Adaptation of Chinese hamster ovary cells to low culture temperature: cell growth and recombinant protein production

Recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells producing erythropoietin (EPO) and rCHO cells producing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) showed a significant increase in specific productivity (q) when grown at 32 degrees C compared to 37 degrees C. However, low culture temperature suppressed cell growth, and therefore, did not increase volumetric productivity as much as q. In an attempt to increase the volumetric productivity through improvement of hypothermic growth, EPO producing rCHO (CHO-EPO) cells and FSH producing rCHO (CHO-FSH) cells were adapted at 32 degrees C in a repeated batch mode using spinner flasks. Cell growth of both CHO-EPO and CHO-FSH gradually improved during adaptation at 32 degrees C. Specific growth rates of CHO-EPO and CHO-FSH cells at 32 degrees C, through adaptation, were increased by 73% and 20%, respectively. During adaptation at 32 degrees C, mRNA levels of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP) of both rCHO cell lines did not change significantly, suggesting that CIRP expression may not be the only cause for growth suppression at low culture temperature. Unlike cell growth, the recombinant protein production of both rCHO cell lines was not increased during adaptation due to decreased specific productivities. The specific EPO productivity and specific FSH productivity were decreased by 49% and 22%, respectively. Southern blot analyses showed that the decreased specific productivities were not due to the loss of foreign gene copies. Taken together, improvement of hypothermic cell growth by adaptation does not appear to be applicable for enhanced recombinant protein production, since specific productivity decreases during adaptation to the low culture temperature.     

Effect of culture temperature on erythropoietin production and glycosylation in a perfusion culture of recombinant CHO cells

To investigate the effect of culture temperature on erythropoietin (EPO) production and glycosylation in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, we cultivated CHO cells using a perfusion bioreactor. Cells were cultivated at 37 degrees C until viable cell concentration reached 1 x 10(7) cells/mL, and then culture temperature was shifted to 25 degrees C, 28 degrees C, 30 degrees C, 32 degrees C, 37 degrees C (control), respectively. Lowering culture temperature suppressed cell growth but was beneficial to maintain high cell viability for a longer period. In a control culture at 37 degrees C, cell viability gradually decreased and fell below 80% on day 18 while it remained over 90% throughout the culture at low culture temperature. The cumulative EPO production and specific EPO productivity, q(EPO), increased at low culture temperature and were the highest at 32 degrees C and 30 degrees C, respectively. Interestingly, the cumulative EPO production at culture temperature below 32 degrees C was not as high as the cumulative EPO production at 32 degrees C although the q(EPO) at culture temperature below 32 degrees C was comparable or even higher than the q(EPO) at 32 degrees C. This implies that the beneficial effect of lowering culture temperature below 32 degrees C on q(EPO) is outweighed by its detrimental effect on the integral of viable cells. The glycosylation of EPO was evaluated by isoelectric focusing, normal phase HPLC and anion exchange chromatography analyses. The quality of EPO at 32 degrees C in regard to acidic isoforms, antennary structures and sialylated N-linked glycans was comparable to that at 37 degrees C. However, at culture temperatures below 32 degrees C, the proportions of acidic isoforms, tetra-antennary structures and tetra-sialylated N-linked glycans were further reduced, suggesting that lowering culture temperature below 32 degrees C negatively affect the quality of EPO. Thus, taken together, cell culture at 32 degrees C turned out to be the most satisfactory since it showed the highest cumulative EPO production, and moreover, EPO quality at 32 degrees C was not deteriorated as obtained at 37 degrees C.     

