Heterogeneous conditions in dissolved oxygen affect N-glycosylation but not productivity of a monoclonal antibody in hybridoma cultures

It is known that heterogeneous conditions exist in large-scale animal cell cultures. However, little is known about how heterogeneities affect cells, productivities, and product quality. To study the effect of non-constant dissolved oxygen tension (DOT), hybridomas were subjected to sinusoidal DOT oscillations in a one-compartment scale-down simulator. Oscillations were forced by manipulating the inlet oxygen partial pressure through a feedback control algorithm in a 220-mL bioreactor maintained at a constant agitation. Such temporal DOT oscillations simulate spatial DOT gradients that can occur in large scales. Different oscillation periods, in the range of 800 to 12,800 s (axis of 7% (air saturation) and amplitude of 7%), were tested and compared to constant DOT (10%) control cultures. Oscillating DOT decreased maximum cell concentrations, cell growth rates, and viability indexes. Cultures at oscillating DOT had an increased glycolytic metabolism that was evidenced by a decrease in yield of cells on glucose and an increase in lactate yield. DOT gradients, even several orders of magnitude higher than those expected under practical large-scale conditions, did not significantly affect the maximum concentration of an IgG(1) monoclonal antibody (MAb). The glycosylation profile of the MAb produced at a constant DOT of 10% was similar to that reported in the literature. However, MAb produced under oscillating culture conditions had a higher amount of triantennary and sialylated glycans, which can interfere with effector functions of the antibody. It was shown that transient excursions of hybridomas to limiting DOT, as occurs in deficiently mixed large-scale bioreactors, is important to culture performance as the oscillation period, and thus the time cells spent at low DOT, affected cell growth, metabolism, and the glycosylation pattern of MAb. Such results underline the importance of monitoring protein characteristics for the development of large-scale processes.     

Understanding factors that limit the productivity of suspension-based perfusion cultures operated at high medium renewal rates

One of the key parameters in perfusion culture is the rate of medium replacement (D). Intensifying D results in enhanced provision of nutrients, which can lead to an increase in the viable cell density (X(v)). The daily MAb production of hybridoma cells can thus be increased proportionally without modifying the bioreactor scale, provided that both viable cell yield per perfusion rate (Y(Xv/D)) and specific MAb productivity (q(MAb)) remain constant at higher D. To identify factors prone to limit productivity in perfusion, a detailed kinetic analysis was carried out on a series of cultures operated within a D range of 0.48/4.34 vvd (volumes of medium/reactor volume/day) in two different suspension-based systems. In the Celligen/vortex-flow filter system, significant reductions in Y(Xv/D) and q(MAb) resulting from the use of gas sparging were observed at D > 1.57 vvd (X(v) > 15 x 10(6) cells/mL). Through glucose supplementation, we have shown that the decrease in Y(Xv/D) encountered in presence of sparging was not resulting from increased cellular destruction or reduced cell growth, but rather from glucose limitation. Thus, increases in hydrodynamic shear stress imparted to the culture via intensification of gas sparging resulted in a gradual increase in specific glucose consumption (q(glc)) and lactate production rates (q(lac)), while no variations were observed in glutamine-consumption rates. As a result, while glutamine was the sole limiting-nutrient under non-sparging conditions, both glutamine and glucose became limiting under sparging conditions. Although a reduction in q(MAb) was observed at high-sparging rates, inhibition of MAb synthesis did not result from direct impact of bubbles, but was rather associated with elevated lactate levels (25-30 mM), resulting from shear stress-induced increases in q(lac), q(glc), and Y(lac/glc). Deleterious effects of sparging on Y(Xv/D) and q(MAb) encountered in the Celligen/vortex-flow filter system were eliminated in the sparging-free low-shear environment of the Chemap-HRI/ultrasonic filter system, allowing for the maintenance of up to 37 x 10(6) viable cells/mL. A strategy aimed at reducing requirements for sparging in large-scale perfusion cultures by way of a reduction in the oxygen demand using cellular engineering is discussed.     

