-Long Jia
- School of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
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4
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Keysberg C, Hertel O, Hoffrogge R, Reich S, Hornung N, Holzmann K, Otte K. Hyperthermic shift and cell engineering increase small extracellular vesicle production in HEK293F cells. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024; 121:942-958. [PMID: 38037755 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Although small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) have promising features as an emerging therapeutic format for a broad spectrum of applications, for example, blood-brain-barrier permeability, low immunogenicity, and targeted delivery, economic manufacturability will be a crucial factor for the therapeutic applicability of sEVs. In the past, bioprocess optimization and cell line engineering improved titers of classical biologics multifold. We therefore performed a design of experiments (DoE) screening to identify beneficial bioprocess conditions for sEV production in HEK293F suspension cells. Short-term hyperthermia at 40°C elevated volumetric productivity 5.4-fold while sEVs displayed improved exosomal characteristics and cells retained >90% viability. Investigating the effects of hyperthermia via transcriptomics and proteomics analyses, an expectable, cellular heat-shock response was found together with an upregulation of many exosome biogenesis and vesicle trafficking related molecules, which could cause the productivity boost in tandem with heat shock proteins (HSPs), like HSP90 and HSC70. Because of these findings, a selection of 44 genes associated with exosome biogenesis, vesicle secretion machinery, or heat-shock response was screened for their influence on sEV production. Overexpression of six genes, CHMP1A, CHMP3, CHMP5, VPS28, CD82, and EZR, significantly increased both sEV secretion and titer, making them suitable targets for cell line engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Keysberg
- Institute for Applied Biotechnology (IAB), University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Biberach, Germany
- International Graduate School in Molecular Medicine (IGradU), Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Oliver Hertel
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- Cell Culture Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Raimund Hoffrogge
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- Cell Culture Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Sibylle Reich
- Institute for Applied Biotechnology (IAB), University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Biberach, Germany
| | - Nadine Hornung
- Institute for Applied Biotechnology (IAB), University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Biberach, Germany
| | | | - Kerstin Otte
- Institute for Applied Biotechnology (IAB), University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Biberach, Germany
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5
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Majumdar S, Desai R, Hans A, Dandekar P, Jain R. From Efficiency to Yield: Exploring Recent Advances in CHO Cell Line Development for Monoclonal Antibodies. Mol Biotechnol 2024:10.1007/s12033-024-01060-6. [PMID: 38363529 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-024-01060-6] [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: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
The increasing demand for biosimilar monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has prompted the development of stable high-producing cell lines while simultaneously decreasing the time required for screening. Existing platforms have proven inefficient, resulting in inconsistencies in yields, growth characteristics, and quality features in the final mAb products. Selecting a suitable expression host, designing an effective gene expression system, developing a streamlined cell line generation approach, optimizing culture conditions, and defining scaling-up and purification strategies are all critical steps in the production of recombinant proteins, particularly monoclonal antibodies, in mammalian cells. As a result, an active area of study is dedicated to expression and optimizing recombinant protein production. This review explores recent breakthroughs and approaches targeted at accelerating cell line development to attain efficiency and consistency in the synthesis of therapeutic proteins, specifically monoclonal antibodies. The primary goal is to bridge the gap between rising demand and consistent, high-quality mAb production, thereby benefiting the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarmishta Majumdar
- Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, 400019, India
| | - Ranjeet Desai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, 400019, India
| | - Aakarsh Hans
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, 400019, India
| | - Prajakta Dandekar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, 400019, India.
| | - Ratnesh Jain
- Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, 400019, India.
