Development of the downstream process in the production of the recombinant histone H1.3 variant

It was shown that H1 type histones possess anticancer activity and could be utilized in therapy of acute myeloid leukemia. We developed an experimental pilot-scale technology of the recombinant histone H1.3 variant production. The downstream process includes acidic extraction of the target protein from the culture broth, ion-exchange, reversed-phase and size-exclusion chromatography, and freeze-drying. The accent was made on the reduction of bacterial endotoxin contamination of the active pharmaceutical ingredient. Highly efficient downstream strategy of the target protein depyrogenation is discussed in the paper. The developed technology allows the production of the protein with high yield (approx. 110 g per 1000 L of the culture broth) and of high purity (estimated productivity is 75–100 g/month). The activity and purity of the active pharmaceutical ingredients produced for clinical trials were confirmed by different tests including ultra performance liquid chromatography, size exclusion chromatography, ELISA, SDS–PAGE, gel-clot LAL-test. Clinical trials were started in the Russian Federation.     

The effect of phenylalanine on biosynthesis of protoberberine alkaloids in the cell culture of low meadow-rue

The addition of 7 mM phenylalanine to the nutrient medium for low meadow-rue (Thalictrum minus L.) cell culturing on the 7th or 8th day doubled berberine secretion into medium. Simultaneously, the content of phenolic compounds increased in the cells and medium. Investigation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and tyrosine ammonia-lyase (TAL) activities showed that exogenous Phe activated PAL by 35% and inactivated TAL by 20%. When the crude extract was separated on DEAE-Sephacel column, two proteins were isolated. One of them displayed both PAL and TAL activities, whereas another protein displayed only PAL activity. This activity disappeared after cell culturing longer than 20 days and also under the effect of Phe at a concentration reducing alkaloid biosynthesis. Phe addition to medium also increased the content of protein in both the cells and culture medium. The proportion of low-molecular proteins in the medium increased. Testing antimicrobial activity of the medium showed that it was determined by berberine and to a lesser degree by palmatine. Protein fraction also demonstrated antimicrobial activity. An improved antimicrobial activity after Phe adding to medium resulted from alkaloid and protein accumulation. The conclusion was made that one of the mechanisms of Phe action was the control of alkaloid biosynthesis with the involvement of the enzyme system of the early steps of the phenylpropanoid pathway, which, in its turn, is one of the stages in stress-induced plant response to pathogen action.     

A PCR-based semiquantitative assay of DNA impurities in recombinant protein preparations

A semiquantitative assay of DNA impurities in preparations of human recombinant insulin is described. The assay is based on the detection of a fragment of the ampicillin-resistant gene within the producer strain DNA by PCR. The analysis of PCR products of the studied preparations and PCR products containing known amounts of E. coli total DNA enabled a quantitative determination of the producer strain DNA content in the preparations under study. The sensitivity of the method is 7 pg of E. coli DNA per 10µg of human recombinant insulin. The high sensitivity of the method allows us to recommend it for the quantitative determination of DNA content in recombinant preparations that do not inhibit PCR.Translated from Bioorganicheskaya Khimiya, Vol. 31, No. 1, 2005, pp. 73–76.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Aleksandrov, Yu. Skoblov, M. Skoblov, Shibanova, Bairamashvili, Miroshnikov.     

Antioxidant activity of extracts from Thalictrum minus suspension culture

Low meadow-rue (Thalictrum minus L.) antioxidant complex was studied in cell extracts and culture medium. Its activity was expressed as total polyphenol content in ferulic acid equivalents. In these model systems (cell extracts and culture medium) the inhibition of lipid oxidation and diphenylpicrylhydrazine reduction (EC₅₀ = 12–15 μg/ml) were observed. At the phenolic compound concentration of 8–15 μg/ml, the reducing capacity of cell extracts was equivalent to 1.5 mM ascorbic acid. At the same time, berberine, a major alkaloid synthesized by the culture, manifested a low antioxidant activity. The analysis of phenolic acid composition in low meadow-rue showed that one of the main components of its antioxidant system were caffeic, gallic, chlorogenic, and ferulic acids.     