Induction of apoptosis in oxygen-deprived cultures of hybridoma cells

It is now well documented that apoptosis represents the prevalent mode of cell death in hybridoma cultures. Apoptotic or programmed cell death occurs spontaneously in late exponential phase of batch cultures. Until lately, no specific triggering factors had been identified. Recently, we observed that glutamine, cystine or glucose deprivation induced apoptosis in both hybridoma and myeloma cell lines whereas accumulation of toxic metabolites induced necrotic cell death in these cells. Other triggering factors such as oxygen deprivation might also be responsible for induction of apoptosis. In the present study, induction of cell death by exposure to anoxia was examined in batch culture of the SP2/0-derived hybridoma D5 clone. The mode of cell death was studied by morphological examination of acridine orange-ethidium bromide stained cells in a 1.5 L bioreactor culture grown under anoxic conditions for 75 hours. Under such conditions, viable cell density levelled off rapidly and remained constant for 25 hours. After 45 hours of anoxia, cell viability had decreased to 30% and the dead cell population was found to be 90% apoptotic. In terms of cellular metabolism, anoxia resulted in an increase in the utilization rates of glucose and arginine, and in a decrease in the utilization rate of glutamine. The lactate production rate and the yield of lactate on glucose increased significantly while the MAb production rate decreased. These results demonstrate that glycolysis becomes the main source of energy under anoxic conditions.Cells incubated for 10 hours or less under anoxic conditions were able to recuperate almost immediately and displayed normal growth rates when reincubated in oxic conditions whereas cells incubated for 22 hours or more displayed reduced growth rates. Nonetheless, even after 22 h or 29 h of anoxia, cells reincubated in oxic conditions showed no further progression into apoptosis. Therefore, upon removal of the triggering signal, induction of apoptosis ceased.Abbreviations VNA Viable non-apoptotic cells - VA Viable apoptotic cells - NVNA Nonviable non-apoptotic or necrotic cells - NVA Nonviable apoptotic cells - CF Chromatin-free cells (late nonviable apoptotic cells) - AO Acridine orange - EB Ethidium Bromide - MAb Monoclocnal antibody - D.O. Dissolved oxygen - qMAb Specific MAb production rate (mg. (10⁹ cells)^–1.day^–1) - Specific growth rate (h^–1) - X_v Viable cell number (10⁵ cells.mL^–1) - X_t Total cell number (10⁵ cells.mL^–1) - Y_lac/glc Yield coefficient of lactate on glucose (mM lactate produced/mM glucose consumed)     

A kinetic analysis of hybridoma growth and metabolism in batch and continuous suspension culture: effect of nutrient concentration, dilution rate, and pH

Hybridomas are finding increased use for the production of a wide variety of monoclonal antibodies. Understanding the roles of physiological and environmental factors on the growth and metabolism of mammalian cells is a prerequisite for the development of rational scale-up procedures. An SP2/0-derived mouse hybridoma has been employed in the present work as a model system for hybridoma suspension culture. In preliminary shake flask studies to determine the effect of glucose and glutamine, it was found that the specific growth rate, the glucose and glutamine metabolic quotients, and the cumulative specific antibody production rate were independent of glucose concentration over the range commonly employed in cell cultures. Only the specific rate of glutamine uptake was found to depend on glutamine concentration. The cells were grown in continuous culture at constant pH and oxygen concentration at a variety of dilution rates. Specific substrate consumption rates and product formation rates were determined from the steady state concentrations. The specific glucose uptake rate deviated from the maintenance energy model(1) at low specific growth rates, probably due to changes in the metabolic pathways of the cells. Antibody production was not growth-associated; and higher specific antibody production rates were obtained at lower specific growth rates. The effect of pH on the metabolic quotients was also determined. An optimum in viable cell concentration was obtained between pH 7.1 and 7.4. The viable cell number and viability decreased dramatically at pH 6.8. At pH 7.7 the viable cell concentration initially decreased, but then recovered to values typical of pH 7.1-7.4. Higher specific nutrient consumption rates were found at the extreme pH values; however, glucose consumption was inhibited at low pH. The pH history also influenced the behavior at a given pH. Higher antibody metabolic quotients were obtained at the extreme pH values. Together with the effect of specific growth rate, this suggests higher antibody production under environmental or nutritional stress.     