Effect of simultaneous application of stressful culture conditions on specific productivity and heterogeneity of erythropoietin in Chinese hamster ovary cells

A single stressful culture condition induced by hypoosmotic stress (210 mOsm kg(-1)), low culture temperature (32 degrees C), or NaBu addition (1 mM) resulted in a 1.8- to 2.2-fold enhancement of specific erythropoietin (EPO) productivity (qEPO) of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells compared to normal culture condition (37 degrees C and 310 mOsm kg(-1)). Simultaneous application of these stressful conditions further enhanced qEPO up to approximately 5-fold. However, the quality of EPO was affected by stressful culture conditions. The proportion of acidic isoforms of EPO under a single stressful condition was 2.8-13.8% lower than that under normal culture condition. Simultaneous application of the stressful conditions further decreased the portion of acidic isoforms but not significantly. Despite 5-fold enhancement of q(EPO), the portion of acidic isoforms under the simultaneous application of stressful culture conditions was 12.9-21.6% lower than that under normal culture condition. Taken together, these results suggest the potential of simultaneous application of different stressful culture conditions to the production phase of two-stage culture, where cell growth and production phases are separated, for improved EPO production.     

Down-regulation of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein does not improve hypothermic growth of Chinese hamster ovary cells producing erythropoietin

Discovery of the cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP) in mouse fibroblasts suggests that growth suppression at hypothermic conditions is due to an active response by the cell rather than due to passive thermal effects. To determine the effect of down-regulated CIRP expression on cell growth and erythropoietin (EPO) production in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells at low culture temperature, stable CHO cell clones with reduced CIRP expression level were established by transfecting (rCHO) cells with the CIRP siRNA vector with a target sequence of TCGTCCTTCCATGGCTGTA. For comparison of the degree of specific growth rate (micro) reduction at low culture temperature, three CIRP-reduced clones with different mu and three control clones transfected with null vector were cultivated at two different temperatures, 32 degrees C and 37 degrees C. Unlike mouse fibroblasts, alleviation of hypothermic growth arrest of rCHO cells by CIRP down-regulation was insignificant, as shown by statistical analysis using the t-test (P<0.18, n=3). The ratios of mu at 32 degrees C to micro at 37 degrees C of CIRP-reduced clones and control clones were 0.29+/-0.03 and 0.25+/-0.03 on an average, respectively. Furthermore, it was also found that overexpression of CIRP did not inhibit rCHO cell growth significantly at 37 degrees C. Taken together, the data obtained show that down-regulation of only CIRP in rCHO cells, unlike mouse fibroblasts, is not sufficient to recover growth arrest at low-temperature culture (32 degrees C).     

Enhancing effect of low culture temperature on specific antibody productivity of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells: clonal variation

To understand the different responses of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells to low culture temperature regarding specific productivity (q), 12 parental clones and their corresponding amplified clones producing a humanized antibody were cultivated at 32 and 37 degrees C. The specific growth rate of all clones, including both parental and amplified clones, decreased by 30-63% at 32 degrees C, compared to rates at 37 degrees C. In contrast, their specific antibody productivity (qAb) was significantly enhanced at 32 degrees C. Furthermore, the degree of qAb enhancement at 32 degrees C varied a lot from 4- to 25-fold among the parental clones. At 32 degrees C, most of the amplified clones, regardless of methotrexate (MTX) levels, also showed enhanced qAb but to a lesser extent than their parental clones. However, clone 14 amplified at 0.32 microM MTX (clone 14-0.32) and clone 20 amplified at 1 microM MTX (clone 20-1.00), unlike their parental clones, did not show enhanced qAb at 32 degrees C. Thus, it was found that the enhancing effect of low culture temperature on q of rCHO cells depends on clones. Taken together, the results obtained here emphasize the importance of clonal selection for the successful application of low culture temperature to the enhanced foreign protein production in rCHO cells.     

Differences in optimal pH and temperature for cell growth and antibody production between two Chinese hamster ovary clones derived from the same parental clone