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6
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Rahman MR, Kawabe Y, Suzuki K, Chen S, Amamoto Y, Kamihira M. Inducible transgene expression in CHO cells using an artificial transcriptional activator with estrogen-binding domain. Biotechnol J 2024; 19:e2300362. [PMID: 38161242 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Biopharmaceuticals, including therapeutic antibodies, are rapidly growing products in the pharmaceutical market. Mammalian cells, such as Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, are widely used as production hosts because recombinant antibodies require complex three-dimensional structures modified with sugar chains. Recombinant protein production using mammalian cells is generally performed with cell growth. In this study, we developed a technology that controls cell growth and recombinant protein production to induce recombinant protein production with predetermined timing. Expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene and a single-chain antibody fused with the Fc-region of the human IgG1 (scFv-Fc) gene can be induced and mediated by the estrogen receptor-based artificial transcription factor Gal4-ERT2-VP16 and corresponding inducer drugs. We generated CHO cells using an artificial gene expression system. The addition of various concentrations of inducer drugs to the culture medium allowed control of proliferation and transgene expression of the engineered CHO cells. Use of 4-hydroxytamoxifen, an antagonist of estrogen, as an inducing agent yielded high gene expression at a concentration more than 10-fold lower than that of β-estradiol. When scFv-Fc was produced under inducing conditions, continuous production was possible for more than 2 weeks while maintaining high specific productivity (57 pg cell-1 day-1 ). This artificial gene expression control system that utilizes the estrogen response of estrogen receptors can be an effective method for inducible production of biopharmaceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Rashidur Rahman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Kawabe
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kozumi Suzuki
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Satoshi Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yuki Amamoto
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masamichi Kamihira
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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7
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Maltais JS, Lord-Dufour S, Morasse A, Stuible M, Loignon M, Durocher Y. Repressing expression of difficult-to-express recombinant proteins during the selection process increases productivity of CHO stable pools. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:2840-2852. [PMID: 37232536 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28435] [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: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
More than half of licensed therapeutic recombinant proteins (r-proteins) are manufactured using constitutively-expressing, stably-transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) clones. While constitutive CHO expression systems have proven their efficacy for the manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies, many next-generation therapeutics such as cytokines and bispecific antibodies as well as biological targets such as ectodomains of transmembrane receptors remain intrinsically challenging to produce. Herein, we exploited a cumate-inducible CHO platform allowing reduced expression of various classes of r-proteins during selection of stable pools. Following stable pool generation, fed-batch productions showed that pools generated without cumate (OFF-pools) were significantly more productive than pools selected in the presence of cumate (ON-pools) for 8 out of the 10 r-proteins tested, including cytokines, G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), the HVEM membrane receptor ectodomain, the multifunctional protein High Mobility Group protein B1 (HMGB1), as well as monoclonal and bispecific T-cell engager antibodies. We showed that OFF-pools contain a significantly larger proportion of cells producing high levels of r-proteins and that these cells tend to proliferate faster when expression is turned off, suggesting that r-protein overexpression imposes a metabolic burden on the cells. Cell viability was lower and pool recovery was delayed during selection of ON-pools (mimicking constitutive expression), suggesting that high producers were likely lost or overgrown by faster-growing, low-producing cells. We also observed a correlation between the expression levels of the GPCRs with Binding immunoglobulin Protein, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress marker. Taken together, these data suggest that using an inducible system to minimize r-protein expression during stable CHO pool selection reduces cellular stresses, including ER stress and metabolic burden, leading to pools with greater frequency of high-expressing cells, resulting in improved volumetric productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Sébastien Maltais
- Mammalian Cell Expression, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Simon Lord-Dufour
- Mammalian Cell Expression, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Audrey Morasse
- Mammalian Cell Expression, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Matthew Stuible
- Mammalian Cell Expression, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Martin Loignon
- Mammalian Cell Expression, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Yves Durocher
- Mammalian Cell Expression, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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8
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Lataster L, Huber HM, Böttcher C, Föller S, Takors R, Radziwill G. Cell Cycle Control by Optogenetically Regulated Cell Cycle Inhibitor Protein p21. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1194. [PMID: 37759593 PMCID: PMC10525493 DOI: 10.3390/biology12091194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
The progression through the cell cycle phases is driven by cyclin-dependent kinases and cyclins as their regulatory subunits. As nuclear protein, the cell cycle inhibitor p21/CDKN1A arrests the cell cycle at the growth phase G1 by inhibiting the activity of cyclin-dependent kinases. The G1 phase correlates with increased cell size and cellular productivity. Here, we applied an optogenetic approach to control the subcellular localization of p21 and its nuclear functions. To generate light-controllable p21, appropriate fusions with the blue light switch cryptochrome 2/CIBN and the AsLOV-based light-inducible nuclear localization signal, LINuS, were used. Both systems, p21-CRY2/CIB1 and p21-LINuS, increased the amounts of cells arrested in the G1 phase correlating with the increased cell-specific productivity of the reporter-protein-secreted alkaline phosphatase. Varying the intervals of blue LED light exposure and the light dose enable the fine-tuning of the systems. Light-controllable p21 implemented in producer cell lines could be applied to steer the uncoupling of cell proliferation and cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase optimizing the production of biotherapeutic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Levin Lataster
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, 79098 Freiburg, Germany; (L.L.)
