Process intensification for high yield production of influenza H1N1 Gag virus-like particles using an inducible HEK-293 stable cell line.

Influenza virus dominant antigens presentation using virus like particle (VLP) approach is attractive for the development of new generation of influenza vaccines. Mammalian cell platform offers many advantages for VLP production. However, limited attention has been paid to the processing of mammalian cell produced VLPs. Better understanding of the production system could contribute to increasing the yields and making large-scale VLP vaccine manufacturing feasible. In a previous study, we have generated a human embryonic kidney HEK-293 inducible cell line expressing Hemagglutinin (HA) and Neuraminidase (NA), which was used to produce VLPs upon transient transfection with a plasmid containing HIV-1 Gag. In this work, to streamline the production process, we have developed a new HEK-293 inducible cell line adapted to suspension growth expressing the three proteins HA, NA (H1N1 A/PR/8/1934) and the Gag fused to GFP for monitoring the VLP production. The process was optimized to reach higher volumetric yield of VLPs by increasing the cell density at the time of induction without sacrificing the cell specific productivity. A 5-fold improvement was achieved by doing media evaluation at small scale. Furthermore, a 3-L perfusion bioreactor mirrored the performance of small-scale shake flask cultures with sequential medium replacement. The cell density was increased to 14×106 cells/ml at the time of induction which augmented by 60-fold the volumetric yield to 1.54×1010 Gag-GFP fluorescent events/ml, as measured by flow cytometry. The 9.5-L harvest from the perfusion bioreactor was concentrated by tangential flow filtration at low shear rate. The electron micrographs revealed the presence of VLPs of 100-150nm with the characteristic dense core of HIV-1 particles. The developed process shows the feasibility of producing high quantity of influenza VLPs from an inducible mammalian stable cell line aiming at large scale vaccine manufacturing.

Establishment and validation of new complementing cells for production of E1-deleted adenovirus vectors in serum-free suspension culture.

E1-deleted adenovirus vectors (AdV) are important gene transfer vehicles for gene therapy and vaccination. Amplification of AdV must take place in cells that express the adenovirus E1A and E1B genes. Sequence homology between AdV and the E1 genes integrated within the complementing cells should be minimal to reduce the odds of generating replication-competent adenovirus (RCA). The present study describes the establishment of AdV complementing cells constructed by stable transfection of the minimal E1A and E1B genes into human lung carcinoma (A549). Because some transgene products can be cytotoxic, the cells were engineered to stably express the repressor of the cumate-switch (CymR) to silence transgene transcription during vector growth. For regulatory compliance and to facilitate the scale-up, the resulting complementing cells (SF-BMAdR) were adapted to serum-free suspension culture. The best clone of SF-BMAdR produced AdV carrying an innocuous transgene to the same level as 293 cells, but titers were better for AdV carrying transgene for a cytotoxic product. Elevated titers were maintained for at least two months in suspension culture in the absence of selective agent and the cells did not produce RCA. Because of their advantageous properties, SF-BMAdR cells should become an important tool for developing large-scale production processes of AdV for research and clinical applications.

Novel, versatile, and tightly regulated expression system for Escherichia coli strains.

A novel tightly regulated gene expression system was developed for Escherichia coli by applying the regulatory elements of the Pseudomonas putida F1 cym and cmt operons to control target gene expression at the transcriptional level by using p-isopropylbenzoate (cumate) as an inducer. This novel expression system, referred to as the cumate gene switch, includes a specific expression vector, pNEW, that contains a partial T5 phage promoter combined with the Pseudomonas-based synthetic operator and the cymR repressor protein-encoding gene designed to express constitutively in the host strain. The induction of transcription relies on the addition of the exogenous inducer (cumate), which is nontoxic to the culture, water soluble, and inexpensive. The characteristics and potential of the expression system were determined. Using flow cytometry and fed-batch fermentations, we have shown that, with the newly developed cumate-regulated system, (i) higher recombinant product yields can be obtained than with the pET (isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside [IPTG])-induced expression system, (ii) expression is tightly regulated, (iii) addition of cumate quickly results in a fully induced and homogenous protein-expressing population in contrast to the bimodal expression profile of an IPTG-induced population, (iv) expression can be modulated by varying the cumate concentration, and (v) the cumate-induced population remains induced and fully expressing even at 8 h following induction, resulting in high yields of the target protein Furthermore, the cumate gene switch described in this article is applicable to a wide range of E. coli strains.

Differential sensitivity of A549 non-small lung carcinoma cell responses to epidermal growth factor receptor pathway inhibitors.