To investigate clonal variations of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) clones in response to culture pH and temperature, serum-free suspension cultures of two antibody-producing CHO clones (clones A and B), which were isolated from the same parental clone by the limiting dilution method, were performed in a bioreactor at pH values in the range of 6.8-7.6, and two different temperatures, 33 degrees C and 37 degrees C. In regard to cell growth, clone A and clone B displayed similar responses to temperature, although their degree of response differed. In contrast, clones A and B displayed different responses to temperature in regard to antibody production. In the case of clone A, no significant increase in maximum antibody concentration was achieved by lowering the culture temperature. The maximum antibody concentration obtained at 33 degrees C (pH 7.4) and 37 degrees C (pH 7.0) were 82.0 +/- 2.6 and 73.2 +/- 4.1 microg/ml, respectively. On the other hand, in the case of clone B, an approximately 2.5-fold increase in maximum antibody concentration was achieved by lowering the culture temperature. The enhanced maximum antibody concentration of clone B at 33 degrees C (132.6 +/- 14.9 microg/ml at pH 7.2) was due to not only enhanced specific antibody productivity but also to prolonged culture longevity. At 33 degrees C, the culture longevity of clone A also improved, but not as much as that of clone B. Taken together, CHO clones derived from the same parental clone displayed quite different responses to culture temperature and pH with regards antibody production, suggesting that environmental parameters such as temperature and pH should be optimized for each CHO clone.     

Application of a cell-once-through perfusion strategy for production of recombinant antibody from rCHO cells in a Centritech Lab II centrifuge system

Based upon the results of scale-down intermittent perfusion processes, a cell-once-through (COT) perfusion concept was applied to a dual bioreactor system coupled to a Centritech Lab II centrifuge for culture of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells for monoclonal antibody production. In this new culture mode, i.e., the COT perfusion process, total spent medium was transferred to the centrifuge and a fixed percentage was removed. Approximately 99% of the viable cells are transferred to another bioreactor filled with fresh medium by single operation of the Centritech Lab II centrifuge system for about 30 min. Accordingly, a significant reduction of the cell-passage frequency to the centrifuge led to minimization of cell damage caused by mechanical shear stress, oxygen limitation, nutrient limitation, and low temperature outside the bioreactor. The effects of culture temperature shift and fortified medium on cell growth and recombinant antibody production in the COT perfusion process were investigated. Although the suppressive effects of low culture temperature on cell growth led to a loss of stability in a long-term COT perfusion culture system, the average antibody concentration at 33 degrees C was 157.8 mg/L, approximately 2.4-fold higher than that at 37 degrees C. By the use of a fortified medium at 37 degrees C, rCHO cells were maintained at high density above 1.2 x 10(7) cells/mL, and antibody was produced continuously in a range of 260-280 mg/L in a stable long-term COT perfusion culture. The proposed new culture mode, the COT perfusion approach, guarantees the recovery of rCHO cells damaged by lowered temperature or high lactate and ammonium concentration. It will be an attractive choice for minimization of cell damage and stable long-term antibody production with high cell density.     

Bcl-x(L) overexpression delays the onset of autophagy and apoptosis in hyperosmotic recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cell cultures

Hyperosmolality in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cell cultures induces autophagy and apoptosis. To investigate the effect of Bcl-x_L overexpression on autophagy and apoptosis in hyperosmotic rCHO cell cultures, an erythropoietin (EPO)-producing rCHO cell line with regulated Bcl-x_L overexpression was subjected to hyperosmolality resulting from NaCl addition in a batch culture and nutrient supplementation in a fed-batch culture. In the batch culture, Bcl-x_L overexpression suppressed apoptosis, as evidenced by a decreased amount of cleaved caspase-7 and PARP. Concurrently, Bcl-x_L overexpression also delayed autophagy, as indicated by reduced LC3 conversion, from LC3-I to LC3-II. As a result, the cell viability and EPO production were improved by Bcl-x_L overexpression. In the fed-batch culture, the simultaneous application of Bcl-x_L overexpression and nutrient feeding increased the culture longevity and maximum EPO concentration. Taken together, Bcl-x_L overexpression delayed autophagy and apoptosis in hyperosmotic rCHO cell cultures, resulting in increased EPO production.     

Development of a serum-free medium for the production of erythropoietin by suspension culture of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells using a statistical design.