Displacement effect during HPLC preparative purification of human insulin

HPLC plays a key role in the preparative purification of human insulin. A21-desamidoinsulin is one of the impurities that possesses the chromatographic behavior similar to that of insulin and hence separation from this by-product is rather difficult at the process scale. During the optimization of insulin reversed-phase HPLC purification, when a column was sufficiently overloaded, the effect of displacement of A21-desamidoinsulin molecules from active groups of sorbent by insulin ones was observed. It was suggested that monocarboxylic acid and organic modifier in mobile phase are responsible for the esterification during which the formed ester promotes the displacement effect. This effect was studied in order to optimize the purification of human insulin at the process scale.     

The Effect of Amino Acids as Components of Nutrient Medium on the Accumulation of Protoberberine Alkaloids in the Cell Culture of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thalictrum minus</Emphasis>

We studied the effects of amino acids on the biosynthesis of protoberberine alkaloids. When 5 mM tyrosine was added to the nutrient medium, the content of alkaloids was reduced by 23% and dry weight was only 77% of the control. On the medium with 1 mM L-tryptophan, the content of alkaloids was somewhat increased (by 20%). Other amino acids (sulfur-containing L-cysteine and L-methionine, and also L-proline and L-arginine) did not affect substantially the content of alkaloids. The addition of 1 and 5 mM L-phenylalanine, which is not a primary precursor to alkaloids, induced the accumulation of alkaloids by the 17th day of the growth cycle by 40 and 140%, respectively, as compared to control treatment. The comparison of various phenylalanine concentrations showed that 7 mM phenylalanine added on the 7– 8th day induced the highest accumulation of alkaloids in the culture medium (above 1 g/l). The content of alkaloids and soluble phenolic compounds increased threefold in both the medium and cells. None of the amino acid tested enhanced biomass accumulation.__________Translated from Fiziologiya Rastenii, Vol. 52, No. 3, 2005, pp. 438–442.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Urmantseva, Gaevskaya, Karyagina, Bairamashvili.     

Structural and functional study of polymyxins. Isolation and properties of individual components of polymyxin M

LPCC and HPLC revealed that polymyxin M was a mixture of five components of the polymyxin nature: PM1, PM2, PMx, PMy and PMz. The individual compounds PM1, PM2 and PMz were isolated. Their physicochemical properties and data on antimicrobial activity are presented.     

The histamine-liberating action of polymyxin B and its analogs

Histamine-releasing effect of polymyxin B1 and its deacylated analogues has been studied on purified rat mast cells. The structure-activity analysis showed that cyclic peptide fragment and acyl residue of molecule of polymyxin plays an important role in histamine-releasing activity. Histamine release, induced by polymyxin B1 and its analogue was blocked by metabolic inhibitor antimycin A. Preincubation of polymyxin B1 with lipopolysaccharide inhibits in dose-dependent manner polymyxin-induced histamine secretion from rat mast cells.     

Structural and functional investigation of polymyxins. Structure and biological properties of polymyxin M analogs

The effect of proteinases of plant and microbial origin on polymyxin M was studied. It was shown that this antibiotic was absolutely stable to the effect of papain and ficin. On hydrolysis with subtilisin there formed polymyxin decyclized analogs not described earlier. Their isolation, purification and biological activity are described. The structure of these compounds was assessed by one- and two-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy. The role of various functional groups, their space orientation and impact on antimicrobial activity of the compounds are discussed.     

Development and optimization of several stages of the technological process of filgrastim substance production

Technology of industrial production of an active pharmaceutical substance (APS) of the recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) involved the use of a highly productive E. coli strain capable of biosynthesis of rhG-CSF in the form of inclusion bodies (IB). A method of strain cultivation has been described, and methods of IB isolation, industrial-scale purification, filgrastim APS production, and quality control have been developed. Clinical trials of the preparation, carried out in the leading Russian clinics, were successful. Efficiency and safety of the preparation have been confirmed. A ready pharmaceutical form Neupomax® been produced in Russia since 2008 according to the technology developed.