| | - Hanna Mereth Huber
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, 79098 Freiburg, Germany; (L.L.)
| | - Christina Böttcher
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, 79098 Freiburg, Germany; (L.L.)
| | - Stefanie Föller
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany; (S.F.); (R.T.)
| | - Ralf Takors
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany; (S.F.); (R.T.)
| | - Gerald Radziwill
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, 79098 Freiburg, Germany; (L.L.)
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79098 Freiburg, Germany
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9
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Di Blasi R, Pisani M, Tedeschi F, Marbiah MM, Polizzi K, Furini S, Siciliano V, Ceroni F. Resource-aware construct design in mammalian cells. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3576. [PMID: 37328476 PMCID: PMC10275982 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39252-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Resource competition can be the cause of unintended coupling between co-expressed genetic constructs. Here we report the quantification of the resource load imposed by different mammalian genetic components and identify construct designs with increased performance and reduced resource footprint. We use these to generate improved synthetic circuits and optimise the co-expression of transfected cassettes, shedding light on how this can be useful for bioproduction and biotherapeutic applications. This work provides the scientific community with a framework to consider resource demand when designing mammalian constructs to achieve robust and optimised gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Di Blasi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, UK
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, South Kensington Campus, London, UK
| | - Mara Pisani
- Synthetic and Systems Biology lab for Biomedicine, Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia-IIT, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, Naples, Italy
- Open University affiliated centre, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Fabiana Tedeschi
- Synthetic and Systems Biology lab for Biomedicine, Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia-IIT, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, Naples, Italy
- University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Masue M Marbiah
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, UK
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, South Kensington Campus, London, UK
| | - Karen Polizzi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, UK
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, South Kensington Campus, London, UK
| | - Simone Furini
- Department of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering ″Guglielmo Marconi", University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Velia Siciliano
- Synthetic and Systems Biology lab for Biomedicine, Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia-IIT, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Ceroni
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, UK.
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, South Kensington Campus, London, UK.
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10
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Zhou Y, Han H, Zhang L, Huang H, Sun R, Zhou H, Zhou W. Acetate accumulation and regulation by process parameters control in Chinese hamster ovary cell culture. Biotechnol Prog 2023; 39:e3303. [PMID: 36168987 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells represent a group of predominantly used mammalian hosts for producing recombinant therapeutic proteins. Known for their rapid proliferation rates, CHO cells undergo aerobic glycolysis that is characterized by fast glucose consumption, that ultimately gives rise to a group of small-molecule organic acids. However, only the function of lactate has been extensively studied in CHO cell culture. In this study, we observed the accumulation of acetate from the late exponential phase to harvest day, potentially contributing to the pH decline in late culture stage regardless of lactate consumption. In addition, we evaluated the acidification of the fresh media and the cell culture suspension, and the data revealed that acetate presented a lower acidification capacity compared to lactate and exhibited limited inhibitory effect on cells with less than 20 mM supplemented in the media. This study also explored the ways to control acetate accumulation in CHO cell culture by manipulating the process parameters such as temperature, glucose, and pH control. The positive correlation between the specific glucose consumption rate and acetate generation rate provides evidence of the endogenous acetate generation from overflow metabolism. Reducing these parameters (temperature, glucose consumption) and HCl-controlled low pH ultimately suppress acetate build-up. In addition, the specific acetate generation rate and relevant glucose consumption rate are found to be a metabolic trait associated with specific cell lines. Taken together, the results presented in these experiments provide a means to advance industrial CHO cell culture process control and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yikang Zhou
- Cell Culture Process Development, WuXi Biologics Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Hang Han
- Cell Culture Process Development, WuXi Biologics Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Lijuan Zhang
- Cell Culture Process Development, WuXi Biologics Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - He Huang
- Cell Culture Process Development, WuXi Biologics Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Ruiqiang Sun
- Cell Culture Process Development, WuXi Biologics Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Hang Zhou
- Cell Culture Process Development, WuXi Biologics Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Weichang Zhou
- Biologics Development, WuXi Biologics Inc., Shanghai, China