In order to develop a serum-free (SF) medium for the production of erythropoietin (EPO) by suspension culture of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells, a statistical optimization approach based on a Plackett-Burman design was adopted. A basal medium was prepared by supplementing Iscove's modified Dulbecco's medium (IMDM) with Fe(NO3)3.9H2O, CuCl2 and ZnSO4.7H2O which are generally contained in SF medium formulations. Insulin, transferrin and ethanolamine were also supplemented to the basal medium to determine their optimal concentrations. From this statistical analysis, glutamate, serine, methionine, phosphatidylcholine, hydrocortisone and pluronic F68 were identified as positive determinants for cell growth. The SF medium was formulated by supplementing the basal medium with components showing positive effects on cell growth in suspension culture. An EPO titer in this optimized SF medium was 79% of that in IMDM supplemented with 5% dialyzed fetal bovine serum (dFBS). Furthermore, the in vitro and in vivo biological activities of EPO produced in the SF medium were comparable to those produced in the serum-supplemented medium. Taken together, the results obtained here show that a Plackett-Burman design facilitates the development of SF media for the production of EPO by suspension culture of rCHO cells.     

Bcl‐xL overexpression does not enhance specific erythropoietin productivity of recombinant CHO cells grown at 33°C and 37°C

Overexpression of bcl‐xL in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells has been known to suppress apoptotic cell death and thereby extend culture longevity during batch culture. However, its effect on specific productivity (q) of rCHO cells is controversial. This study attempts to investigate the effect of bcl‐xL overexpression on q of rCHO cells producing erythropoietin (EPO). To regulate the bcl‐xL expression level, the Tet‐off system was introduced in rCHO cells producing EPO (EPO‐off‐bcl‐xL). The bcl‐xL expression level was tightly controlled by doxycycline concentration. To evaluate the effect of bcl‐xL overexpression on specific EPO productivity (q_EPO) at different levels, EPO‐off‐bcl‐xL cells were cultivated at the two different culture temperatures, 33°C and 37°C. The q_EPO at 33°C and 37°C in the presence of 100 ng/mL doxycycline (without bcl‐xL overexpression) were 4.89 ± 0.21 and 3.18 ± 0.06 μg/10⁶cells/day, respectively. In the absence of doxycycline, bcl‐xL overexpression did not affect q_EPO significantly, regardless of the culture temperature, though it extended the culture longevity. Taken together, bcl‐xL overexpression showed no significant effect on the q_EPO of rCHO cells grown at 33°C and 37°C. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2009     

表达外源rhBMP2的CHO细胞株稳定性分析

骨形态发生蛋白2(BMP2)属于TGF-β超家族,是诱导成骨活性最强的BMPs之一, 具有广泛的临床应用的前景。本实验室已成功构建高效表达rhBMP2的重组CHO细胞株, 现选取其中一株表达量最高的细胞rCHO(hBMP2)-C8进行长期体外培养, 并在培养过程中比较了添加和去除压力筛选中使用的MTX对细胞生长, rhBMP2基因拷贝数及rhBMP2分泌蛋白表达的影响;检测了该细胞株在无血清培养基中可以连续表达rhBMP2的时间以及培养基中rhBMP2的温度敏感性等等。该研究为进一步采用动物细胞规模化培养技术生产rhBMP2奠定了基础。     

Enhanced human thrombopoietin production by sodium butyrate addition to serum-free suspension culture of bcl-2-overexpressing CHO cells

When sodium butyrate (NaBu) was added to serum-free suspension culture of recombinant CHO (rCHO) cells for enhanced expression of human thrombopoietin (hTPO), apoptotic cell death of rCHO cells was induced in a dose-dependent manner and hTPO quality was deteriorated in regard to sialic acid and acidic isoform contents. To overcome these problems, we overexpressed Bcl-2 protein, an antiapoptotic protein, in rCHO cells producing hTPO. Compared to serum-free suspension culture of control cells without Bcl-2 overexpression (R-neo cells) and NaBu addition, a more than 10-fold increase in the maximum hTPO concentration was obtained in serum-free suspension culture of cells with Bcl-2 overexpression (R-bc12-14 cells) and 3 mM NaBu addition. Both the enhanced specific productivity endowed by NaBu and the extended culture longevity provided by the antiapoptotic effect of Bcl-2 overexpression contributed to the enhancement of maximum hTPO concentration. The problem of quality reduction of hTPO induced by NaBu was not solved by Bcl-2 overexpression, but it was not that significant. Compared to the culture in the absence of NaBu, the percentage of hTPO isoforms in pI 3-5 with high in vivo biological activity produced by R-bc12-14 cells was decreased by approximately 18% in the presence of 3 mM. As a result, a more than 6-fold increase in the production of hTPO isoforms in pI 3-5 was achieved in R-bcl2-14 cell culture with 3 mM NaBu addition. Taken together, the data obtained suggest that Bcl-2 overexpression in rCHO cells and NaBu addition in serum-free suspension culture can be an effective means to enhance the production of highly glycosylated protein such as hTPO.     

