Automated in situ measurement of cell-specific antibody secretion and laser-mediated purification for rapid cloning of highly-secreting producers

Cloning of highly-secreting recombinant cells is critical for biopharmaceutical manufacturing, but faces numerous challenges including the fact that secreted protein does not remain associated with the producing cell. A fundamentally new approach was developed combining in situ capture and measurement of individual cell protein secretion followed by laser-mediated elimination of all non- and poorly-secreting cells, leaving only the highest-secreting cell in a well. Recombinant cells producing humanized antibody were cultured serum-free on a capture matrix, followed by staining with fluorescently-labeled anti-human antibody fragment. A novel, automated, high-throughput instrument (called LEAP) was used to image and locate every cell, quantify the cell-associated and secreted antibody (surrounding each cell), eliminate all undesired cells from a well via targeted laser irradiation, and then track clone outgrowth and stability. Temporarily sparing an island of helper cells around the clone of interest improved cloning efficiency (particularly when using serum-free medium), and helper cells were easily eliminated with the laser after several days. The in situ nature of this process allowed several serial sub-cloning steps to be performed within days of one another, resulting in rapid generation of clonal populations with significantly increased and more stable, homogeneous antibody secretion. Cell lines with specific antibody secretion rates of > 50 pg/cell per day (in static batch culture) were routinely obtained as a result of this cloning approach, often times representing up to 20% of the clones screened.     

Molecular cloning of the delta-endotoxin gene of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis

A transformant of Bacillus megaterium, VB131, was isolated which carries a 6.3-kb XbaI segment of the crystal toxin gene of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (BTI) cloned in a vector plasmid pBC16 to yield pVB131. The chimeric plasmid DNA from VB131 was introduced into a transformable Bacillus subtilis strain by competence transformation. Both the B. megaterium VB131 strain and the B. subtilis strain harboring the chimeric plasmid produced irregular, parasporal, phase-refractile, crystalline inclusions (Cry+) during sporulation. The sporulated cells as well as the isolated crystal inclusions of the pVB131-containing B. megaterium and B. subtilis strains were highly toxic to the larvae of Aedes aegypti. Also, the solubilized crystal protein preparation from VB131[pVB131] showed clear immuno cross-reaction with antiserum to the BTI crystal toxin. 32P-labeled pVB131 plasmid DNA showed specific hybridization with a 112-kb plasmid DNA of Cry+ strains of BTI, and no hybridization with other plasmid or chromosomal DNA of either Cry+ or Cry- variants. These results are in agreement with our previous findings (González and Carlton, 1984) that the 112-kb plasmid of BTI is associated with the production of the crystal toxin.     

类产碱假单胞菌耐热碱性脂肪酶的研究

从福建省福州市温泉澡堂污水浸润土壤中分离筛选到一株耐热碱性脂肪酶产生菌——类产碱假单胞菌(Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes)F331。产酶最适条件为:碳源小麦粉,氮源豆饼粉,起始培养pH9.4～9.5,培养温度24～26℃,培养周期32～34h。经硫酸铵盐析、Sepharose 4B和Sephadex G-200柱层析得到纯化的酶组分。该酶最适作用温度50℃,最适作用pH 10.0,60℃保温80min酶活基本不损失,在pH 7.0～10.0范围内酶蛋白稳定:Ca~(2+)和Mg~(2+)对酶有激活作用,Pb~(2+).Zn~(2+)、Fe~(2+)和Co~(2+)对酶活有抑制作用。该酶分子量45700。     

食品级槐豆胶的加工工艺及漂白研究

本文主要研究了食品级槐豆胶的加工工艺。结果表明:用此工艺加工的槐豆胶纯度高,无臭无味,胶颜色灰白至白色,具有良好的稳定性和增粘性。此工艺对胶的粘度及与黄原胶的协效性影响较小。红外光谱测定表明,用此工艺加工的槐豆胶,其分子结构未发生变化。