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11
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Donaldson J, Kleinjan DJ, Rosser S. Synthetic biology approaches for dynamic CHO cell engineering. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2022; 78:102806. [PMID: 36194920 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Fed-batch culture of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells remains the most commonly used method for producing biopharmaceuticals. Static CHO cell-line engineering approaches have incrementally improved productivity, growth and product quality through permanent knockout of genes with a negative impact on production, or constitutive overexpression of genes with a positive impact. However, during fed-batch culture, conditions (such as nutrient availability) are continually changing. Therefore, traits that are most beneficial during early-phase culture (such as high growth rate) may be less desirable in late phase. Unlike with static approaches, dynamic cell line engineering strategies can optimise such traits by implementing synthetic sense-and-respond programmes. Here, we review emerging synthetic biology tools that can be used to build dynamic, self-regulating CHO cells, capable of detecting intra-/extracellular cues and generating user-defined responses tailored to the stage-specific needs of the production process.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Donaldson
- UK Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology at the Institute of Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry, and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Dirk-Jan Kleinjan
- UK Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology at the Institute of Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry, and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Susan Rosser
- UK Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology at the Institute of Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry, and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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Novel CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of LIG4 increases efficiency of site-specific integration in Chinese hamster ovary cell line. Biotechnol Lett 2022; 44:1063-1072. [PMID: 35918621 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-022-03282-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
AIM To investigate the impact of deficiency of LIG4 gene on site-specific integration in CHO cells. RESULTS CHO cells are considered the most valuable mammalian cells in the manufacture of biological medicines, and genetic engineering of CHO cells can improve product yield and stability. The traditional method of inserting foreign genes by random integration (RI) requires multiple rounds of screening and selection, which may lead to location effects and gene silencing, making it difficult to obtain stable, high-yielding cell lines. Although site-specific integration (SSI) techniques may overcome the challenges with RI, its feasibility is limited by the very low efficiency of the technique. Recently, SSI efficiency has been enhanced in other mammalian cell types by inhibiting DNA ligase IV (Lig4) activity, which is indispensable in DNA double-strand break repair by NHEJ. However, this approach has not been evaluated in CHO cells. In this study, the LIG4 gene was knocked out of CHO cells using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. Efficiency of gene targeting in LIG4-/--CHO cell lines was estimated by a green fluorescence protein promoterless reporter system. Notably, the RI efficiency, most likely mediated by NHEJ in CHO, was inhibited by LIG4 knockout, whereas SSI efficiency strongly increased 9.2-fold under the precise control of the promoter in the ROSA26 site in LIG4-/--CHO cells. Moreover, deletion of LIG4 had no obvious side effects on CHO cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS Deficiency of LIG4 represents a feasible strategy to improve SSI efficiency and suggests it can be applied to develop and engineer CHO cell lines in the future.
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Zhang JH, Shan LL, Liang F, Du CY, Li JJ. Strategies and Considerations for Improving Recombinant Antibody Production and Quality in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:856049. [PMID: 35316944 PMCID: PMC8934426 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.856049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombinant antibodies are rapidly developing therapeutic agents; approximately 40 novel antibody molecules enter clinical trials each year, most of which are produced from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. However, one of the major bottlenecks restricting the development of antibody drugs is how to perform high-level expression and production of recombinant antibodies. The high-efficiency expression and quality of recombinant antibodies in CHO cells is determined by multiple factors. This review provides a comprehensive overview of several state-of-the-art approaches, such as optimization of gene sequence of antibody, construction and optimization of high-efficiency expression vector, using antibody expression system, transformation of host cell lines, and glycosylation modification. Finally, the authors discuss the potential of large-scale production of recombinant antibodies and development of culture processes for biopharmaceutical manufacturing in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-He Zhang
- Institutes of Health Central Plains, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
- *Correspondence: Jun-He Zhang,
| | - Lin-Lin Shan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Fan Liang
- Institutes of Health Central Plains, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Chen-Yang Du
- Institutes of Health Central Plains, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Jing-Jing Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
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