EPO工程细胞株支原体检测

支原体污染是细胞培养过程中最常见的问题之一,对细胞支原体的检测是细胞特性鉴定的重要方面。我们采用抗支原体单抗免疫荧光法和培养法(包括液体培养法和固体培养法)检测工程细胞支原体。单抗免疫荧光法检测结果表明:支原体阳性的细胞膜表面有明亮荧光,工程细胞EPO C_2细胞膜表面无荧光。支原体液体培养法结果显示:作为阳性对照的支原体由于在生长过程中产酸使培养液变黄,而加入EPOC_2株细胞悬液的样品管与阴性对照管相同,无颜色变化。固体培养法结果显示:在显微镜下观察,支原体阳性对照在固体培养基上呈荷包蛋样集落,而阴性对照及EPO C_2株细胞样品均无菌落生长。以上结果表明:受检的EPO C_2株细胞未被支原体污染。     

Biphasic culture strategy based on hyperosmotic pressure for improved humanized antibody production in Chinese hamster ovary cell culture

Hyperosmotic pressure increased specific antibody productivity (q(Ab)) of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells (SH2-0.32) and it depressed cell growth. Thus, the use of hyperosmolar medium did not increase the maximum antibody concentration substantially. To overcome this drawback, the feasibility of biphasic culture strategy was investigated. In the biphasic culture, cells were first cultivated in the standard medium with physiological osmolality (294 mOsm/kg) for cell growth. When cells reached the late exponential growth phase, the spent standard medium was replaced with the fresh hyperosmolar medium (522 mOsm/kg) for antibody production. The q(Ab) in growth phase with the standard medium was 2.1 microg per 10(6) cells/d, whereas the q(Ab) in antibody production phase with the hyperosmolar medium was 11.1 microg per 10(6) cells/d. Northern blot analysis showed a positive relationship between the relative contents of intracellular immunoglobulin messenger ribonucleic acid and q(Ab). Because of the enhanced q(Ab) and the increased cell concentration in biphasic culture, the maximum antibody concentration obtained in biphasic culture with 522 mOsm/kg medium exchange was 161% higher than that obtained in batch culture with the standard medium. Taken together, the simple biphasic culture strategy based on hyperosmotic culture is effective in improving antibody production of rCHO cells.     

Optimization of parameters affecting on CHO cell culture producing recombinant erythropoietin

Abstract

Several factors may affect erythropoietin (EPO) sugar structures including designing cell culture procedure, pH, concentration of additives, dissolved oxygen, and other physicochemical parameters. In this study, we investigated the influence of changes in effective parameters and compounds on the growth rate of Chinese hamster ovary cell (CHO) cells producing recombinant EPO. Cell culture was performed at different temperature, buffering conditions, and varied concentrations of additives such as pyruvic acid, insulin, GlutaMAX, and sodium butyrate. Results indicated that the optimal temperature and pH were 37?°C and 7.2, respectively. Also, optimal concentrations for pyruvic acid, butyrate, glutamate, and insulin were obtained to be 20?mM, 1?mM, 2?mM, and 40?μg/mL, respectively. Then, cell culture was performed in microcarrier-coated spinner flasks under the optimized condition. The results showed recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) production with adequate purity. Optimization of physicochemical conditions and culture media are important factors to improve the quantity and quality of protein products. This study showed that cell growth and recombinant EPO protein production significantly increased under the optimized conditions. The results of this research can also be used in scale-up to increase the efficiency of EPO production.