A kinetic analysis of hybridoma growth and metabolism in batch and continuous suspension culture: effect of nutrient concentration, dilution rate, and pH. Reprinted from Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Vol. 32, Pp 947-965 (1988)

Hybridomas are finding increased use for the production of a wide variety of monoclonal antibodies. Understanding the roles of physiological and environmental factors on the growth and metabolism of mammalian cells is a prerequisite for the development of rational scale-up procedures. An SP2/0-derived mouse hybridoma has been employed in the present work as a model system for hybridoma suspension culture. In preliminary shake flask studies to determine the effect of glucose and glutaminE, it was found that the specific growth rate, the glucose and glutamine metabolic quotients, and the cumulative specific antibody production rate were independent of glucose concentration over the range commonly employed in cell cultures. Only the specific rate of glutamine uptake was found to depend on glutamine concentration. The cells were grown in continuous culture at constant pH and oxygen concentration at a variety of dilution rates. Specific substrate consumption rates and product formation rates were determined from the steady state concentrations. The specific glucose uptake rate deviated from the maintenance energy model(1) at low specific growth rates, probably due to changes in the metabolic pathways of the cells. Antibody production was not growth-associated; and higher specific antibody production rates were obtained at lower specific growth rates. The effect of pH on the metabolic quotients was also determined. An optimum in viable cell concentration was obtained between pH 7.1 and 7.4. The viable cell number and viability decreased dramatically at pH 6.8. At pH 7.7 the viable cell concentration initially decreased, but then recovered to values typical of pH 7.1-7.4. Higher specific nutrient consumption rates were found at the extreme pH values; however, glucose consumption was inhibited at low pH. The pH history also influenced the behavior at a given pH. Higher antibody metabolic quotients were obtained at the extreme pH values. Together with the effect of specific growth rate, this suggests higher antibody production under environmental or nutritional stress.     

The production of monoclonal antibody in growth-arrested hybridomas cultivated in suspension and immobilized modes.

The effects of the microenvironment and the nature of the limiting nutrient on culture viability and overall MAb productivity were explored using a hybridoma cell line which characteristically produces MAb in the stationary phase. A direct comparison was made of the changes in the metabolic profiles of suspension and PEG-alginate immobilized (0.8 mm beads) batch cultures upon entry into the stationary phase. The shifts in glucose, glutamine, and amino acid metabolism upon entry into the stationary phase were similar for both microenvironments. While the utilization of most nutrients in the stationary phase decreased to below 20% of that in the growth phase, antibody production was not dramatically affected. The immobilized culture did exhibit a 1.5-fold increase in the specific antibody rate over the suspension culture in both the growth and stationary phases. The role of limiting nutrient on MAb production and cell viability was assessed by artificially depleting a specific nutrient to 1% of its control concentration. An exponentially growing population of HB121 cells exposed to these various depletions responded with dramatically different viability profiles and MAb production kinetics. All depletions resulted in growth-arrested cultures and nongrowth-associated MAb production. Depletions in energy sources (glucose, glutamine) or essential amino acids (isoleucine) resulted in either poor viability or low antibody productivity. A phosphate or serum depletion maintained antibody production over at least a six day period with each resulting in a 3-fold higher antibody production rate than in growing batch cultures. These results were translated to a high-density perfusion culture of immobilized cells in the growth-arrested state with continued MAb expression for 20 days at a specific rate equal to that observed in the phosphate- and serum-depleted batch cultures.     

The use of culture redox potential and oxygen uptake rate for assessing glucose and glutamine depletion in hybridoma cultures

Culture redox potential (CRP) and oxygen uptake rate (OUR) were monitored on-line during glucose- and glutamine-limited batch cultures of a murine hybridoma cell line that secretes a neutralizing monoclonal antibody specific to toxin 2 of the scorpion Centruroides noxius Hoffmann. It was found that OUR and CRP can be used for assessing the viable cell concentration and growth phases of the culture. Before nutrient depletion, OUR increased exponentially with viable cell concentration, whereas CRP decreased monotonically until cell viability started to decrease. During the death phase, CRP gradually increased. A sudden decrease in OUR occurred upon glucose or glutamine depletion. CRP traced the dissolved oxygen profile during a control action or an operational eventuality, however, during nutrient depletion it did not follow the expected behavior of a system composed mainly by the O(2)/H(2)O redox couple. Such a behavior was not due to the accumulated lactate or ammonia, nor to possible intracellular redox potential changes caused by nutrient depletion, as inferred from respiration inhibition by rotenone or uncoupled respiration by 2,4-dinitrophenol. As shown in this study, operational eventualities can be erroneously interpreted as changes in OUR when using algorithms based solely on oxygen balances. However, simultaneous measurements of CRP and OUR may be used to discriminate real metabolic events from operational failures. The results presented here can be used in advanced real-time algorithms for controling glucose and glutamine at low concentrations, avoiding under- or over-feeding them in hybridoma cultures, and consequently reducing the accumulation of metabolic wastes and improving monoclonal antibody production. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 56: 555-563, 1997.     