It has been demonstrated that A549 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells are sensitive to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors in in vivo xenograft animal models, but are relatively resistant in conventional in vitro monolayer growth assays. Here, we utilized anchorage-independent cell growth/survival assays as well as motility assays and demonstrated that these tests detect the effects of two EGFR inhibitors, the small molecule inhibitor AG1478 and the ligand-blocking antibody 225 mAb, on A549 cells more sensitively than monolayer growth assays. AG1478 was more effective than 225 mAb at inhibiting EGF-stimulated anchorage-independent cell growth, in part due to its pronounced ability to inhibit cell survival, whereas 225 mAb and AG1478 were both able to inhibit cell motility. In order to determine which EGFR signalling pathway components were most strongly associated with these cell responses, we analyzed in parallel the phosphorylation levels of EGFR itself as well as several downstream pathway elements. We found that the limited ability of 225 mAb to inhibit MAPK, PI3K and STAT3 phosphorylation correlated with its inability to promote anchorage independent apoptosis, but did not correlate with its ability to inhibit motility. Based on our results in A549 cells, we propose that EGF stimulates tumour progression of NSCLC largely through effects on anchorage-independent growth and survival, as well as motility.

A ligand-pseudoreceptor system based on de novo designed peptides for the generation of adenoviral vectors with altered tropism.

BACKGROUND: Delivery of transgenes into specific tissues by adenovirus vectors (AdVs) relies on ablations of their natural tropism and on introduction of a new tropism. If the interaction with its natural receptor is ablated, a new packaging cell line is required to produce the AdV. In the present study, we have used two de novo designed peptides (E-Coil and K-Coil) that interact with each other with high affinity to establish a new receptor-ligand system for the propagation of retargeted AdVs. METHODS: We produced a cell line (293E) expressing on its surface a pseudoreceptor containing the E-Coil. An AdV (AdFK4m/GFP) lacking the interaction with the primary receptor for adenovirus (CAR) and containing the K-Coil inserted at the fiber C-terminus was constructed and tested using two strategies: (1) an RGD motif (Arg-Gly-Asp) was inserted into the HI-loop of the fiber; (2) AdFK4m/GFP was conjugated to a bispecific adaptor for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). RESULTS: AdFK4m/GFP infected 293E cells more efficiently than cells lacking the pseudoreceptor. The transduction was due to the K-Coil/E-Coil specific interaction since it was competed by addition of soluble K-Coil, but not soluble fiber. We demonstrated that the modified AdV was retargeted toward alpha v integrin by inclusion of the RGD motif, or toward EGFR using the bispecific adaptor. CONCLUSIONS: We have established a new system to produce AdVs ablated of natural tropism. This system should permit the retargeting of AdVs by inserting new ligands within the fiber or through the interaction with bispecific adaptors.

The cumate gene-switch: a system for regulated expression in mammalian cells.

BACKGROUND: A number of expression systems have been developed where transgene expression can be regulated. They all have specific characteristics making them more suitable for certain applications than for others. Since some applications require the regulation of several genes, there is a need for a variety of independent yet compatible systems. RESULTS: We have used the regulatory mechanisms of bacterial operons (cmt and cym) to regulate gene expression in mammalian cells using three different strategies. In the repressor configuration, regulation is mediated by the binding of the repressor (CymR) to the operator site (CuO), placed downstream of a strong constitutive promoter. Addition of cumate, a small molecule, relieves the repression. In the transactivator configuration, a chimaeric transactivator (cTA) protein, formed by the fusion of CymR with the activation domain of VP16, is able to activate transcription when bound to multiple copies of CuO, placed upstream of the CMV minimal promoter. Cumate addition abrogates DNA binding and therefore transactivation by cTA. Finally, an adenoviral library of cTA mutants was screened to identify a reverse cumate activator (rcTA), which activates transcription in the presence rather than the absence of cumate. CONCLUSION: We report the generation of a new versatile inducible expression system.

The dynamism of PABPN1 nuclear inclusions during the cell cycle.

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is caused by expansion of a (GCN)10 to a (GCN)11-17 repeat coding for a polyalanine domain at the N-terminal part of poly(A) binding protein nuclear 1 (PABPN1). OPMD is characterized by the presence of intranuclear inclusions (INIs) in skeletal muscle fibers of patients. The formation of GFP-b13AlaPABPN1 INIs and their fate through the cell cycle were followed by time-lapse imaging. Our observations demonstrated that the GFP-b13AlaPABPN1 INIs are dynamic structures that can disassemble during mitosis. However, their presence in cells occasionally led to apoptosis. The length of the polyalanine tail or the overexpression of PABPN1 did not significantly affect the percentage of soluble PABPN1 in vitro. Moreover, overexpression of either the wild type (wt) or mutant (mut) forms of PABPN1 slowed down the cell proliferation. The slowing down of proliferation together with the occasional occurrence of apoptosis could contribute in vivo to the late onset of this disease.

Analysis of baculovirus aggregates using flow cytometry.