Abbreviations: EPO: erythropoietin; CHO cell: Chinese hamster ovary cell; rhEPO: recombinant human EPO; DMEM: modified eagle’s medium; FBS: fetal bovine serum; SDS-PAGE: sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; IGF-1: insulin-like growth factor 1     

Effect of doxycycline-regulated calnexin and calreticulin expression on specific thrombopoietin productivity of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells

In an attempt to increase the specific thrombopoietin (TPO) productivity (q(TPO)) of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells (CHO-TPO), the effect of expression level of calnexin (CNX) and calreticulin (CRT) on q(TPO) was investigated. To control both CNX and CRT expression levels simultaneously, the Tet-Off system was first introduced in CHO-TPO cells, and stable Tet-Off cells (TPO-Tet-Off) were screened by luciferase assay. The doxycycline-regulated CNX and CRT expression system in rCHO cells (TPO-CNX/CRT) was established by cotransfection of CNX and CRT expression vector and pTK-Hyg vector into TPO-Tet-Off cells and subsequent screening by Western blot analysis of CNX and CRT. The expression levels of CNX and CRT in TPO-CNX/CRT cells could be tightly controlled by adding different concentrations of doxycycline to a culture medium. Compared with the basal level (2 microg/mL doxycyline), a 2.9-fold increase in CNX expression and a 2.8-fold increase in CRT expression were obtained in the absence of doxycycline. This, in turn, resulted in a 1.9-fold increase in q(TPO), not inhibiting cell growth or changing in vivo biological activity of TPO. Taken together, these results demonstrate that a simultaneous overexpression of CNX and CRT can increase the q(TPO) of rCHO cells.     

Effect of culture pH on recombinant antibody production by a new human cell line, F2N78, grown in suspension at 33.0 °C and 37.0 °C

The human host cell line, F2N78, is a new somatic hybrid cell line designed for therapeutic antibody production. To verify its potential as a human host cell line, recombinant F2N78 cells that produce antibody against rabies virus (rF2N78) were cultivated at different culture pH (6.8, 7.0, 7.2, 7.4, and 7.6) and temperatures (33.0 °C and 37.0 °C). Regardless of the culture temperature, the highest specific growth rate was obtained at a pH of 7.0–7.4. Lowering the culture temperature from 37.0 °C to 33.0 °C suppressed cell growth while allowing maintenance of high cell viability for a longer period. However, it did not enhance antibody production because specific antibody productivity did not increase at 33.0 °C. The highest maximum antibody concentration was obtained at 37.0 °C and pH 6.8. The N-linked glycosylation of the antibody was affected by the culture pH rather than the temperature. Nevertheless, G1F was dominant and G2F occupied a larger portion than G0F in all culture conditions. Compared to the same antibody produced from recombinant CHO cells, the antibody produced from rF2N78 cells has more galactose capping and was more similar to human plasma IgG. Taken together, the results obtained here demonstrate the potential of F2N78 as an alternative human host cell line for therapeutic antibody production.     

Effect of constitutively active Ras overexpression on cell growth in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells

Constitutively active Ras (CA-Ras) is known to enhance cell growth through the induction of various signaling cascades including the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/ERK signaling pathways, although the cellular response is highly dependent on the cell type. To evaluate the effect of CA-Ras overexpression on cell growth in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells, an erythropoietin (EPO)-producing rCHO cell line with regulated CA-Ras overexpression (EPO-off-CA-Ras) was established using the Tet-off system. The CA-Ras expression level in EPO-off-CA-Ras cells was tightly regulated by doxycycline addition. Although CA-Ras overexpression slightly increased the viable cell concentration during the late exponential phase, it did not increase the maximum viable cell concentration or specific growth rate to a significant degree. Unexpectedly, CA-Ras overexpression in rCHO cells led only to the enhancement in the activation of the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway and not the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Taken together, CA-Ras overexpression in rCHO cells did not significantly affect cell growth; it also had no critical impact on viable cell concentration or EPO production, possibly due to a failure to activate the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.