Fluxes and enzyme activities in central metabolism of myeloma cells grown in chemostat culture

Activities of enzymes in glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and glutaminolysis have been determined in the mouse myeloma SP2/0.Ag14. Cells were grown on IMDM medium with 5% serum in steady-state chemostat culture at a fixed dilution rate of 0.03 h-1. Three culture conditions, which differed in supply of glucose and oxygen, were chosen so as to change catabolic fluxes in the central metabolism, while keeping anabolic fluxes constant. In the three steady-state situations, the ratio between specific rates of glucose and glutamine consumption differed by more than twentyfold. The specific rates of glucose consumption and lactate production were highest at low oxygen supply, whereas the specific rate of glutamine consumption was highest in the culture fed with low amounts of glucose. Under low oxygen conditions, the specific production of ammonia increased and the consumption pattern of amino acids showed large changes compared with the other two cultures. For the three steady states, activities of key enzymes in glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, glutaminolysis, and the TCA cycle were measured. The differences in the in vivo fluxes were only partially reflected in changes in enzyme levels. The largest differences were observed in the levels of glycolytic enzymes, which were elevated under conditions of low oxygen supply. High activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (E.C. 4.1.1.32) in all cultures suggest an important role for this enzyme as a link between glutaminolysis and glycolysis. For all enzymes, in vitro activities were found that could accommodate the estimated maximum in vivo fluxes. These results show that the regulation of fluxes in central metabolism of mammalian cells occurs mainly through modulation of enzyme activity and, to a much lesser extent, by enzyme synthesis.     

Effects of dissolved oxygen on hybridoma cell growth, metabolism, and antibody production kinetics in continuous culture.

The effects of dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) on hybridoma cell physiology were examined in a continuous stirred tank bioreactor with a murine hybridoma cell line (167.4G5.3). Dissolved oxygen concentration was varied between 0% and 100% air saturation. Cell growth and viability, carbohydrate, amino acid, and energy metabolism, oxygen uptake, and antibody production rates were investigated. Cell growth was inhibited at both high and low DO. Cells could grow at 0% DO and maintain viability under a nitrogen atmosphere. Cell viability was higher at low DO. Glucose, glutamine, and oxygen consumption rates changed little at DO above 1% air saturation. However, the metabolic uptake rates changed below 1% DO, where growth became oxygen limited, and a Km value of 0.6% DO was obtained for the specific oxygen uptake rate. The metabolic rates of glucose, glutamine, lactate, and ammonia increased 2-3-fold as the DO dropped from 1% to 0%. Amino acid metabolism followed the same general pattern as that of glutamine and glucose. Alanine was the only amino acid produced. The consumption rates of amino acids changed little above 1% DO, but under anaerobic conditions the consumption rates of all amino acids increased severalfold. Cells obtained most of their metabolic energy from glutamine oxidation except under oxygen limitation, when glucose provided most of the energy. The calculated ATP production rate was only slightly influenced by DO and rose at 0% DO. Antibody concentration was highest at 35% DO, while the specific antibody production rate was insensitive to DO.     

Serum-free suspension cultivation of PER.C6(R) cells and recombinant adenovirus production under different pH conditions

PER.C6(R) cell growth, metabolism, and adenovirus production were studied in head-to-head comparisons in stirred bioreactors under different pH conditions. Cell growth rate was found to be similar in the pH range of 7.1-7.6, while a long lag phase and a slower growth rate were observed at pH 6.8. The specific consumption rates of glucose and glutamine decreased rapidly over time during batch cell growth, as did the specific lactate and ammonium production rates. Cell metabolism in both infected and uninfected cultures was very sensitive to culture pH, resulting in dramatic differences in glucose/glutamine consumption and lactate/ammonium production under different pH conditions. It appeared that glucose metabolism was suppressed at low pH but the efficiency of energy production from glucose was enhanced. Adenovirus infection resulted in profound changes in cell growth and metabolism. Cell growth was largely arrested under all pH conditions, while glucose consumption and lactate production were elevated post virus infection. Virus infection induced a reduction in glutamine consumption at low pH but an increase at high pH. The optimal pH for adenovirus production was found to be 7.3 under the experimental conditions used in the study. Deviations from this optimum resulted in significant reductions of virus productivity. The results indicate that culture pH is a very critical process parameter in PER.C6(R) cell culture and adenovirus production.     