Aggregation of viral particles represents a significant problem for baculoviral stock processing and storage. Aggregation may also affect the results of viral particle counting. A method using flow cytometry was previously developed in our lab to measure the concentration of baculovirus particles produced in insect cell cultures. In the present study, the use of the flow cytometry method was extended to the detection of baculovirus aggregates. Flow cytometry analysis of freshly prepared baculovirus stocks, stained with SYBR Green, generally exhibited a single unimodal distribution; while, baculovirus stocks stored at 4 degrees C for a few months exhibited a bimodal distribution of the fluorescent intensity signal. The bimodal distribution was associated with a decrease in the size of the original viral population and an emergence of a new viral population with a high fluorescence intensity. Treatment of these samples with an endonuclease (Benzonase) confirmed that the new population observed in the flow cytometry analysis is not free cellular DNA. Filtration through 0.22 and 0.45 microm membranes of the stored samples prior to flow cytometry analysis confirmed that the high fluorescence intensity population involved particles larger than a single baculovirus. Exposing freshly amplified baculovirus stocks with a unimodal distribution to a pH of 5.3, a condition known to induce aggregation, showed the emergence of a second population with a bimodal distribution. These results suggest that flow cytometry analysis could be used to detect baculovirus aggregates. The aggregates were associated with high fluorescence intensity populations and the mean green fluorescence intensity of these populations could be used as an indicator of the mean aggregate size.

Dysregulated inflammatory response to Candida albicans in a C5-deficient mouse strain.

Experimental infection of inbred mouse strains with Candida albicans provides a good model system to identify host genetic determinants that regulate onset of, response to, and ultimate outcome of disseminated candidiasis. The A/J mouse strain is exquisitely sensitive to infection with C. albicans, while the C57BL/6J strain is relatively resistant, as measured by survival following intravenous injection of Candida blastospores. This differential susceptibility is caused by an A/J-specific loss-of-function mutation in the C5 component of the complement pathway. C5 plays several critical roles in host response to infection, including target lysis and phagocyte recruitment. Therefore, to determine which of its functions were required for host resistance to candidiasis, a detailed comparative analysis of pathophysiology and host response to acute C. albicans infection was conducted in A/J and C57BL/6J mice. C5-sufficient C57BL/6J mice were found to succumb late in infection due to severe kidney pathology, typified by fungal replication and robust neutrophil-based inflammatory response associated with extensive tissue damage. In contrast, A/J mice were moribund within 24 h postinfection but displayed little if any kidney damage despite an inability to mobilize granulocytes and a high fungal load in the kidney. Rather, C5 deficiency in A/J mice was associated with higher levels of circulating cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), MCP-5, and eotaxin in response to C. albicans. Transfer of the C5-defective allele from A/J onto a C57BL/6J genetic background in recombinant congenic strain BcA17 recapitulated the phenotypic aspects of the susceptibility of A/J mice to C. albicans, confirming the causative role of C5 deficiency in the dysregulated cytokine response.

Gene expression in HL60 granulocytoids and human polymorphonuclear leukocytes exposed to Candida albicans.

Candida albicans is an opportunistic human pathogen causing both superficial and disseminated diseases. It is a dimorphic fungus, switching between yeast and hyphal forms, depending on cues from its microenvironment. Hyphae play an important role in the pathogenesis of candidiasis. The host's response to Candida infection is multifaceted and includes the participation of granulocytes as key effector cells. The aim of this investigation was to study host gene expression during granulocyte-Candida interaction. Effector cells were generated by the granulocytic differentiation of HL60 cells. The resulting cell population was shown to be morphologically and functionally equivalent to granulocytes and is therefore referred to as HL60 granulocytoids for the purposes of this study. Gene expression profiles were determined 1 h after hosts were infected with C. albicans. Three Candida-granulocytoid ratios were chosen to reflect different degrees of HL60 granulocytoid inhibition of C. albicans. The data demonstrate that at the high pathogen-host ratio, C. albicans modulated the HL60 granulocytoid's response by downregulating the expression of known antimicrobial genes. In addition, looking at the expression of a large number of genes, not all of which have necessarily been implicated in candidastatic or candidacidal mechanisms, it has been possible to describe the physiological response of the HL60 granulocytoid to an infectious challenge with C. albicans. Finally, some of the observed changes in HL60 granulocytoid gene expression were investigated in freshly isolated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes infected with C. albicans. Similar changes were seen in these primary human cells, lending support to the validity of this model.

A noninvasive cell-based assay for monitoring proteolytic activity within a specific subcellular compartment.

A noninvasive cell-based assay has been developed to monitor the proteolytic activity of cathepsin L within a specific subcellular compartment, the lysosome. The green fluorescent protein (GFP) of Aequorea victoria was selected as a substrate. Targeting to lysosomes was achieved by fusing GFP to preprocathepsin L, which also ensures colocalization of the enzyme and the substrate. Stably transfected HeLa-rtTA (reverse tetracycline-controlled transactivator) cells were induced with doxycycline and cultured in the presence of various concentrations of cysteine protease inhibitors for 48 h. In the absence of inhibitor, proteolytic degradation of GFP leads to loss of fluorescence, which is due almost exclusively to the action of recombinant cathepsin L. However, a dose-dependent increase of GFP fluorescence is observed for cells treated with the potent cathepsin L inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-LeuLeuTyr-CHN(2). Fluorescence is also observed when GFP is fused to an inactive preprocathepsin L (C25A mutant). Targeting of GFP to an acidic cellular compartment can destabilize the protein and render it susceptible to proteolytic degradation. The approach should be generally applicable for proteases localized in acidic environments. Such an assay can be of great value in validating the participation of a specific enzyme in a given process or in testing the ability of putative inhibitors to reach their intracellular target.