Maximizing antibody production in a targeted integration host by optimization of subunit gene dosage and position

Historically, therapeutic protein production in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells has been accomplished by random integration (RI) of expression plasmids into the host cell genome. More recently, the development of targeted integration (TI) host cells has allowed for recombination of plasmid DNA into a predetermined genomic locus, eliminating one contributor to clone-to-clone variability. In this study, a TI host capable of simultaneously integrating two plasmids at the same genomic site was used to assess the effect of antibody heavy chain and light chain gene dosage on antibody productivity. Our results showed that increasing antibody gene copy number can increase specific productivity, but with diminishing returns as more antibody genes are added to the same TI locus. Random integration of additional antibody DNA copies in to a targeted integration cell line showed a further increase in specific productivity, suggesting that targeting additional genomic sites for gene integration may be beneficial. Additionally, the position of antibody genes in the two plasmids was observed to have a strong effect on antibody expression level. These findings shed light on vector design to maximize production of conventional antibodies or tune expression for proper assembly of complex or bispecific antibodies in a TI system.     

Identification of candidate chemosensory receptors in the antennal transcriptome of Tropidothorax elegans

Molecular Biology Reports - Chemosensory receptors in the dendritic membrane of olfactory cells are critical for the molecular recognition and discrimination of odorants. Tropidothorax elegans is a...     

营养对褐飞虱生长和繁殖信号通路的影响

【目的】昆虫感知外界营养状态,在体内营养信号通过许多信号通路进行传递,进而调控昆虫的生长和繁殖。本研究旨在为营养调控褐飞虱Nilaparvata lugens生长和繁殖的分子机制作出初步探索。【方法】在不同营养条件［100%浓度饲料(全纯人工饲料D-97, 对照)、50%浓度人工饲料和25%浓度人工饲料］下饲喂褐飞虱3龄第2天若虫至成虫,统计体重、发育历期、存活率和每卵巢成熟卵量;利用荧光定量PCR检测羽化后第2天褐飞虱成虫不同组织(卵巢、脂肪体和其他组织)中IIS, TOR以及AMPK信号通路相关基因(InR1, InR2, AKT, FoxO, TOR, S6K, 4EBP, AMPKα,AMPKβ和AMPKγ)的表达量;利用Western blot方法检测羽化后第6天褐飞虱成虫卵巢和其他组织中Akt, FoxO和AMPK蛋白磷酸化水平;同时检测羽化后第6天褐飞虱成虫不同组织中的ROS水平以及不同龄期褐飞虱体内保幼激素(juvenile hormone, JH)和蜕皮激素(20-hydroxyecdysone, 20E)滴度。【结果】与饲喂100%浓度人工饲料的对照相比,用低浓度人工饲料饲喂褐飞虱至成虫导致5龄第2天至成虫体重显著降低,从3龄第2天若虫至成虫发育历期缩短,死亡率提高,每卵巢成熟卵量显著降低。取食低浓度人工饲料后,羽化后第2天成虫IIS, TOR以及AMPK信号通路相关基因InR2, TOR, 4EBP, AMPKα在卵巢、脂肪体和其他组织中, AKT, S6K和AMPKγ在脂肪体和其他组织中,以及InR1, FoxO和AMPKβ在其他组织中表达量较对照均显著下降,但卵巢中InR1, AKT, FoxO和AMPKγ的表达量相对稳定;羽化后第6天成虫卵巢和其他组织中AKT, FoxO以及AMPK的磷酸化水平显著增加。随着人工饲料饲喂浓度的降低,羽化后第6天褐飞虱成虫不同组织中的ROS水平显著增加。不同营养条件下褐飞虱4龄第2天若虫体内JH滴度无显著差异,低营养条件下5龄第2天若虫体内JH滴度较对照显著降低,而在羽化后第2天成虫体内JH滴度则较对照显著增加;低营养条件导致褐飞虱若虫以及成虫体内20E滴度均显著增加。【结论】褐飞虱在面临营养缺失的情况下,营养信号传导通路(IIS, TOR以及APMK通路)的关键基因表达均下降,而ROS水平显著上升,通过调节AKT, FoxO以及AMPK的磷酸化水平,进而影响JH以及20E的生物合成。     

Longitudinal virological changes and underlying pathogenesis in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Guangzhou,China

Science China Life Sciences - Prolonged viral RNA shedding and recurrence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients have been...     

Protective Effects of Pidotimod Against Salmonella Infections

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - Pidotimod has been shown to exhibit immunomodulatory activities and exert protective effects against bacterial infections. This study...     

Establishment of a micropropagation supporting technology for the Fraxinus mandshurica × Fraxinus sogdiana

In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant - The interspecific hybridization can take advantage of heterosis and combine the double parental traits most extensively, and is an effective...     

Evidence for a synergistic effect of post‐translational modifications and genomic composition of eEF‐1α on the adaptation of Phytophthora infestans

Genetic variation plays a fundamental role in pathogen''s adaptation to environmental stresses. Pathogens with low genetic variation tend to survive and proliferate more poorly due to their lack of genotypic/phenotypic polymorphisms in responding to fluctuating environments. Evolutionary theory hypothesizes that the adaptive disadvantage of genes with low genomic variation can be compensated for structural diversity of proteins through post‐translation modification (PTM) but this theory is rarely tested experimentally and its implication to sustainable disease management is hardly discussed. In this study, we analyzed nucleotide characteristics of eukaryotic translation elongation factor‐1α (eEF‐lα) gene from 165 Phytophthora infestans isolates and the physical and chemical properties of its derived proteins. We found a low sequence variation of eEF‐lα protein, possibly attributable to purifying selection and a lack of intra‐genic recombination rather than reduced mutation. In the only two isoforms detected by the study, the major one accounted for >95% of the pathogen collection and displayed a significantly higher fitness than the minor one. High lysine representation enhances the opportunity of the eEF‐1α protein to be methylated and the absence of disulfide bonds is consistent with the structural prediction showing that many disordered regions are existed in the protein. Methylation, structural disordering, and possibly other PTMs ensure the ability of the protein to modify its functions during biological, cellular and biochemical processes, and compensate for its adaptive disadvantage caused by sequence conservation. Our results indicate that PTMs may function synergistically with nucleotide codes to regulate the adaptive landscape of eEF‐1α, possibly as well as other housekeeping genes, in P. infestans. Compensatory evolution between pre‐ and post‐translational phase in eEF‐1α could enable pathogens quickly adapting to disease management strategies while efficiently maintaining critical roles of the protein playing in biological, cellular, and biochemical activities. Implications of these results to sustainable plant disease management are discussed.     

肠出血性大肠杆菌O157∶H7 EspA和EspB蛋白的重组表达及其免疫效果

目的：通过DNA重组技术表达肠出血性大肠杆菌（EHEC）0157：H7的EspA和EspB蛋白,并分析它们的免疫保护性。方法：采用PCR技术从EHEC0157：H7基因组中扩增espA和espB基因,连接至pET-22b（4-）载体上,转化至宿主细胞大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）,经IPTG诱导表达,用亲和层析纯化目的蛋白,SDS-PAGE测定其相对分子质量,免疫小鼠分析其免疫保护性。结果：重组espA和espB基因片段的测序结果与GenBank中的相应基因序列完全一致,一致性均为100％;得到了纯度为95％以上的重组EspA和EspB蛋白,免疫小鼠所得到的抗体效价均为10^6。结论：重组EspA和EspB蛋白获得了可溶性表达,表达的蛋白具有良好的免疫保护性,为进一步制备疫苗奠定了基础。