Growth, metabolic, and antibody production kinetics of hybridoma cell culture: 2. Effects of serum concentration, dissolved oxygen concentration, and medium pH in a batch reactor.

The effects of serum, dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, and medium pH on hybridoma cell physiology were examined in a controlled batch bioreactor using a murine hybridoma cell line (167.4G5.3). The effect of serum was also studied for a second murine hybridoma cell line (S3H5/gamma 2bA). Cell growth, viability, cell density, carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, respiration and energy production rates, and antibody production rates were studied. Cell growth was enhanced and cell death was decreased by increasing the serum level. The growth rates followed a Monod-type model with serum being the limiting component. Specific glucose, glutamine, and oxygen uptake rates and specific lactate and ammonia production rates did not change with serum concentrations. Amino acid metabolism was slightly influenced by the serum level. Cell growth rates were not influenced by DO between 20% and 80% air saturation, while the specific death rates were lowest at 20-50% air saturation. Glucose and glutamine uptake rates increased at DO above 10% and below 5% air saturation. Cell growth rate was optimal at pH 7.2. Glucose and glutamine uptake rates, as well as lactate and ammonia production rates, increased above pH 7.2. Metabolic rates for glutamine and ammonia were also higher below pH 7.2. The consumption or production rates of amino acids followed the glutamine consumption very closely. Cell-specific oxygen uptake rate was insensitive to the levels of serum, DO, and pH. Theoretical calculations based on experimentally determined uptake rates indicated that the ATP production rates did not change significantly with serum and DO while it increased continually with increasing pH. The oxidative phosphorylation accounted for about 60% of total energy production. This contribution, however, increased at low pH values to 76%. The specific antibody production rate was not growth associated and was independent of serum and DO concentrations and medium pH above 7.20. A 2-fold increase in specific antibody production rates was observed at pH values below 7.2. Higher concentrations of antibody were obtained at high serum levels, between 20% and 40% DO, and at pH 7.20 due to higher viable cell numbers obtained.     

Correlation between steady-state cell concentration and cell death of hybridoma cultures in chemostat

In the present study, the steady-state cell density (X) of chemostat cultures of murine hybridoma was varied by the concentration of glucose and glutamine in culture medium and the dissolved oxygen partial pressure. Except at low glutamine and low oxygen levels, the specific death rate (k(d)) of the cultures was found to decrease with increasing dilution rate (D). However, the plot of k(d) vs. X/D yielded linear relation, which suggests that cell death was due to a non-growth-linked inhibitory product of the cells. The k(d) value measured at low glutamine and low oxygen levels remained practically unchanged over a wide range of D between 0.020 and 0.029 h(-1). The k(d) for low oxygen cultures was always lower than the values obtained in low glucose and low glutamine cultures. A low-molecular-weight component of possibly less than 3000 MW was detected to be cell-death-inducing in the supernatant of exponentially growing cultures. It was neither lactate nor ammonium. The autoinhibitor was not cell-line specific. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Effects of ammonia and lactate on hybridoma growth, metabolism, and antibody production

The influence of ammonia and lactate on cell growth, metabolic, and antibody production rates was investigated for murine hybridoma cell line 163.4G5.3 during batch culture. The specific growth rate was reduced by one-half in the presence of an initial ammonia concentration of 4 mM. Increasing ammonia levels accelerated glucose and glutamine consumption, decreased ammonia yield from glutamine, and increased alanine yield from glutamine. Although the amount of antibody produced decreased with increasing ammonia concentration, the specific antibody productivity remained relatively constant around a value of 0.22 pg/cell-h. The specific growth rate was reduced by one-half at an initial lactate concentration of 55 mM. Although specific glucose and glutamine uptake rates were increased at high lacatate concentration, they showed a decrease after making corrections for medium osmolarity. The yield coefficient of lactate from glucose decreased at high lactate concentrations. A similar decrease was observed for the ammonia yield coefficient from glutamine. At elevated lactate concentrations, specific antibody productivities increased, possibly due to the increase in medium osmolarity. The specific oxygen uptake rate was insensitive to ammonia and lactate concentrations. Addition of ammonia and lactate increased the calculated metabolic energy production of the cells. At high ammonia and lactate, the contribution of glycolysis to total energy production increased. Decreasing external pH and increasing ammonia concentrations caused cytoplasmic acidification. Effect of lactate on intracellular pH was insignificant, whereas increasing osmolarity caused cytoplasmic alkalinization.     

Biological responses of hybridoma cells to hydrodynamic shear in an agitated bioreactor.

Effects of long-term hydrodynamic shear on hybridoma cells were investigated in a 250-ml continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR). Cells grown at steady state were subjected to step changes in agitation rates. Cell viability, glucose consumption, and monoclonal antibody (MAb) production were determined at high agitation rates and compared with the control (100 rev min-1). Impeller tip speeds higher than 40 cm s-1 caused a significant drop in cell concentration and respiration activity, and increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release to the culture medium. Also, high agitation speeds caused a decrease in MAb concentration and an increase in specific glucose consumption rate. The effects of dilution rate and serum concentration on the sensitivity of hybridoma cells to hydrodynamic shear were determined. Serum was found to protect the cells against shear damage and had a significant positive effect on hybridoma growth and MAb production. Shear damage on cells in CSTR was approximated to first-order kinetics. The death rate constant increased sharply at impeller tip speeds above 40 cm s-1.     

The effect of dissolved oxygen tension and the utility of oxygen uptake rate in insect cell culture

Dissolved oxygen tension and oxygen uptake rate are critical parameters in animal cell culture. However, only scarce information of such variables is available for insect cell culture. In this work, the effect of dissolved oxygen tension (DOT) and the utility of on-line oxygen uptake rate (OUR) measurements in monitoring Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cultures were determined. Sf9 cells were grown at constant dissolved oxygen tensions in the range of 0 to 30%. Sf9 metabolism was affected only at DOT below 10%, as no significant differences on specific growth rate, cell concentration, amino acid consumption/production nor carbohydrates consumption rates were found at DOT between 10 and 30%. The specific growth rate and specific oxygen uptake rate followed typical Monod kinetics with respect to DOT. The calculated _max and max were 0.033 h^-1 and 3.82×10^-10 mole cell^-1h^-1, respectively, and the corresponding saturation constants were 1.91 and 1.57%, respectively. In all aerated cultures, lactate was consumed only after glucose and fructose had been exhausted. The yield of lactate increased with decreasing DOT. It is proposed, that an apparent DOT in non-instrumented cultures can be inferred from the lactate yield of bioreactors as a function of DOT. Such a concept, can be a useful and important tool for determining the average dissolved oxygen tension in non-instrumented cultures. It was shown that the dynamic behavior of OUR can be correlated with monosaccharide (fructose and glucose) depletion and viable cell concentration. Accordingly, OUR can have two important applications in insect cell culture: for on-line estimation of viable cells, and as a possible feed-back control variable in automatic strategies of nutrient addition.Abbreviations DOT Dissolved oxygen tension - OUR Oxygen uptake rate - specific oxygen uptake rate - specific growth rate - X_v viable cell concentration - C_L, C^*, and oxygen concentrations in liquid phase, in equilibrium with gas phase, and medium molar concentration, respectively - H Henry's constant - K_La volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient - P_T total pressure - oxygen partial pressure - oxygen molar fraction - i discrete element     

Adaptive fuzzy control of nutrients concentration in fed-batch culture of mammalian cells

An adaptive fuzzy controller was developed to control the glucose and glutamine concentrations in the reactor constant at the desired level. The parameter values of the controller change during the cultivation according to the culture phase which was detected by the lactate concentration. Cultivations with different glucose and glutamine set point concentrations of a recombinant BHK anchorage-dependent cell line were performed in a fed-batch reactor on-line connected with an HPLC system. Glucose and glutamine concentrations were satisfactorily controlled at each set point during all cultivation periods. Ammonia had a determining effect on productivity since it inhibited cell growth and protein specific production. Ammonia production increased with an increase of glutamine or a decrease of glucose set point concentrations, indicating the importance of glucose to glutamine ratio for the optimization of productivity in mammalian cell cultures. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Production of tPA in recombinant CHO cells under oxygen-limited conditions

Animal cell bioreactors are often limited by the oxygen supply. The reduction in oxygen consumption per cell that occurs under hypoxic conditions may be exploited as a method for increasing reactor capacity if additional glucose is provided to offset increased glycolytic activity. The effects of oxygen deprivation on recombinant tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) production were investigated using midexponential and slowly growing CHO cells. The specific oxygen consumption rate can be reduced by at least 50% (mild hypoxic conditions) without affecting the cell growth rate, maximum cell concentration, tPA production rate, or tPA quality (as characterized by the tPA-specific activity and SDS-PAGE analysis). This suggests that mild-hypoxic conditions (with sufficient glucose) can be used to double the cell concentration and volumetric tPA production rate (at a constant volumetric oxygen supply rate) without sacrificing product quality. However, anoxic conditions should be avoided. When slowly growing cultures were exposed to anoxia, the tPA production rate decreased by 80% without affecting tPA quality. However, when midexponential cultures were exposed to anoxia, the drop in tPA production was accompanied by a decrease in tPA quality that ranged from a 40% decrease in tPA specific activity to extensive tPA degradation. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Analysis of kinetic,stoichiometry and regulation of glucose and glutamine metabolism in hybridoma batch cultures using logistic equations

Batch cultures were carried out to study the kinetic, stoichiometry, and regulation of glucose and glutamine metabolism of a murine hybridoma line. Asymmetric logistic equations (ALEs) were used to fit total and viable cell density, and nutrient and metabolite/product concentrations. Since these equations were analytically differentiable, specific rates and yield coefficients were readily calculated. Asymmetric logistic equations described satisfactorily uncontrolled batch cultures, including death phase. Specific growth rate showed a Monod-type dependence on initial glucose and glutamine concentrations. Yield coefficients of cell and lactate from glucose, and cell and ammonium from glutamine were all found to change dramatically at low residual glucose and glutamine concentrations. Under stoichiometric glucose limitation, the glucose-to-cell yield increased and glucose-to-lactate yield decreased, indicating a metabolic shift. Under stoichiometric glutamine limitation the glutamine-to-cell and glutamine-to-ammonium yields increased, but also glucose-to-cell yield increased and the glucose-to-lactate yield decreased. Monoclonal antibody production was mainly non-growth associated, independently of glucose and glutamine levels.     

Engineering Escherichia coli to improve culture performance and reduce formation of by-products during recombinant protein production under transient intermittent anaerobic conditions

Three E. coli strains, named VAL22, VAL23, and VAL24, were engineered at the level of mixed-acid fermentation pathways to improve culture performance under transient anaerobic conditions. VAL22 is a single mutant with an inactivated poxB gene that codes for pyruvate oxidase which converts pyruvate to acetate. VAL23 is a double mutant unable to produce lactate and formate due to deletions of the ldhA and pflB genes that code for lactate dehydrogenase and pyruvate-formate lyase, respectively. VAL24 is a triple mutant with ldhA and pflB deleted and poxB inactivated. Engineered strains were cultured under oscillating dissolved oxygen tension (DOT) in a scale-down system, to simulate gradients occurring in large-scale bioreactors. Kinetic and stoichiometric parameters of constant (10%) and oscillating DOT cultures of the engineered strains were compared with those of the parental strain, W3110. All strains expressed recombinant green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a protein model. Mutant strains showed improved specific growth rate, reduced by-product formation, and reduced specific glucose uptake rate compared to the parental strain, when cultured under oscillating DOT. In particular, lactate and formate production was abolished and acetate accumulation was reduced by 9-12%s. VAL24 showed the best performance, as specific growth and GFP production rates, and maximum GFP concentration were not affected by DOT gradients and were at least twofold higher than those of W3110 under constant DOT. Under oscillating DOT, VAL24 wasted about 40% less carbon into fermentation by-products than W3110. It was demonstrated that, although E. coli responds rapidly to DOT fluctuations by deviating to fermentative metabolism, such pathways can be eliminated as they are not necessary for bacterial survival during the short circulation times typical of large-scale cultures. The approach shown here opens new possibilities for designing metabolically engineered strains, with reduced sensitivity to DOT gradients and improved performance under typical conditions of large-scale cultures.